Houston woman finds efficiency in River Oaks apartment with view

The entrepreneur founded the upstream natural gas company Altamura Energy Resources and is in the process of launching Centric Club, a lifestyle and wellness platform.

Instead of living outside Loop 610, she’s in the thick of things, with a central location that she didn’t appreciate until she’d been there for a while. It’s a common move for people in transition, especially those who want to downsize and avoid the maintenance of home ownership.

From a minimalist desk at the north end of her living room, Menown does her work, checking on her team, who all work remotely. When she needs to have an in-person meeting, she simply shifts to a conference room included in the apartment’s amenities.

For each home Menown has had in her life, she chose different furnishings to match her lifestyle and the setting of the home. This phase is about the quiet serenity she needs to stay focused and creative in her work.

“The lighter colors are calming. I have to be creative with what I do day in and day out, and this gives me clarity and keeps creativity flowing,” Menown said. “It’s one thing when you tour a place, and then you start living in it, and you think, ‘This really works for me.’”

She found her interior designer, Ginger Barber of Ginger Barber Interior Design, through a friend at the gym. Coincidentally, Barber helped that client shift from a bigger house in West University Place to a more modern high-rise condo, too.

“The choices are driven by the client, but I have to find a place to bring in something old to add warmth to a home,” Barber said. “I love contemporary, and Ginger (Menown) is more minimalist. As we get older, we definitely feel like ‘less is more.’”

With huge windows that wrap around much of her apartment, Menown’s new home is filled with natural light and great views, all of which feed her own lifestyle, she said.

Menown’s apartment is proof that you can downsize and move into a space where you can’t change the wall color or the flooring or lighting, yet still make it feel like a beautiful home, no matter what your taste is.

“If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t be productive on the outside. Be the person you want to attract — that’s an important message these days,” Menown said. “It’s not just fitness and nutrition, it’s also the space around you.”

From her north windows — while she’s working — she can see the tops of stately homes and the lush greens of River Oaks Country Club. To the west, she can see the Galleria and Uptown Park.

Her new style is transitional, a mix of more contemporary things with clean lines and a sprinkling of antiques that bring warmth to every space.

In the living room, a cushy sofa covered in light linen is matched with club chairs in pale gray velvet. A pair of iron and glass side tables hold beautiful blue ceramic lamps. A rustic wood coffee table and a big antique cabinet show the warmth that natural materials can bring.

In the dining area, an Italian-style reproduction round antique dining table and linen-covered chairs sit under a beautiful pendant light. A nice accent is a Janus et Ciet vase covered in ceramic flowers, pretty enough that you don’t even need to fill it with flowers.

Just beyond is a cabinet with an antique mirror.

The guest bedroom has a bed with an upholstered headboard and soft bedding in light neutrals on a sisal rug. More texture comes in a pair of white ceramic lamps on the nightstands in the room.

The primary bedroom is more luxurious, with a chenille tufted headboard and soft bedding, topped with plump throw pillows. Nightstands with a gold frame and glass shelves hold sleek lamps and a pretty vase of flowers.

Menown’s bathroom has luxurious finishes, and she’s stacked loads of white towels on a shelf to keep everything light and clean — just like the rest of her calm and creative home.

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