Tour the Shea McGee–Designed Home of Former MLB Catcher Jason Castro
Wrapping up his Major League Baseball playing career with the Astros in 2022 didn’t mean the end of All-Star catcher Jason Castro’s relationship to the city of Houston. Instead, Castro and his wife, Maris, were set on keeping the roots their family had established in Texas. The couple, who met as undergraduate athletes at Stanford, formed strong ties to the city where Castro began and concluded his 12 years in the MLB (which also included stints in Minnesota and Southern California). Once a home had been purchased, it was renovation time. But Maris recalls that Jason harbored doubts about the success of that effort. “He only agreed to the renovation plan if Studio McGee was on board,” she says. “We had been following Shea on Instagram for years…and loved everything [she] touched. We felt like we wanted to give our designer full reign on the house with little interference…. But to do so, we had to agree on a designer we both trusted—and Studio McGee was the only one!”
Once McGee signed on, her focus turned to further grounding the Castros and their three young kids in their adoptive city and navigating the couple’s contrasting tastes. “Jason loves a more modern aesthetic, and Maris prefers traditional,” the Utah-based founder of Studio McGee says. “So, that was the direction from the beginning—to blend those aesthetics together so that we could make everyone happy.” The project itself took a surprising turn early on too. What was initially planned as a remodel with the Houston-based architecture firm Reagan & André pivoted to a larger ground-up construction project. Nonetheless, the team’s early efforts informed the final outcome of the 9,000-square-foot house that faces the street with an unabashedly symmetrical stone and painted brick façade capped by a trio of gabled dormers.
“The exterior looks almost identical to what the remodel plan was originally, and we followed the same flow from room to room,” McGee notes. “One thing I love about the way this home came together is that it is not obvious if it’s a remodel or a new build because of the way it reveals itself.” Certain heirlooms that Maris wanted to incorporate into the new spaces also provided more parameters. The chess table that stands in the formal living room and a tea set proudly mounted on the dining room wall that belonged to her grandmother informed a creative foundation without constraining Studio McGee’s imagination and resourcefulness.
McGee, who launched her design practice with her husband, Syd, in 2014, is open to these types of requests, as someone eager to bring an old-soul spirit to new residences. Given the clients’ location, a dedicated sourcing trip to Round Top—where they picked up rugs, a mid-century bar cart that gives the dining room more swagger, armchairs in the primary bedroom, and various accessories—helped too. “I think that soul comes through warmth, and warmth for me comes through texture,” the Netflix Dream Home Makeover star and MasterClass instructor adds.
To mitigate the grand size and scale of the rooms, McGee selected inviting plaster surfaces, deep wood stains for the kitchen cabinetry, as well as ceiling treatments in the primary bedroom and family room. She accentuated curves in the furniture and interior elements with old-world-feeling moments, starting in the entrance hall, where McGee & Co.’s Prudence sofa upholstered in Rose Tarlow’s Pamina Maldives fabric stands on reclaimed cement tile flooring from Chateau Domingue, and Scoop sconces from the Urban Electric Co. illuminate the stairwell.
“I wanted weight on either side of that entryway,” McGee says, so the formal living room and dining room that flank the space are swathed in deep olive-toned green shades from Segreto Finishes, a favorite local paint and custom plaster source. The splashy yet restrained unlacquered brass chandelier is another nod to Jason Castro’s modern preferences. From the room, one can also catch a glimpse into the pantry, which McGee practically views as “more of a second kitchen,” where the inky black cabinetry color is informed by the dining room painting the Castros commissioned from artist Holly Addi that hangs above a sinuous Emmanuelle Simon console. “They were open to surprises, and having these pockets of dark rooms throughout the home” defined the approach to color, McGee adds.
The Castros were also amenable to McGee’s other insights related to her intersecting expertises as a designer and as a parent. In the generously sized hallways and potentially underutilized pockets, “we needed to decide how we are going to activate these areas,” she notes. The dedicated homework nook was one such solution, for instance. Conversely, McGee honored the clients’ specific request to include a fire pole in the playroom, which gets intensive usage during punishingly hot Texas summers. These ideas all seamlessly merged thanks to the strong spirit of trust that began from the start of the project to when the Castros finally stepped into their completed retreat.
“I love it when I see clients immediately walk in and sit down on a couch and relax,” McGee says. “That tells me that they feel at home.” Indeed, they certainly do. As Maris puts it: “From the moment you enter, the house feels warm and welcoming. We are a young family—our kids ride toys through the great room [and] play laser tag through the halls…the house doesn’t feel too imposing for that.”
1/24“If I’m going to give a plug to something, it’ll be women in construction,” Shea McGee says about Erin Stetzer of Stetzer Builders. “She really did a phenomenal job.” Landscape design is by Moss Landscaping. The custom steel front door by Atelier Domingue paired with Sheryl Stringer gas lanterns establishes a dignified presence on the street. Rocky Mountain Hardware contributed hardware to the home.
2/24The entrance hall sets a welcoming vibe and introduces the various styles McGee incorporates throughout the house. A 1970s desk lamp from the Netherlands sourced on 1stDibs sits on a Louis Wave scalloped table by Light and Dwell. McGee & Co.’s Prudence sofa is upholstered in Rose Tarlow’s Pamina Maldives fabric. A vintage gilded mirror, trio of Ronni Nicole wall-mounted ceramics, and art by Joe Turner and Atelier Plateau compose the vignette. Flooring is reclaimed octagon and dot reclaimed cement tile from Chateau Domingue, and the Urban Electric Co.’s Scoop sconces illuminate the stairwell.
Art: Michelle Heslop. Bea Aiguabella.3/24The formal powder bath features an eclectic salon-style wall including art by Bea Aiguabella. A Natalie Page ceramic funnel pendant and a Made Goods mirror are combined with a custom stone and wood vanity. Faucet is from Waterworks’ Henry collection, and the undermount sink is Kallista. Reclaimed flooring is from Chateau Domingue.
4/24Jason and Marin Castro and their children in the relaxed family room of their Houston home designed by Shea McGee of Studio McGee and Houston-based architecture firm Reagan & André. J. Halabala armchairs are upholstered in Natasha Baradaran’s Bobby bouclé. The Marquesa sectional sofa from Hickory Chair and Jill Egan Interiors marble side table sit on a vintage Tabriz rug sourced from Lawrence of La Brea.
5/24In the family room, a pair of Kelly Wearstler Esfera ottomans flank the fireplace in front of McGee & Co.’s Gideon coffee table. The fireplace surround is a custom design by Studio McGee and Segreto Finishes. Exposed ceiling beams match the floor stain by Doro’s Flooring. Calcatta Borghini in the built-in casework establishes another through line with other rooms in the house.
6/24Maris Castro’s grandmother’s gaming table, paired with Gunnison armchairs by Hickory Chair, stand in the corner of the formal living room, which, like the dining room, is saturated in a green shade from Segreto. Baker Furniture’s Cloud sofa by Barbara Barry and John Derian’s Tulip chairs bring in warmth next to the contemporary Gear Fiber table by Kristian Sofus Hansen and Tommy Hyldahl for NORR11. The Optic pendant light is by Nicholas Haslam and Brass Trinus sconces that flank the mirror above the fireplace are from L7.
Art: Holly Addi7/24Phillip Jeffries Manila Hemp grasscloth in Graphite adds texture to enhance the green walls by Segreto Finishes, which also corresponds with the color in the living room. A custom travertine dining table with Moss Studio’s Jenni chairs, an Emmanuelle Simon sideboard with Miramar lamps by Kelly Wearstler, commissioned artwork by Holly Addi, a landscape by Emily Morgan Brown, and a 3D textured piece by Edith Beurskens complete the space. Custom travertine dining room table fabrication by DLCo Interiors.
Art: Tyler Guinn8/24A custom dining table and chairs by Creative Style Furniture are upholstered in Camden fabric from Pindler in a dining area. An Urban Electric Co. Chiltern double sconce hangs near a commissioned painting by Austin artist Tyler Guinn.
9/24To bring in a more traditional feel in the kitchen, “we went with a tone that had a bit more depth to it, and the cabinetry [has] additional molding applied,” McGee says. “But then we tried to balance” with other materials, such as the integrated honed marble sink on the island. A row of Sona pendants by RW Guild illuminate Thomas Hayes Cord stools. Range is Lacanche with a Wolf venting system. Other appliances include the panel-ready Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer.
10/24Benjamin Moore Midnight Oil cabinetry in the pantry ties into the original painting by Holly Addi in the adjacent formal dining room. Rocky Mountain Hardware’s Jane collection hooks are mounted on a wall opposite Armac Martin hardware. A Galahad double sconce by Thomas O’Brien from Visual Comfort contrasts with the honed soapstone countertops.
11/24“We knew very early on from the architectural phase that there was going to be a display wall in his office for these pieces,” McGee says about Jason Castro’s office, which includes memorabilia. Her team “gathered everything from goggles to baseballs and bats, and we worked to display them artfully.” To honor his modern tastes, McGee & Co.’s Cillian marble desk seamlessly coexists with a Huxley ottoman and Radial chandelier, both by Lawson-Fenning.
Art: Tyler Guinn12/24An earthy, moody power room is coated in Bateau Brown by Sherwin-Williams, with another original piece by artist Tyler Guinn. Custom mirror is by James Dawson Design. Flooring is from François & Co. The Watermark Anika faucet in antique brass is installed in the wall-mounted soapstone stink.
13/24The primary bedroom is a quiet refuge from hectic family life, with vintage lounge chairs originally sourced at Round Top upholstered in Rose Uniacke cotton alpaca velvet blend, Bronson nightstands by Croft House, and a Lawrence of La Brea rug. A painting by Kimberley Moore piece hangs above the Community Manufacturing Nemus bed upholstered in an Arabell Fabric linen.
14/24The primary bedroom corner next to the fireplace holds a custom Appel upholstered corner bench and Roman travertine table by Le Lampade, illuminated by an Allegra floor lamp by Jake Arnold for Crate & Barrel. The elegant terra cotta briquette fireplace surround and mantle is by François & Co.
15/24The sprawling walk-in closet and dressing room contains House of Antique Hardware cabinet pulls and a Lemieux et Cie Cornet chandelier.
16/24The material mix seen in the primary bathroom vanities that are composed of brass, Calacatta marble, and dark-stained woods was part of McGee’s effort “to get that push and pull between the owners’ styles.” A Hydrosystems freestanding tub rests on flooring from Exquisite Surfaces. Additional elevated rusticity comes through Segreto Finishes Mother of Pearl warm white paired with exposed stained ceiling beams.
Art: McGee & Co.17/24A Sutherland bed from McGee & Co. welcomes visitors in a guest bedroom, along with a Clyde lamp table by Pinch, a CB2 Orleans upholstered bench and Labra chandelier by Hudson Valley Lighting. McGee’s go-to white shade throughout this project is Mother of Pearl by Houston company Segreto Finishes.
18/24Morris & Co.’s Pure Pimpernel wallpaper sets a softly retro tone in the guest bathroom. Armac Martin hardware is installed in the custom vanity topped with honed Calacatta Borghini stone. Faucet is Waterworks Ludlow collection. Flooring is Clé Carrara marble tile, and wall tiles are from Tiles of Ezra.
19/24The Topa collection bed with a black leather Ojai bench are from Lawson-Fenning, while the Båstad rug is Nordic Knots and San Miguel blanket is Pendleton. Contrasting wainscoting can also be seen in the Castros’ son’s room.
20/24The playroom is an enticing space for indoor romping, with Kelly Ventura Art Contour wallpaper, a slouchy and cozy Urban Outfitters Matilda beanbag sofa, a McGee & Co. Prudence coffee table, Gathre floor cushions, and a rug from Loloi Rugs. The custom rift sawn white oak loft and cabinetry has Rocky Mountain Hardware Olympus collection pulls. Window treatments are Zak + Fox’s Fortuna fabric. Ceiling-mounted fixtures are from Shades of Light.
21/24The homework nook activates a corner of the house, with Mossi wallpaper by Saint Frank applied to the ceiling, Lawson-Fenning’s Cruz chairs, a bench cushion with Rough n’ Ready fabric by Perennials, Lostine leather drawer pulls, and an Envoy swing sconce from Schoolhouse.
22/24Jason and Maris Castro’s daughter’s bedroom is swathed in The Lawns’ Ome wallpaper and outfitted with a Nickey Kehoe curved bed upholstered with Natasha Baradaran’s Delphine fabric, a Lawrence of La Brea rug, a McGee & Co. Goodrich metal side table with Regina Andrew bedside lamps and Hampton chandelier by Aerin from Visual Comfort.
23/24A girl’s bathroom features a Keegan mirror from Made Goods, Asalea sconces by Aerin from Visual Comfort, and zellige tile flooring and wall accents from Tiles of Ezra.
Art: Leslee Mitchell24/24These Walls’ Otto Stone wallpaper in a gray hue is a cheerful yet not overtly juvenile choice for the nursery. A Haarlem hand-knotted rug from McGee & Co. is layered with a Crate & Barrel sheepskin, with a McGee & Co. Eugene pendant above. Vintage-style plane images are by Leslee Mitchell.
