Ashley Avrea Cathey and Mary Beth Wagner, the lead designers behind Avrea Wagner , are known for creating classically elegant interiors filled with rich fabrics, soft colors, and timeless silhouettes. Yet when a Dallas client asked for a completely different look—a home that stayed true to its modernist architecture and that complemented a bold collection of contemporary art—they jumped at the opportunity. “We tend to be more traditional, but were really excited to do something outside of our wheelhouse,” says Avrea Cathey. “It was a departure in the best possible way.”

The fact that the client, Flauren Bender, was a personal friend made the endeavor all the more enjoyable. “I knew they could really warm up the space,” says Bender, a beauty and wellness entrepreneur. “We wanted to respect the bones of the house but also make it super comfortable for my family of five.” The house in question, a 4,500-square-foot residence built in 1954 by Texan architect Bud Oglesby, has a vast living area with double-height ceilings, a study that opens into a walled garden, a family room with an open kitchen, and second-floor bedrooms that overlook a beautifully landscaped garden with a pool.

The house was built in the 1950s by noted Texan architect Bud Oglesby, who was considered a master of light because of his strategic and often surprising placement of windows. In this sitting area, which occupies the same space as the living room but has a lower ceiling, Oglesby framed the fireplace with uneven vertical panels. The harmonious asymmetry is echoed in the central artwork by Frank Stella, called Sinjerli Variations. An antique Chinese chest used as a side table is a counterpoint to the modernist armchairs.

Oglesby, who was considered a master of light, placed an abundance of rectangular windows throughout the back of the house—some are very narrow horizontal panes, others wide and vertical—leaving the façade nearly windowless. Other interesting architectural details include off-center fireplaces, and beams and columns that create unexpected nooks. It’s a fitting backdrop for the striking artworks brought in by the homeowners—pieces by the likes of Roy Lichtenstein and Frank Stella—some of which were inherited from Bender’s grandmother Jeanne Fagadau, who was a noted arts patron. “I grew up in a family of art lovers,” says Bender. “And now my husband and I are collecting on our own.”

To make the most of these treasures, the designers used different approaches, in some cases going strong by choosing colors that stand up to the artist’s palette and in others pulling back. The common theme throughout the home is a combination of iconic modernist furniture with contemporary and classic items that help create an eclectic and highly livable milieu. “Midcentury style can lend itself to be cold and austere, and that’s not what the client wanted,” says Wagner. “We added some pieces that were appropriate for that era but incorporated really cozy textures.” In the living room, for example, Mies van der Rohe’s slim Barcelona chair is paired with a plush velvet sectional strewn with pillows and surrounded with stacks of hardcover books. “They brought incredible creativity and energy to the project but also a very laid-back manner,” says Bender. ”It was so much fun.”