Houston couple gives 140-year-old landmark Galveston home new life

For 25 years Chuck Morris built new custom homes, in Sugar Land's First Colony and other communities where nothing was historic or even very old. When the Morrises bought the house in 2007, they decided to restore it to a single residence, and spent about five years on a renovation. Because the home's in a historic district, they were bound by regulations to keep its exterior looking just as it did. The Morrises put in new wiring and plumbing, restored the original cast-iron fence and fixed up the plaster walls, crown molding and intricate ceiling medallions. The original warming kitchen - a narrow space tucked behind the dining room - is now designed for catering, with mahogany cabinets, a wine chiller and underlit onyx countertops. The kitchen is filled with 21st-century tools and technology, but the overall look is far from sleek and contemporary. The island is topped with antique pine, and the countertops are marble; appliances are mostly covered by cabinet fronts that have been painted, glazed and antiqued. A freestanding tub sits in the middle of the master bath, surrounded by heavy antique furniture the couple topped with marble and made into two vanities and a dressing table.