Our architect, Zac and I met twice a week, for two and a half hours, for about three months. I have no idea if this is “normal” because this is the first time I have worked with an architect. We would tackle gray water paths one day, the design and proportion of windows and doors the next. The work sessions, the weeks and then the months, flew by.
What we came up with, I think, is something really special. A place that feels like it has always been here, while at the same time, under its surface, is completely state-of-the art.
Turning off our highway, a meandering drive takes you under a canopy of oaks and alongside a creek. After the second bend in the road, the house presents itself up ahead, perched on top of a gentle incline. It is surrounded by an “old” wall…made from the stones reclaimed from an existing dilapidated dry stack stone wall on the property. The entry drive passes through an opening in the wall, and into the compound comprised of the Main House, the Carriage House/Garage, the Pump House, the Larder Building and the existing Creek Cabin/Guest House, which is set apart, just behind the main compound.
The Main House, Pump House and Larder Building are made of stone and the “add-on”, which is designed to look as if it was added in the early part of the 20th century, and which connects the Main House with the Larder, is wood-clad instead of stone.
The ground surfaces immediately outside the house are granite gravel, harvested from the creek bed onsite. The ranch is covered with trees along the creek beds, on the low points and on the mesa, but the site we’ve chosen is on one of the property’s three hay pastures, nestled next to a grove of Live Oaks. Two symmetrical rows of indigenous Chaste trees visually connect the back door to the “livestock tank” swimming pool at the far back of the yard.
Vines that climb on trellises and up walls soften the facades and add shade.
Plant beds that frame the Pump House include herbs and other deer-proof perennials. In the distance is a lavender field and a Green House that is surrounded by a vegetable garden. In the far distance are rolling hay pastures and past that, the trees of the surrounding creek beds.
The house itself is a hybrid of all the features I have experienced and loved from our various older homes over the years. Like our beloved house in Taos, the kitchen is actually comprised of three smaller rooms, each highly specialized: The Snug which features all beverage services, a fireplace, butler’s pantry-style storage and service windows to the screen porch and back yard; The Prep and Cook Room, and beyond all that, behind a hidden sliding door, is The Scullery, specifically for washing dishes. When guests are in the house, they will never see the dirty dishes, and will not have room to cluster and linger in the kitchen, which is all by design!
My office is in the old “Larder” so it has exposed stone walls, a concrete floor and small, very high windows. Because my work at Gran Paseo will keep me outside most of the time, the room will feel more like a potting shed, with higgledy-piggledy crusty old clay pots and baskets hanging from the rafters. If a vine happens to find its way inside and grow up the wall, so be it! I will have a printer, laptop and a desk, but for the most part this room will feel a lot like a mud room or she-shed.
For our guests, there is ample living and dining spaces. Like any old home, there is a proper dining room. Not fussy-formal, just separate from the kitchen and TV rooms. A place for lingering over a home cooked meal, in excellent (aka dim) light, served on heirloom dishes and linens. Old School, baby. That’s how I roll!
When Dan and I are alone, his office also serves as a Library with a working fireplace, so I will be cozy and happy, as he works or watches a sporting event.
Another cozy space, just beyond the entry, is a “Book Nook’, with mounds of pillows and housing my ever-growing collection of interior design books, family scrap books and if we lucky someday, children’s picture books.
The living room has lovely proportions and just a touch of French- mais oui! – with a soaring trumeau mirror over the mantle, an antique tole chandelier and french doors.
The house has almost as much outdoor living space as indoor, with an oversized screen porch, a trellis-covered terrace and a TV Pavilion. In addition, through the living room French doors, is an outdoor sitting area anchored by an 18th century stone water trough, and overlooking an iconic Texas Hill Country vista.
All of the lighting in the house is specific to a purpose, with no ambient light except in serious task areas like the kitchen and master closet. The square footage is spare, with no wasted space. But the ceilings soar, so the rooms don’t feel cramped.
The house is designed to catch and store a year’s worth of rain water. The plumbing is designed to send gray water to the plants on the grounds. If the rain water reserve is depleted, a well provides a back- up water supply.
Some day we may integrate a solar farm but for now, the ranch is part of the electrical grid. (Thanks to our previous country neighbor, LBJ!)
And speaking of LBJ, Lady Bird has become my mentor, inspiring me throughout the design and land management planning process. She lived nearby, and was touting the importance of sustainability, natural beauty and the benefits of spending time in nature way back in the 1960’s, completely ahead of her time!