Is there a way to bridge the gap between my husband wanting masculine, rustic decor with lots of wood and my love of blue & white with creamy white molding?
The activities on this page go along with the activities found in the Circle C Adventures Enrichment Guide for all six books. Scroll down until you find the book you are looking for. The …
Jamie and Russell Braden never expected to find the happiness they now share in the small Texas town. There, they found a home for their family in Brenham.
PHOTOGRAPHY: DANIEL NADELBACH PHOTOGRAPHY 1/1 Deep in the heart of Texas Hill Country, this family ranch is the perfect place to entertain a crowd. High school sweethearts, Rodney Bingham and his wife, Susan, long dreamed of owning a ranch. But it wasn’t until their children were grown that they began looking in earnest. After months of searching, the couple stumbled upon an undeveloped 90-acre wooded parcel with two ponds and rolling countryside just minutes from the quaint town of La Grange, Texas. They immediately knew they had found their new home. Rodney and Susan envisioned a legacy ranch house with an expansive outdoor living area that could easily accommodate their grown children and grandchildren. Yet they also wanted a place that would be comfortable when they were home alone. To guide the project, the couple contacted architect Rick Burleson, whose impressive résumé includes a host of refined homes in the Texas Hill Country. “They brought me to a knoll between the ponds that overlooks a grove of trees and said, ‘This is our favorite place on the ranch. We really want a place for our kids and grandkids to gather, and we want to build it here,’ ” Burleson says. Taking note, Burleson drafted plans for a home that would preserve and maximize the views. He also cleverly segmented it into three distinct yet connected spaces. The main house includes an open-concept great room, kitchen, and formal dining area along with a master suite. A second structure, called a casita, features two spacious bedrooms and baths for guests. Linking the two is an L-shaped dogtrot, or covered breezeway, that houses a spectacular outdoor kitchen and bar, fireplace, smoking pit, and big-screen TV. “It’s like having a deluxe upgrade on a man cave,” Rodney says with a smile. The three-part design serves an important function. “The separate living space gives the owners a more intimate home environment when they are alone, while the casita provides ample space and privacy for visiting family members or guests,” Burleson notes. Critical to the plan was the design of each structure. In Texas, summer temperatures can be brutal. To lessen the intensity, Burleson oriented the main house and casita to take advantage of prevailing southeast winds. The elbow-shaped dogtrot links the two buildings, helping to wrap the living quarters around the expansive outdoor area, effectively protecting it from gusting winds while pulling cool breezes through the interior of the home. Even before entering the home, however, guests get the first hint of Hill Country charm as they round the final bend and approach the driveway. Clad in locally quarried stone and reclaimed cypress, the home’s exterior palette of rust, cream, sandstone, and aged timber reflects the muted landscape of post oak, live oak, and cedar trees that gently guide visitors past the inviting aquatic oasis to the “front” door. “There’s no front and back in Hill Country,” Rodney says. “Visitors drive past the pool on their way to park on the other side of the home.” Walking up to the entry, guests can’t help but notice the unique patina of the special sinker cypress siding. The wood was harvested more than 100 years ago in Florida. As the logs floated down rivers and swamps on their way to the mill, some would sink due to high concentrations of cypress oil. A century later, scuba divers are retrieving the logs, which have become highly prized for their tight old-growth grain, exceptional character, and sustainability. Passing through the main door, guests enter a grand foyer that stretches from the front of the house to the back. With a 17-foot ceiling and custom iron chandelier, the spacious entry opens to the great room, evoking a sense of rustic elegance. The dark-stained mesquite floors contrast the rough-sawed fir beams and pine board ceiling. Reclaimed barn wood, custom sanded and refinished, adorns the walls. “We chose several different species of wood, but we were careful with the finish so that they all work beautifully together,” Burleson says. The great room features an inviting sitting area furnished with pieces that are subtly reminiscent of historic Western lodges. In cooler seasons, the massive stone fireplace crackles with burning logs. Layered lighting and a hand-knit wool area rug soften the space, making it a perfect place to relax. Open to the great room, the kitchen is a chef’s dream featuring a Sub-Zero refrigerator and a Wolf gas stovetop and double ovens. The custom cabinetry, made out of sinker cypress, was painted and hand-glazed to achieve a distressed finish. A large granite-topped island with leather-fringed bar stools creates an inviting place for guests to sit and partake in the conversation while Rodney and Susan prepare dinner. Opposite the great room, a thick stone archway opens to the dining room, which features an 18-foot-wide expanse of windows overlooking a grove of trees and the pond. Back outside after the tour, Rodney takes a long, satisfied look around as his grandchildren splash and squeal in the pool. “Family is the most important thing to us,” he says. “Look at our grandkids — we love having them here, letting them fish in the ponds, swim in the pool, and drive utility vehicles around. This is what the Nine 0 Ranch is all about.” Resources Brumbaugh's Fine Home Furnishings, Fort Worth, Texas, 817.244.9377 Burleson Design Group, Wimberley, Texas, 512.842.1308 Fauxliage, Dripping Springs, Texas, 830.613.1224 Minarcik Construction Company, La Grange, Texas, 979.968.3618 Landscape Traditions, College Station, Texas, 979.690.6733 From the May/June 2015 issue. Explore:Home & RanchReal Estate
This stylish 4-bed modern farmhouse plan has a facade with great symmetry. French doors are centered on the front porch with a broad shed dormer above and matching nested gables to each side. The foyer has views through the dining room to a pair of French doors in back. The main portion of the home gives you an open floor plan with unimpeded views extending from the great room to the kitchen. Four sets of French doors access the rear porch, including a pair from the vaulted master suite. Notice how the master suite has direct access through a pocket door in the walk-in closet to the laundry. Across the home, three beds share two baths and all have ample closet space. Related Plan: Get an alternate exterior plus a game room with house plans 51830HZ and 51916HZ. Get a 3-bedroom version with house plan 51832HZ (2,589 sq. ft.).
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Interior Design | At Home With: Darryl Carter, Washington D.C. -- something different at This Is Glamorous today, something a little more masculine ...
