Lone Star Inspired Design

Howdy y'all!  I'm currently in the mother-land...I mean Texas...visiting family.  Though I've lived all over the states, Texas is always "home" to me because it has this strange magnetic pull that attracts the very essence of any person born within its borders.  It's hard to explain, so I'll leave it at that.  While I'm here, I thought I would share some fun "Texas" design with you - a little rustic and rough around the edges, refined in a not-to-fancy sort of way, often grand, and always full of warmth.

This first batch of pics is from Southern Living's Texas Idea House 2011 in Horseshoe Bay, Texas:

And...I'm ready to move in!  You with me?

Next, I couldn't help but add this photo from a Dallas home belonging to Kristen of Gypsy Soul Interiors.  I saw her home featured on Little Green Notebook and started "pinning" away.  Isn't this an adorable little watering hole bar area?  In Texas, this is not a strange feature to have in your home...

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I'm convinced that color, as shown in the dining room below, is good for the soul...maybe that's why there aren't many stuffy or stuck-up Texans out there.  It's either for that reason or the fact that we have some excellent Mexican food and nobody can be pretentious while sitting back with their boots propped up and margarita in hand.

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Now this next bedroom digresses from the typical colorful Texas stereotype - it's got a simple color palette of gray, pewter, and white - but it's got a lot of character in metal accents, antique Texas portraits, and a BIG light fixture and headboard.  We'll call it "Understated Texas Glam".

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Unlike any other state, Texas just does backyards right.  It's hotter than Hades in the summertime so you have to get smart about outdoor living spaces - a pool is a must and a covered porch runs a close second.  This outdoor space has both, plus a big screen TV and a fireplace for when temps drop for a week or two in the winter.  I guess the fireplace is justified when it comes to making s'mores possible all year round!

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Now I'm ready to put on a chambray shirt, some cowgirl boots, and a fancy chiffon skirt (if I had one)...in hopes of channeling this look:

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And, I'm off to ride into the sunset with my cowboy and little cowpoke-ette...  See you back at home in freezing cold Boston!