 State of the Art
Soft Contemporary meets
vibrant color in Inverness
BY ROBYN BARNES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY VERNON WENTZ
From the street, this home in Inverness resembles others in the neighborhood: a limestone rock exterior; tall, wood-framed windows; a courtyard and porches. But near the front entrance, visitors get a hint that the inside hides a different style — one that is distinctly individual to the owners.
“I didn’t want another typical Tuscan house,” says the homeowner. “I wanted our home to look organic — as though it were meant to be placed on this site. At the same time, my husband and I enjoy contemporary architecture, but I didn’t want the façade to have that severe contemporary appearance. Our thought was to create something that had more of a soft contemporary design.”
The couple worked with local architect Roy Braswell to create their new 5,000-square-foot home. They’d spent 20 years with their two daughters in a traditional house in Elm Creek. But with the girls grown and gone, the pair asked Braswell for something a little more modern.
“We worked with Braswell on the plans for about nine months,” she says. “He did a great job working with the site and around the trees in the back. We are very pleased with the results.”
Mauzé Construction was chosen as the builder. “They build a true custom home,” says the homeowner.
The contemporary design begins at the entry with a large deck made of porcelain tile, enhanced by a large black marble statue that once graced the front of the original Parchman Stremmel Gallery in San Antonio. The front door, sculpted of iron, is a work of art.
 The entry hall is a soaring space dominated by two staircases, one graceful curve ascending and one descending, with custom- built iron railings and wooden steps with a wenge stain. There is a window in the floor that affords a peek into a 2,000-bottle wine cellar below.
The floor isn’t the only surprise: Hanging from the ceiling is a fabulous hand-blown glass chandelier inspired by the famous Dale Chihuly.
“We worked through an art dealer to purchase this,” recalls the homeowner. “It was shipped in individual pieces of blown glass and assembled here at the house. The electrician was a little nervous about assembling it; it wasn’t your typical light fixture. Each section has a hook that latches onto a cage in the center of the fixture. Assembly was a little like putting a puzzle together, but we finally got it hung.”
The color palette in the home is very neutral. The homeowners worked with Cathy Craig of Michon Craig on the interior design.
“The color pop is in the artwork,” says the homeowner.
Most of the art was chosen with the help of Otis Parchman of Parchman Stremmel Gallery. The trio located paintings and sculpture in Santa Fe and San Antonio, and they often worked with catalogs to find the right piece. A painting by San Antonio native Woody Gwyn and a large color block piece by Charles Arnoldi form focal points for the living room.
Brad Howe of Taos was commissioned to create the coffee table in the living room, the bench in the stairwell and the colorful mobile sculpture hanging over the breakfast table.
“Originally we were looking at another piece for this area,” the homeowner says. “Howe is happy to custom-design art to fit a particular space. As our home took shape, it occurred to me that the room had the height for a fabulous mobile. We talked to Howe, and he produced the piece. It was a bit larger than I expected, but it suits the space.”
 Artistic glass is also found on the counter in the butler’s pantry and on a small custombuilt table in the kitchen. “We found a company in California to produce this fused glass to our specifications,” the homeowner says. “It’s three-quarters of an inch thick. The table required a custom-made base to support the weight of the glass.”
The kitchen itself is a culinary masterpiece. Christi Palmer of Palmer Todd created the Euro-modern design, featuring sleek cabinets (sans handles) and clean lines. Porcelain floors, granite countertops and a Viking cook top with a sculptural glass vent hood add to the ambience.
“The kitchen windows look out over the lot next door,” the owner says. “I knew that someone would build a house in that spot, and I couldn’t bear the thought of looking out my window and seeing the neighbor’s wall. So we bought the lot, and now the view will always be natural.
“This home was a labor of love for two and a half years,” she says. “It was worth every minute of it!” |
