Abby's Guesthouse- Fresh Hill Country Style!

My dear friend, Carolyn, who also happens to be the manager of the hip home furnishings shop red, has had a guest house on her property for years. In fact, several of my friends stayed in the charming spot before Carolyn and I even became friends!





It is a favorite of many, who come back year after year to stay in the quaint house,walk to Main street, and then, when they have had about all of the Texas heat they can handle for the day, head back for a refreshing dip in the pool!



Over the years, Abby's has taken on different looks. From the vintage "Homestead" look it was when we first moved to Fredericksburg, to it's colorful,vibrant style when it was shot for Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine several years back, Abby's consistently remains a cozy spot for hill country visitors.
Today Abby's is a quiet blend of Mediterranean Provence, the soft blues reminiscent of faded blue shutters and ocean waters. Of course, there is a uniqueness that only Carolyn can create - bottle collections, old letters strung along the head of the four poster bed, and sea shells hanging on a lampshade.
Carolyn's experience as a stylist for Homestead and as buyer and manager of red are evident in every nook and cranny when you visit Abby's.

Go here for the website for Abby's and visit our local reservation service here.

Fresh Fredericksburg Style with History

Fred and Enid Collins - Lara Collins Bobo and husband, Tim
Photos from Enid

I was so excited today when I read Courtney's Inside the Loop story about Tim and Lara Bobo's house in Fredericksburg. They are a local young couple who have combined their talents, both in
their home as well as in their businesses. Lara's grandmother Enid Collins, is famous for the jeweled box bags of the sixties.

I wanted to sort of "tag on" to Courtney's post as I am always excited when fresh talent emerges in our town. Also, their home is more contemporary than most I have featured, with the exception of Jon and Marilee's house, posted a few days ago.

Here is the story of enid, the creation of Tim and Lara today, taken from Lara's website:

When World War II came to an end, Fred and Enid Collins moved to Medina, TX with every intention of becoming ranchers. To the benefit of all who appreciate great style and artistry, the ranching business proved a struggle, and the couple turned to their artistic talents for their livelihood. The team began producing leather handbags with hand sculpted brass ornaments. Their first big client was none other than Neiman Marcus. They named their line Collins of Texas, and in time turned out all sorts of amazingly creative totes and handbags.

Decades later, Lara Collins Bobo, the Collins' granddaughter, teams up with husband Tim Bobo to open a shop featuring lines as creative and unique as Fred and Enid's. Every aspect of Enid is inspired by its namesake, Enid Collins, and her whimsical, colorful, and completely original design style. Also, Enid was known for her constant efforts to support the starving artists, evidenced in the eclectic art collection she left behind. With this in mind, Lara and Tim fill their shop with well designed pieces from lesser known artists/craftsmen/designers, including their own collections of handmade furniture and jewelry.

The shop itself is located in the quaint German town of Fredericksburg, TX, known for it's great shopping, local artists and craftsmen, peaches, pecans, and vineyards. Stepping into the Enid shop is guaranteed to be an unique experience. You will usually find Tim or Lara on site, willing to help inspire your creativity in decorating your home, picking out the perfect thoughtful gift, or to find that perfect accessory to enhance your lifestyle.



Courtney was kind enough to let me snag a few photos of the Bobo house to share here. For the full scoop, visit here. The bathroom is wonderful with the blue glass subway tile, the vintage tub, and the built in sink console, built by Tim. I love the mix of old and new.


The poured concrete floor is beautiful with the blue cabinetry, and I couldn't even believe the wishbone chairs belonged to Lara's grandmother - how cool is that! Tim and Lara are not only creative but productive. Tim has his own company, t. bobo , and builds custom tables that are great looking and quite substantial.

To learn more about this creative couple and their shop, visit enid or better yet, visit Fredericksburg, Texas in the beautiful Texas hill country.

Things That Inspire visits Marston Luce - Color me green with envy!

My blogging pal over at Things That Inspire (www.freshpalette.blogspot.com)was kind enough to comment on my post about Marston Luce, the wonderful shop owner in Washington, D.C. whose style I posted on a few days ago. She even shot a quick photo with her iPhone and sent it to me. Here is what she said:

Last week, while I was in DC, I visited Marston Luce's store in Georgetown, not even realizing that it ML was featured in Southern Accents this month (although I had just read the Southern Accents cover to cover on the airplane up to DC). The issue was on the desk, and I pointed it out to my sister and said there were a lot of great articles. The shopkeeper made the connection for me!

What a beautiful store. Last week they had THE most incredible Swedish settee in the window - I have a picture if you would like for me to email it to you. They also had some lovely Mora clocks and a gorgeous old Danish chair, among other things.

Oh how jealous I am!! What a treat. Check out the website if you aren't one of the lucky ones going to D.C. anytime soon.

"Let Jon do his thing"

We are all guilty of it in one form or another. Making quick judgements based on first impressions is a fault of human nature. While I love the work of my favorite architect, Jon Pankratz, when he designed and built his own house, like so many times when we judge too quickly, I did not understand it. It was definitely not love at first sight for me.


It's not my house, though, and I am sure he really didn't care if I fell in love with his house! The house is home to Jon and his wife, Marilee, and to hear the story of how it came to be is endearing and fascinating.....AND like so many times in life, once you get to know someone or someplace, your perception can change dramatically.

I asked Jon to tell me about his house - how he chose the style and why it sits as it does on piers on the side of a hill. Here is how our conversation went:

Tell me about the site and how you chose to place the house as you did.

We sat on the site for three years (Mar in a hammock) and I slowly began to realize a structure that responded to the site conditions - I wanted it to sit on the ground like a butterfly sits on a flower - lightly - so the piers raising the floor off the ground did this for us - minimal site impact. The plan of the house was totally dictated by the site and how we chose to live in the spaces. The site slopes 16 feet from the front of the carport to the bottom earth under the deck/dining/living areas.

Why did you choose to design something so very contemporary, rather than a modern, yet still traditional house, like you design for clients?

Well, to tell you the truth, my lovely wife gave me full range on this one. Marilee tells a story that when our dear friend, Frank Welch, heard we were planning to build a house, he told her "Marilee, just let Jon do his own thing". I am truly a modernist at heart and had a great teacher in Frank. I love designing the others, but not like the ones I seldom get to do - MODERN. A big influence in my current practice is Glenn Murcutt, an Australian architect. He also touches the earth very lightly in his projects.


Note: If you want to know more about Jon's inspiration, do a Google search on Glenn Marcutt. I couldn't begin to do justice to this amazing architect. There is a ton of information that is so interesting!

Your furnishings are very minimal, but I know from visiting, very comfortable. Tell me about those woven chairs.

They are Aalto Pension chairs from the Dallas Design Center.

And the collection of art in the entry hall?

The collection on the wall is by Sam Gummelt from Dallas. The long vertical painting is also by Sam and the small work in the square black frame is by Geoffrey Lardiere.

Aalto Pension chairs and view of front door and entry hall

Small sitting area accessed by living room. There are benches on either side of the fireplace for a quiet spot to read or enjoy the view.

What about your sofa? You obviously chose with a very careful eye.

Our sofa is an Albert sectional leather sofa from Design Within Reach.

Talk to me about your inspiration for the kitchen and the materials used.

The cabinets are BC grade yellow pine plywood and the cabinet doors are MDF (medium density fiberboard) . The counter tops are concrete and the back splash is India slate. My inspiration was to meet a budget. All of these materials are inexpensive and give a great and different look.

What a peaceful bedroom with an incredible view of the hills and woods. What about this furniture?

The bed is from the Zola Collection at Design Within Reach. The floating side tables are by Rex White, an amazing craftsman here in Fredericksburg.



When I finished my conversation with Jon, I had a new perspective on his house. He designed from his heart, he built what he wanted to build, regardless of how conventional many are. He designed a unique home for himself and his sweet wife, and it fits them perfectly.

I must say, as much as I love all of my collections, textiles, art and books.......the list goes on - there is a tranquil feeling upon entering Jon and Marilee's home, and it is a welcome rest for the visitor. Their careful and focused choice of furnishings reflect their personalities. They have great taste and each piece is special and meaningful to them. I love their new house and all that I have learned about it! Thank you, Jon.

I did a little research on Glenn Murcutt and his design philosophy and work are fascinating. Here is an excerpt from the NY Times that I believe captures what Jon admires about this architect.

What all of Murcutt’s work shares is a conception of architecture as minimal intervention, yielding buildings so efficient, and so deft in their design, that they hardly feel like buildings at all, though they provide all the comforts of more conventional edifices. At their best, they’re as controlled and powerful as a sonnet: dozens of considerations seem to click neatly into place, yielding a single, surprisingly simple structure.

I love that. I think it describes the Pankratz home completely and only wish I had penned it myself!

Marston Luce "Humble Elegance"

Photo from southern accents.com

The new issue of Southern Accents just came out and is, as usual, chock full of great houses. The story about Washington, D.C. shop owner and antique dealer, Marston Luce, and his to die for 18th century farmhouse in France, is my favorite.

I had the pleasure and the disappointment of finding his shop one day a few years back, while strolling down Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. So happy to find it, only to peer into the windows longingly, as the shop was closed. The window shopping was good, though, really good.

While I would not claim to be a complete Francophile like some other popular bloggers, I do love antiques of many sorts. Visiting the Southern Accents website, I found it quite interesting that Mr. Luce likes to mix periods and styles . In the photo above, he mixes a Louis XV fauteuil, an 1800 Danish painted chest, a pigeon ornament from southern France, and a pair of Spanish candlesticks. This is a man after my heart.

I love too many things and often berate myself for not being more focused. At the end of the day, though, I live with what I love and it makes me happy.

Of course, it is affirming to read about someone like Marston Luce who , as he says, likes to create "humble elegance". There you go - that's what I like, too - I just didn't know what to call it!

"I like opposites. I am attracted to earthy, simple things, as well as elegant ones". Well said, Mr. Luce.

One thing I love is old paint. ( I mean old, as in original - not newly painted, scuffed up to look old, paint. ) I have three chests with the original paint still intact in my home and a variety of treasures sit upon each of them.

The one pictured is my favorite. It holds my stone book collection, a wooden lamb sitting on a wooden carved book from an old church in Iowa, a small painted stool from the Round Top antiques fair, a couple of old Mexican ceramic sheep, some painted shells from a shop in Seaside, Florida and a pair of reproduction candlesticks.

Hmmmm......... my own version of "humble elegance". I like it.

Target - Ya Gotta Love It

While shopping for summer camp gear with my daughter yesterday, I stumbled upon these wonderful melamine dishes at Target. Say what you will about Suzanis and Suzani patterns being trendy or over done, but I am crazy for these! I picked up some dinner plates, some bowls and the serving platter shown under the dinner plate above.

They are not microwave safe , but they are dishwasher safe. I can't wait to serve sandwiches or barbecue on the porch soon!

My Favorite Architect

From a Mexican hacienda to a quaint English cottage, I love architecture.......... I LOVE architecture. It's a passion I was born with, I think. Truly, for as long as I can remember, I have been interested in and drawn to certain styles of homes and buildings.

The style that I have loved and been attracted to my entire life, though - the style that feels like home and makes me smile from within - is that of Texas Modernism.

Texas Modernism refers to a style of design that not only uses materials native to Texas, but also to characteristics indigenous to the region, with roots from early Texas homes. These homes do not have excessive ornamentation, but while simple, are elegant in their design. Much thought is given to the orientation of these houses regarding ventilation and cross breezes, natural light and warmth, as well as cooling shade.

My friend, Jon Pankratz, AIA, comes from a long line of "descendants", if you will, of great Texas modernists. From one of the the most well known Texas architects, O'Neil Ford, to Jon's mentor and close friend, Frank Welch, to having some similarities to San Antonio architects, David Lake and Ted Flato, Jon has developed a style of his own that is both classic and unique.

Jon attended Texas A&M University for both undergraduate and graduate study, receiving his undergraduate degree in Environmental Design and Masters degree in Building Design. He worked for Frank Welch for 15 years before starting his own firm in Dallas in 1994.

I met Jon in 1994 when I drove by a great looking house in Dallas that was under construction - of course, being the house addict that I am, I had to stop and ask for details - and it happened to be his first project "on his own".

The rest is history. Not long after that day I began to refer to Jon as "my favorite architect" and to this day, he remains so.


Jon and his wife, Marilee, moved to Fredericksburg shortly after we did and have become dear friends over the years. I have loved following Jon's work and think it so appropriate to share here. This house is one of his most recent projects and perfectly exemplifies a Texas hill country modern house , built of native limestone and quietly embraced by the surrounding hills.

Although this home can be seen from a distance, it blends in beautifully with the landscape.

Jon's designs stretch from Dallas to Fredericksburg, and beyond into South Texas. His most recent works dot the Texas hill country. He has designed homes and weekend lake houses for friends and friends of friends. His best advertising is word of mouth. While his work is steeped in Texas modernism, it is always unique to each setting and the personality and needs of his clients. I quote the mother of the woman who shares this house with her family - "Jon got it perfect. Every square inch of that house is just right for Carol and her family " - Yep! that would be my favorite architect!



Native limestone, wide covered porches and standing seam metal roofs are classic characteristics of this style. The pool, crisp and clean in design, is a focal point for this home. Not only is it lovely aesthetically, but provides a cool relief from the Texas heat. (If you want to see greater detail, click on the photos. It is worth your time to see more of this stunning house.)


Open air pavilions and loggias are often designed to capture light and warmth from the sun during the winter, and to catch cool breezes and shade in the summer. Inside and outside become one with the use of porches, closely grouped buildings, and courtyards. Jon created a beautiful outdoor space for this family, whether they are enjoying the pool on a hot Texas day or sitting by a fire on a chilly evening.



One of the characteristics of many of Jon's designs are separate spaces that are attached to the main home, but function on their own. I love how the small building is part of the overall design, but distinctively separate from the main house.

Natural materials like brick and wood, and lots of natural light make this loggia classic to Jon's design aesthetic.

A beamed ceiling , more interior brick and hardwood floors make this house perfect for either traditional or contemporary furnishings.

I love the arches over the openings and the use of interior brick throughout the house.

The kitchen is warm and traditional in materials, but contemporary in it's clean lines.

If you are interested in seeing more of Jon's work, or want to contact him, please let me know in the comments section and I will send you his contact information. I do plan to feature more of his designs as well as those of other Texas modernists.

Beadboard UpCountry - More Great Design in Texas

When my daughter and I decided to make a quick road trip east (as in east of us in Texas, not east as in"east coast" - darn!) to visit a cousin we hadn't seen in a while, I knew I had to check out the charming Beadboard Up Country in Brenham, Texas.




I had heard about the shop before, first from Joni of Cote de Texas, and then from Annie of The Bunny Bungalow. We were only going to be in town on Sunday and when I called to ask if the shop might be open that day, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to hear "Well, we are not usually open on Sundays, but we are going to give it a try tomorrow". Yippee! Music to my ears - obviously, it was meant to be that I visit this great shop.

View upon entering Beadboard UpCountry

Upon entering we were greeted by the shop's owner, the cute and friendly, Maryanne Flaherty. She was most engaging, and after telling her that I was the one who had called the day before and had wanted to visit her shop for a long time, I confessed that I am a blogger. Yes, I told her, I realized that she had been featured on several blogs already, but I would love to feature her on MY blog, too!

Great side or dining chair with wonderful bedding and bath goods in the background - love the legs and the linen on this chair

Agreeable and enthusiastic, she began to show me some things that were new in the shop since the last blog post. She clearly loves her work and her passion is contagious. I found myself wanting to shoot photos for my post, but at the same time, just wander aimlessly through the store, taking in every display, every texture, every color...........lots and lots of details.

antique armoire with glass doors and beautiful detail

Sometimes when I walk into a great shop or a good art gallery or antique show, I instinctively just stop at the entry and try to absorb the overall feeling, getting my bearings and deciding which way to go first. My anticipation is great and I don't want to miss a thing. I have been asked by various friends and family "What ARE you doing"? when they almost bump into me as I have stopped and blocked the door, mesmerized by the display ahead. So, I think I was a bit distracted as I visited with Maryanne , trying to take in all she had to share with me, looking at all of the beautiful things, and assuring my daughter that I would be "just a few more minutes". Sorry, I digress...........

So, I was not able to photograph every single thing I loved at Beadboard UpCountry - there were too many - but some of my favorites are here.



This particular piece, a wonderful blue painted chest, has quite an unusual story. Maryanne showed me two small metal plaques on the inside of the top drawer.One says John Widdicomb
Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company was the first American company to produce Louis XV designs in America and started the wave of French Provincial popularity in this country. The company is now operating as a division of Stickley.



The second plaque indicates that the chest was manufactured for Jac Lessman, a prominent hotel developer. Mr. Lessman planned the renovation of several large Manhattan hotels in the 1960s, including the Hampshire House, the St. Moritz, the Biltmore, the Lincoln,and the St. Regis. Besides having an interesting story, the chest is a beautiful blue and has a ton of charm. Can't you just see it in a penthouse suite at a luxury hotel? (or better yet, in my bedroom beside the bed)


Another favorite of mine in the shop is the pottery designed by Maureen Welton from Vancouver. The pieces I loved in particular were this wide vase shown above - I am crazy about the shape and the texture - and the large vase shown below.

The designs are based on the textures found on the beaches of the Pacific Northwest. Maryanne loves that one of these vases or bowls can be perfect in a minimal, contemporary setting, or placed against a heavy stone wall in a rustic ranch house. Being a person who craves texture and color, I absolutely love these pieces.

Beadboard UpCountry carries wonderful table ware and silver, as well as linens for the table and the bedroom. The Belgian linen line, Libeco Lagae, is one of the finest in the world. The quality is excellent and the linen comes in varying weights and a variety of sophisticated colors. Maryanne also carries cut yardage and will ship it to you. You can also find Peacock Alley linens here and soon, Papillon Linens.


I am a sucker for a box pleat and fine detail, so this club chair is just perfect as far as I can see! Custom slipcovers are available here, too, in a wonderful assortment of fabrics.

another great chest of drawers

........and yes, another perfect chair, this time with a full, full skirt - so pretty!

As if I wasn't already wanting everything in sight, Maryanne carries a wonderful line of jewelry called Obsidion Jewelry. Each piece is crafted with great stones and the prices are amazingly reasonable. I expected a much higher price tag on the pieces I looked at. She displays some pieces cleverly in a glass cake stand, which, of course, fits the lovely setting of the entire store.

Last but certainly not least, I love this amazing chest that would fit beautifully in a bedroom or an entry, or.............


in a study if you need a desk! Isn't it fabulous how it opens up to function as a secretary. It's a far cry from my kitchen desk, I can say that for sure. The top is onyx and is absolutely gorgeous.

Thank you , Maryanne, for such a warm welcome to your shop. I love visiting stores where the owner if present and engaged and friendly. Shops like Beadboard UpCountry are distinctly more special than your average home furnishing store.

Also, I would be remiss if I did not mention Mayanne's husband, Peter, whom she referred to several times. It is clear this couple loves what they do. When I asked her how they settled in Brenham, Texas, she said "Peter just tells people 'this is where the bus broke down'. Well, I am so glad the bus broke down where it did! It is certainly Brenham's gain!