ROCKY CREEK - ALEDO

The original owner of this 70x40 structure had intended for it to serve as a dual use property, having space to care for horses that also included living space and bathroom downstairs. The upstairs had a floorplan drawn up and was framed for a 2800 sqft home. When I bought the property, the only animals we intended on living in the building were my children! So the entire structure was completed, as per verbal confirmation from the original developer, as 100% living space. Clocking in at 5600 sqft total, this house may best reflect my most “out of the box” design ideas. Since my wife and I were also my clients, the process was both simpler and more complicated, all rolled up together! For those of you out there reading this on the old “interweb” who are married, you clearly understand that dynamic! This property is located in a community of acreage lots, ranging from 10 acres to 50 acres. The entire property, located just south of Benbrook Lake, had been a large ranch for over a century. In keeping with that theme, we embraced the idea of staying consistent with a rural Texas architectural style, deciding not to deviate from the original design of the exterior shell. The original plan was to complete the living space upstairs as a home that I would eventually move my parents into, after building our ‘forever home” on the same 13 acre lot.

There are too many unique design elements implemented into this property to list them all. The pictures will tell the story the best however. Since my family has a strong Cajun culture, and having played some college football in Louisiana, we certainly identify closely with the region. The downstairs kitchen was designed to mimic an old Cajun hunting camp! Most of the décor was either made by me personally, or given to me by my family in Louisiana. There are several places in the interior of our house you can see the use of antique, reclaimed lumber. Most of this lumber came from buildings located in the Fort Worth Stockyards from building demo projects. You should also be able to notice the use of corrugated metal roofing, as interior wall-panels. These panels were first sprayed with acid, then left in the elements, so as to “patina” naturally. The final result ended up stunning.

Great care was taken to pick finishes, and use design elements that best represented the “modern farmhouse’” design style so popular in homes being built today. This style is one that I have been using on my projects for some time now, even before it had a name! As I said before, the pictures tell the real story of this house. This is another property that was designed and finished by me. Every fit and finish was picked so as to fit into the overall personality of the property. And of course it was designed with energy efficiency in mind, needing only one-quarter of the standard HVAC tonnage to heat and cool it comfortably.  I am very proud of how this house tuned out. It is some of my best work.