Texas Coastal Home Tour – Sneak Peek!

Last January I toted Matt along with me for a home tour up the coast in one of our favorite little towns, Port Aransas.  I bribed him by promising that we would turn it into a bar hop too and he happily obliged :)  Port Aransas is a unique little beach town full of good food, good fishing, history, and beautiful beaches but is also a little oasis of interior design ranging from eclectic, cottage, coastal, to modern.  We head up there every chance we get for any one of those reasons.

So, of course I was super stoked when I got an email from one of the chairs asking me to do a post with them for the 2016 tour!  They’re the nicest bunch and I absolutely can’t wait to see the homes they have in store this year.   Today though, I get to show you two of the houses as well as a little Q&A with the homeowners themselves!

{The Surf Betty}

The first house I’ve got today is a modern-meets-surf shack-meets-cultural/art collection and is called The Surf Betty.  The owners built the home over the course of a year, and handcrafted many of the finishes themselves, namely those beautiful concrete and wood floors and all of the woodworking.  As avid surfers and travelers, the owners have collected and created many pieces of art and photography on their journeys so the house has an art gallery and sculptural feel with a soothing, natural palate.

How would you describe your home’s style?

We would describe it as “Artfully Handcrafted”

What is your most prized/favorite item in your home?

Our outdoor dining space! We eat out here for almost every meal and there’s always a relaxing breeze through the beautiful wooden doors. Also, the “Handy Liquor” sign in the living room is the original sign from my husband’s grandfather’s liquor store in the 1960s-70s.

Is there anything you would change about your home?  Do you have any future plans for it?

We have plans to add a pool in the near future, but otherwise our house is exactly how we envisioned it because we painstakingly planned it and built it ourselves!

Have you, or do you, DIY any projects for your home?

We build all of our homes with handcrafted, artistic pieces and finishes.  The home took approximately one year to complete and includes handmade beds, hand poured concrete countertops, and intricate wood and concrete grid flooring that we installed ourselves.

{Island House on Island Time}

This second house is owned by a family that has been coming to Port Aransas for many years and finally decided to settle in and get a home there to keep their boat at. The home has a relaxing, bright, coastal feel and is filled with tropical touches throughout.  The cool wall colors, beautiful acacia wood floors, tropical textures, and blingy fixtures make it such a unique and tranquil space.

What are the special things about your home that you love to return to?

Getting to relax by the water and watch the boats go through the canal.

What is one of the most unique features of your home?

We installed a “windoor” that opens three different ways and is 17 feet across the back wall for full views of the canal.

Are there any handcrafted items/features that you cherish?

All the railing inside and outside our home was custom-designed and built by us at our shop back home from high-grade stainless steel cable.

What has been your inspiration or approach to your decor?

We are inspired by anything from the ocean, and cool ocean colors like blues and greens with some pops of coral red.

Thank you so much to the Port Aransas Garden Club for giving me a sneak peek into some of the participating homes, and to the homeowners for giving all of us a glimpse into their beautiful spaces.  I’m super excited to see them, and all the others, in person on January 30th.