USA Houzz: Take a Mini-Holiday at This Texan Guesthouse
This charming, cosy cottage's design was inspired by a movie starring Kate Winslet
It’s no surprise these homeowners have comfortably nestled into their guesthouse, as one major inspiration for the home was the cosy English cottage Kate Winslet’s character owned in The Holiday. Their plan was to build the guesthouse in the Texas Hill Country, retire, move down from Lubbock, then complete construction on the main house. Surrounded by more than 20 acres full of oaks and wildlife, they enjoyed the guesthouse so much that they put off the construction for a few years, and they secretly fear they won’t love the main house as much. As we take a tour through this charming home, you’ll understand why.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Location: Fredericksburg, Texas
Size: About 305 square-metres; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Location: Fredericksburg, Texas
Size: About 305 square-metres; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Austin Pitner, owner of Bonterra Building & Design, worked with the homeowners’ large inspiration file full of homes (most over a hundred years old) and with a floor plan and elevations from architect David Rowland. Bonterra completed all of the construction and designed all of the interior details and finishes, such as the timber frame beams, custom fireplace, doors and cabinetry.
The home has a regional feel, which is German influenced and rural (Fredericksburg was originally settled by German immigrants). The standing-seam metal roof is pre-weathered Galvalume. The stone is chopped white limestone, indigenous to the area.
The verandah floor is part of the concrete foundation; the beams are western red cedar.
The verandah floor is part of the concrete foundation; the beams are western red cedar.
The retaining wall is made of stones found on-site while digging holes for the septic tanks. “When you dig around here, you never know what you’re going to find,” Pitner says. They hit upon these perfect layers of rock.
“When they came out of the ground, they were dark grey and ugly; we stacked them and wondered what to do with them,” he says. During the time they mulled it over, several rainstorms hit, and the rock lightened to a beautiful colour. They decided to use it for the wall.
“You couldn’t shop for anything better than these stones,” he says.
“When they came out of the ground, they were dark grey and ugly; we stacked them and wondered what to do with them,” he says. During the time they mulled it over, several rainstorms hit, and the rock lightened to a beautiful colour. They decided to use it for the wall.
“You couldn’t shop for anything better than these stones,” he says.
“We wanted the interiors to be rough but clean,” Pitner says.
He used timber-frame construction throughout. The beams are hewn Douglas fir, hand notched for corner support. They avoided using moulding to create the feeling of a monolithic, old blocked house. While the stones and beams lend the look of an old European farmhouse, the stained concrete floors, lack of mouldings and simple floating kitchen shelves mix in contemporary touches.
Pitner advises hiring a professional to stain concrete floors; he was very impressed with the way the pros were able to match the floors to tones in the beams.
More: Kitchen Aid: 10 Ways Natural Timber Can Warm Pp the Heart of Your Home
He used timber-frame construction throughout. The beams are hewn Douglas fir, hand notched for corner support. They avoided using moulding to create the feeling of a monolithic, old blocked house. While the stones and beams lend the look of an old European farmhouse, the stained concrete floors, lack of mouldings and simple floating kitchen shelves mix in contemporary touches.
Pitner advises hiring a professional to stain concrete floors; he was very impressed with the way the pros were able to match the floors to tones in the beams.
More: Kitchen Aid: 10 Ways Natural Timber Can Warm Pp the Heart of Your Home
The kitchen has an indigenous feel, like it rose naturally right out of the land. The benchtops are limestone, and the cupboards are alder.
One of the homeowners enjoys feeding the foxes and their babies who come to visit through the Dutch door.
Shaws Farmhouse Sink: Rohl
One of the homeowners enjoys feeding the foxes and their babies who come to visit through the Dutch door.
Shaws Farmhouse Sink: Rohl
Working with the clients’ inspiration files, Pitner designed the stunning fireplace, which can be enjoyed from just about anywhere in the house. The carved stone is Riviera Beige Cantera from Mexico. “The fireplace is big for the house, but it makes a great focal point,” he says.
The homeowners picked up a lot of the furniture and accessories at local antiques shops.
More: Winter Warmers: Where to Put the Fireplace
The homeowners picked up a lot of the furniture and accessories at local antiques shops.
More: Winter Warmers: Where to Put the Fireplace
Eight-foot double doors allow a view from the bed to the roaring fire at night (the two are perfectly aligned). The doors are similar to the front door, constructed of mahogany planks held together with metal hardware.
The interior stone walls trick the eye into thinking this is a solid stone house, but the walls’ framing and insulation are covered by 3.8cm-thick veneer cut from the same limestone used on the exterior.
“We wanted the house to be fully insulated, efficient and up-to-date,” Pitner says.
The interior stone walls trick the eye into thinking this is a solid stone house, but the walls’ framing and insulation are covered by 3.8cm-thick veneer cut from the same limestone used on the exterior.
“We wanted the house to be fully insulated, efficient and up-to-date,” Pitner says.
Pitner designed these custom plank doors with cast hardware for the bathroom cupboards and cabinetry.
He is currently working on the main house, and soon the owners will give up their cosy cottage to overnight guests.
“The main house has a very similar style; this cottage is like the dinghy to the mothership,” he says.
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He is currently working on the main house, and soon the owners will give up their cosy cottage to overnight guests.
“The main house has a very similar style; this cottage is like the dinghy to the mothership,” he says.
MORE
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