M: Where do you find most of your décor?
We created these 40 feet, storefront windows, and
R: Antiquing in Fredericksburg, Texas. We have a
now the light dances on the columns without be-
house there that we bought when our son, Chris,
ing hot. We also had to orient all of our art, so it
went to Trinity in San Antonio. I can plug in a vac-
wouldn’t be hurt by direct sunlight or intense indi-
cuum and do the entire space, which is refreshing. I
rect light.
didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. I have fallen
M: To me, Merriment means a celebration of the
in love with the German lifestyle, architecture, peo-
simple joys in life. What about your home makes
ple. And they keep it real local in Fredericksburg,
you feel merriment?
no Starbucks, no major chains.
R: I love simple. I love uncluttered – things to stand
M: What’s your favorite room in your house and
on their own. When we sell this house, someone
why?
else will be able to bring in their things, and it will
R: Probably the kitchen and dining area; that’s
look just as beautiful. The house is the perfect shell.
where we really live. Jim loves to bake and cook,
It’s weird; you have to work so hard to keep it sim-
even more with age. He’ll be in there making a gin-
ple. But, our architect, Mark Wellen, studied under
gerbread recipe or baking pumpkin bread, or brais-
Frank Welch, and he was a genius at keeping us on
ing a lamb. So if he’s there, I’m there.
task with our vision.
M: What’s something that you think every house
M: What purposes do you want your home to serve
needs in order to feel like home?
for yourself and family?
R: A quilt!
R: To be able to entertain effortlessly. We didn’t
M: What was your biggest design challenge with
want our house to feel crowded, like we were fall-
this house?
ing into each other whenever people came over. We
R: We had so many. For starters, we wanted a lot
wanted to be able to invite people into a warm and
of natural light, to wake up and go to bed and not
welcoming space.
have to turn off lights.
M: What does Texas mean to you? R: Hospitality: warm, charming, and graceful. To have someone call your home graceful is the ultimate compliment. It doesn’t have to be beautiful, but ‘graceful’ means that your house feels inviting as if it’s saying, “It doesn’t matter what you bring to the table – just come and enjoy.”