The decision to invest in a vacation home isn’t an easy one, but a young couple set out to achieve their goal during one of the most inopportune times — the height of the pandemic. Their search ultimately took them to a four bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom property in Hunt, TX. “They wanted this place to be in their family for a long time,” says interior designer Sara Malek Barney of BANDD/DESIGN, who was enlisted for the gut renovation.
Their one request: infuse the 5,000-square-foot family home with loads of personality. ” It was all about having fun — playing with different colors, shapes and patterns, and exploring all the different areas of the home,” she says.
From carving out storage under the foyer stairs to designing a cozy breakfast nook, complete with beautiful bay windows that boast views of the Guadalupe River, Malek Barney made use of every inch. Take a look at the complete makeover below.
Entry
Malek Barney knew the compact area under the stairs (previously a closet) had potential and could be used to make a good first impression. While she considered creating a crawl space for the couple’s two small children, the design team decided to open it up and transform it into a true welcome spot. A built-in bench and shelving to display books and decorative objects made perfect sense, since the area is located right off the front door. She chose Sherwin-Williams’ Roycroft Bottle Green to complete the look. “It’s not stuffy. It’s not pretentious, and it’s meant to be lived-in and relaxing,” she explains.
Living Room
In the living room, a timeless neutral palette allows the exposed wood-beam ceiling to shine and enhances the layout’s cozy feel. She “softened” the shape of the fireplace and settled on custom wooden coffee tables from Outer Woods that are versatile enough to suit the family’s various activities. “They can transition from entertaining to chilling out and watching movies,” she says of the space, which opens up to the kitchen. “Everything can be moved around and be flexible.”
Kitchen
Along with removing a wall that closed off the kitchen to the living room, the clients requested two islands (one can be reserved for preparing meals and the other for dining and entertaining guests). They also trusted the design team with the two-tone color palette (Sherwin-Williams’ Still Water and Tradewind). “I love that they got excited about the colors, because it plays really well. There’s two different tones there, but it’s such a fun, vibrant space,” she says.
The patterned backsplash is another conversation starter. “The tile is the inspiration for the kitchen’s color palette,” says Malek Barney of Clay Imports’ Tropicana Rucksack Green. “It’s almost like an art piece in the kitchen.”
Breakfast Nook
Whether it’s a long breakfast or a fun crafting session with the kids, the family will get tons of use out of the breakfast nook. There was one design challenge to consider, though: The space needed to fit as many people as possible, but still be compact enough since it’s located at a walkway. A pair of dining chairs alongside a custom banquette and a custom dining table were the best solution. “The chairs could easily be swapped out for high chairs as needed, since it’s part of a transitional space. I just love the way it turned out,” Malek Barney says.
Guest Bathroom
Bunk Room
The three-story, built-in bunk bed “utilizes every inch of the room,” Malek Barney says. From clothing to toys, it offers enough storage for the kids’ belongings, and it was designed to grow with them over time. They settled on the right blue paint colors, Sherwin-Williams Riverway and Moody Blue, for this reason. “They don’t read too feminine or masculine, or super babyish or super adult,” Malek Barney says. “It can withstand a lot of generations.”
Bedrooms
The other bedrooms throughout the home are calming retreats. For the primary bedroom (on the left), Malek Barney chose Sherwin-Williams’ Evergreen Fog, a soothing blend of green and gray. It echoes the beauty of the trees visible from the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows. The walls in the guest bedroom (on the right) are painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Snowbound — a cool white that shows up in other areas of the home.
Outdoor Patio
The biggest design challenge in the outdoor area? “There’s a lot of stone we had to maneuver around and some we covered up,” explains Malek Barney, adding that they wanted the aesthetic to be “less rustic and more modern.” She settled on cream walls to complement the fireplace, and embraced varied wood tones in the space, including the herringbone patterned wood flooring.
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand’s home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, “What’s in My Cart.”
