COTE DE TEXAS

Natural Habitats

A couple of items today.

First, each year Habitat for Horses holds a fundraiser, which is always great fun. This year the event will be held in Round Top at Henkel Hall. If you go to the Round Top Antique Fair you have probably seen Henkel Hall and the white church that stands next to it.

The Habitat for Horses fundraiser at Henkel Hall will be on November 9th. The hall and church is a popular landmark in Round Top.

And, if you have been reading this blog for awhile, you know that interior design great, Ginger Barber, is very involved with Habitat for Horses. Years ago, a chance encounter with the group led to Ginger becoming intensely involved, and now she is Vice-President of this wonderful organization.

Habitat for Horses rescues and rehabilitates abused and neglected horses from all over Texas and the United States. Today, Habitat for Horses is now the largest all-breed equine rescue organization in the country, which is an amazing feat.

Along with all she does for HfH, Ginger has spearheaded the annual fundraiser for the past eight years. The event in Round Top has been both successful and fun. The auction items are great this year and include a stay at the “Napping House” in Nantucket, along with a stay at Spread Oaks Ranch in Texas (more about this below!!!!) There are also dining packages and more goodies up for auction. The event includes fabulous food and drinks, along with live music by Tyller Gummersall!!

“The Napping House” in Nantucket. You may remember this house designed by Ginger that was a blog sensation a few years ago. A stay here will be one of the auction items.

Now, this is the tops: there will be a “Best Dressed” Competition with a prize from South Texas Tack!!! Ladies & Gents, get shopping!!

Don’t I look great in my new outfit for the auction?!!? LOL. I WISH!!!! She looks gorgeous.

Ginger Barber Interior Design and Cinda & Armando Palacios are graciously underwriting this event.

If you aren’t from Texas or can not attend the fundraising, I would like to ask if you might be willing to donate to this fine organization. Any amount will be most appreciated.

For information about the event: www.habitatforhorses.eventbrite.com

To visit the web site and learn about what HfH does or if you want to adopt a horse in real life or virtually,

please go HERE to read all about Habitat for Horses.

Now, how about some interior design because that’s why we are all here, right?

Ginger Barber has some new projects on her portfolio, but the one I was most interested in was the design she did for the auction item - Spread Oaks Ranch in Texas, right in the middle of Texas hunting and shooting country. It is close enough to Houston for a quick weekend getaway but, it feels as if it is hours and hours away from home. The ranch is located near Bay City and is on 5,500 acres of managed lands with wildlife habitats on the coastal prairie wetlands, dotted with ancient live oaks!!

A stay at Spread Oaks Ranch is one of the auction items to bid on at the Habitat for Horses fundraiser.

What do you do if you were raised in Texas and spent your youth hunting and fishing between the Colorado and Brazos rivers? Well, when you grow up and work in the oil patch, you dream of going back home, which is exactly what the owner of Spread Oaks Ranch did. Ten years ago, he started buying up three large adjoining parcels of land, which today make up the 5,500 acres of the Spread Oaks.

The owner, Forrest Wylie, has developed his acreage so that ranching, farming and wildlife habitat are successfully integrated in such a way that it is better for the land itself. Included on the land is a conservation easement that actually insures the permanence and protection of the birdlife and deer on the ranch.

Wylie was encouraged to open a for-profit lodge so that visitors could see and learn from what he has accomplished at Spread Oaks and how it can be replicated.

The unique formula at Spread Oaks includes raising Brangus cattle, while planting organic corn, soybean and rice in fields which are flooded after their harvest, which creates wetlands for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl all throughout the fall and winter. Once the birds migrate up north, the wetlands are drained and replanted again, creating a vital circle of life for the native waterfowl. Not to be forgotten are the crops planted for ducks, geese, dove and deer.

As you might imagine, hundreds of thousands of wintering ducks, geese and sandhill crane congregate on the flooded fields, wetlands and reservoirs. Other wildlife found here are two nesting pairs of bald eagles, alligators, wild hogs, coyotes, a few cougars, and assorted birds including songbirds, shorebirds and nongame. A former senior director for the esteemed Ducks Unlimited handles the habitat for Spread Oaks Ranch. It’s a delicate balance that must be maintained with attention to each tiny detail.

In addition to the hunting and shooting, there is also fishing in the bass lake and along the nearby Colorado River and Blue Creek. Plus, there is skeet shooting, swimming, and a firepit for cool evenings.

Not to be forgotten is the acclaimed chef who prepares all meals for the lodge and the casitas. The most fun would be to rent the entire place out for a birthday celebration or anniversary. Anyone game?!

Spread Oaks Ranch is pure Texas and it’s no wonder that they hired Ginger Barber to design the interiors, she’s been behind many ranches and Texas styled houses (even those in Colorado!) Let’s take a look at Spread Oaks Ranch where a stay there is up for auction at the Habitat For Horses Fundraiser.

The ranch sleeps 10 in different areas of the main lodge and the casita and bunkhouse. The buildings are surrounded by this charming half height stone wall. To the right is the casita building and to the left is the garage with the gameroom/bunkroom over it. Straight ahead is the main lodge. Hidden behind the lodge is the greenhouse where the chef reigns.

An aerial view of the ranch with the greenhouse at the far left and the casita at the far right. Look at the left behind the greenhouse to see the oak trees that the house was sited around. The dining room/wine cellar looks out at that particular vista. Notice the river behind the lake. And, in the center court, you can just barely make out the antique stone fountain imported from a French farm!

The front porch. Ginger designed both the interior and the exterior spaces.

The front porch with the casita in view.

The back of the main lodge has a porch and a pool which overlooks the lake. Notice all the beautiful ancient oak trees on the property.

Negative edge pool gives way to beautiful view of lake.

The glass front doors open to this charming vignette with tufted leather chairs and a roaring fire. The lamps? They would be at home in any fancy living room – a touch found throughout by Ginger which makes the ranch so inviting and homey.

The front hall runs from end to end of the lodge. Behind the stone arches next to the fireplace is the living room/bar.

The 26’ high main room has two sofas facing each other with a grand piano lending a touch of elegance. The dining room is through the doorway. Beams are antique cedar with custom iron strapping.

At the other end of the great room is the bar. Is this is a guest ranch or a private home? Ginger uses accessories to make the guests feel right at home. The large fireplace is a much needed addition during winter hunting months. The wagon wheel clock is permanently set at 5:00, relieving early drinkers of any guilt.

The sofas are from Restoration Hardware, while the Axel coffee tables come from M. Naeve.

Love that console table. And love the end lamps. And the rug. Again, this looks like a cozy house!!!

The bar stools are covered in hide.

Notice a brilliant décor choice – two French styled antique chairs in lilac!! Another touch of elegance that softens the rough stone edges. And that, my dears, is why GB makes the big bucks! OK, that sounds obnoxious. But…it is why she is so highly respected and has been for so long. She rarely if ever makes a misstep. Who else would mix those chairs in this décor, but they look so great!!!! LOVE!!!!

Past the great room is the kitchen, on the left, and the breakfast room on the right. At the end – you can see, is the dining room with the wine cellar to its left.

Past the great room on the left, through rough, wood doors, is the kitchen done in stone and stainless with copper accents. Notice the hood over the range!!!

The farm fresh food is cooked in this kitchen with copper pots hand chosen by Ginger.

Ginger’s been here! Confit urns hold utensils while an antique copper pan holds vintage straw covered bottles. Across the island you can see the breakfast area.

The breakfast area, another charming space by Ginger. LOVE the French tables mixed with the Mexican chairs. Why do they look so good together?!?!?

At the end of the lodge is the dining room, which can be closed off by magnificently tall pocket doors with an antique wood header. The windows perfectly frame the ancient live oaks. This is not by accident, but instead this vista was carefully planned by the architect.

The owner, Wylie, asked the three designers - architect Brandon Breaux, interior designer Ginger Barber and landscape architect Heath Thibodeaux – to do one thing. He wanted the dining room and wine cellar to overlook this exact area of old oaks.

The bleached wood antique table is Swedish! 1880s!! from M.Naeve while the chairs, all arms for extra comfort are from Area and the antique French chandelier is from Skelton + Culver.

The night view out to the terrace. Past the arched double glass doors is the cozy wine cellar.

.The wine cellar. The Italian antique styled table is from Skelton & Culver. Any other designer would have opened a catalogue and picked out a table, but no. Not here. For such an important spot, Ginger sourced her table from one of the finer antique shops in Houston. The chandelier is from Peck Iron.

This room is styled like a tower room. You can see this more from the outside:

The view outside of the dining room on the left and the wine cellar on the right. Notice how the wine cellar looks like a tower!!!

And the view from the dining room, where the lawn rolls down in the distant. This is Wylie’s favorite view and the house was sited here to align the dining room and wine cellar with these magnificent ancient trees.

And, at the left of the terrace is the greenhouse which allows farm fresh food to be served to guests.

The greenhouse. I guess there are other guest ranches with greenhouses, but….?

The powder room.

The porch on the casita, with its three suites named after the longhorns.

Of course this is my favorite suite with the French inspired beds. A sliding barn door hides the bathroom.

Another view. Love!

An antique Swedish desk. Cute green twig chair.

The bathroom with stone and shiplap.

Another suite.

I love this one because of the blue rug. It’s a great rug.

Each bathroom and bedroom are different from each other which is not easy on the designer.

And another suite! That chair!!!

To the right is the casitas and to the left is the garage with the gameroom/bunkroom above.

You reach the gameroom by an elevator lined with hides.

Great place for tired hunters. Pool and TV and cold beer. Can’t beat that.

Of course the bunkroom is adorable.

The lesson about the rug? Don’t skimp on size. Look how good it looks because it is so big and it fits the room.

If you have a hunter or fisherman in the family, think about a stay at the Spread Oaks Ranch.
And be sure to visit Habitat For Horses and if you would like, please think about a donation so these abandoned and abused horses from all over the United States are protected. HERE.

And last, be sure to visit Ginger’s web site HERE. She has posted lots of new projects, including a few that are perfect for downsizers looking for ideas.