Caruth Home is a beautiful rustic family home situated in the University Park area of Dallas, Texas, designed by general contractor Kevin Key of
Key Residential. The homeowners asked the contractor to re-create a century old design aesthetic to a 1980s spacious 4,500 square foot, five bedroom, four bathroom home. The homeowner’s wished to have a collected look, wanting a comfortable home to enjoy with their extended family, three adult children and two grandchildren. After searching everywhere for the perfect antique accents, salvaged materials and unique color treatments, the contractor managed to create a harmonious environment full of warmth and luxury. The home’s interiors appear to have been put together over decades. Many of the decorative items were found by the homeowner who worked with
Becci Meier Architectural Design Services to achieve the desired design aesthetic.
The entire landscape, including the custom fountain, made with a Louisiana sugar kettle (used in traditional sugar production), revolves around the existing red oak tree in front of the house. The tree also marks the start of a dry creek bed, which Key turned into a walkway from the street to the home’s front door.
Key lightened up the home with plaster walls in warm creams and beiges. A blue pine ceiling in the living room draws the eyes up. The faux beams are made of wood; they’re hollow, which made them easier to install. Most of the furnishings is from the clients’ previous home.
Most of the oak cabinetry has the same scraped, hand-painted finish. The painters used several layers of paint, scraped off each layer for just the right effect and added umber pigment for an aged look.
One wooden door hides the refrigerator; the other hides a freezer. The custom table and wired antique chandelier reinforce the home’s style.
The pitched ceiling’s beams in this room are authentic and part of the roof’s construction. Key had them distressed and a thickening agent applied after painting to intensify the rough, worn look.
The same scraped painting effect was applied to the custom vanity, this time in periwinkle and white. A custom soapstone vanity top complements the farmhouse sink’s rustic feel.
One of the homeowners found the refinished antique tub at a local reclaimed-fixture shop. A salvaged stained glass window next to the tub was distressed, framed and mounted for one-of-a-kind art.
Key enclosed the previous patio in big sliding windows and added a multi-fold door, the same wavy cedar from the cabana and a custom dining table.
The designer turned a third of the home’s attached garage into a poolside cabana out back. Wavy cedar siding gave the cabana the lived-in look the homeowner wanted.
A new outdoor kitchen has sturdy concrete counters and a gas grill. Scraped cabinetry, a retro refrigerator and a freestanding sink basin with vintage metal legs make the space feel warm and worn.
Just past the grill, shutters made from flea market doors hide a flat-screen television. Wall planters next to the garden gate hold herbs.
