Home In Style

WINTER 2010 T H E B R YA N - C O L L E G E S TAT I O N E A G L E

SHARING THE HISTORY

College Station couple converts Rudder House into bed & breakfast

J. PAYNE LARA

Youthful determination leads to success for Navasota sculptor

LOCAL DIGS

Mollie Dean turns a forgotten file cabinet into an eye-catching kitchen caddy

Dream Caldwell kitchen remodel leads to couple’s fantasy home

Big

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

10B I G DREAM

Caldwell kitchen remodel leads to couple’s fantasy home

4 Sharing The hiSTOrY Former Rudder home converted into a bed and breakfast

16 MOllie Dean: lOCal DigS Forgotten file cabinet becomes eye-catching kitchen caddy

18 a PaST in BrOnZe Youthful determination leads Navasota sculptor to success

22 TWO’S COMPanY Think in terms of ‘territorial space’ to create the ultimate master bathroom

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LOCAL HISTORY

Sharing the History College Station couple converts Rudder House into bed and breakfast

Story by Billy Mau, The Eagle Photos by Patrick Danielczyk

M

any lovely and historic homes are scattered across Bryan-College Station. Some are open to tours, others are closed to the public, but the Rudder-Jessup

home in College Station is one of the few that welcomes guests to stay the night.

This large two-story white house on Lee Avenue has been home to Texas A&M administrators, most notably former university president James Earl Rudder, and is now the Rudder Jessup Bed & Breakfast

under the ownership of retired A&M faculty members, George and Hillary Jessup.

The house was built in 1936 for S. G. Bailey, the secretary for the Texas A&M Board of Directors at the time, but it was Rudder’s stay in the home from 1963-66 that cemented the house’s historical significance.

Rudder was a highly decorated World War II general, commanding units at both the D-Day invasion and the Battle of Bulge, who later went on to become one of the most influential presidents in Texas A&M history. He is credited with reshaping A&M from a small land-grant college to a major university through acts such as making Corps of Cadets participation voluntary and admitting women into the university.

Rudder and his family moved into the Lee Avenue home after a fire destroyed the A&M President’s home in 1963.

“Rudder was living in the home when it burned, and he lost a lot of his memorabilia,” Hillary said. “It was during Christmas break, so many of the students were gone. There were international students there, however, and some of them helped get items out of the house as much as they could.”

The Jessups inherited the house in 1999 from George’s mother, Anna Lou, who bought the house 17 years earlier.

Anna Lou researched the history of the home and secured a local historical marker from the College Station Historic Preservation Committee.

George and Hillary sold the home they were living in and used the money from the sale to remodel the Rudder house. The main goal of the remodel was to upgrade facilities such as bathrooms and closets. They also built an extra bedroom and a game room on the ground floor, in addition to moving some internal walls to create an entryway foyer.

“We wanted to preserve as much as possible,” Hillary said. “We kept all of the original hardwood floors. The wood came from upstairs. We pulled up the wood from those rooms and had a student come

Above: The downstairs bedroom of the Rudder-Jessup house is called the genealogy room. Owners George and Hillary Jessup have decorated the room with old photos of family members.

out and sand down each piece so it could be installed downstairs.”

The front of the home remains exactly as it did originally. The exterior changes were made in back, including a garage with a small apartment that was used by Hillary’s mother. It was during the remodeling that the idea of starting a bed and breakfast came about.

“While we were remodeling, everyone wanted to walk through and guess what each room is going to be,” Hillary said. “So the neighbors would come over with their glasses of wine to look at the house. They asked if we were opening a bed and breakfast because we had so many rooms. We said we weren’t, and they suggested we should.”

The Jessups thought about the suggestions and decided to act on it. With two large bedrooms and an apartment suite upstairs and another large bedroom with a study downstairs, the Jessups had plenty of space and so decided to share their historic home with visitors.

The downstairs is largely devoted to common spaces. The large entryway leads to the open living and dining area.

This area is highlighted by the hardwood

Below: The back gate is made up of old doors imported from Greece. The Jessups bought the doors before having a plan on where to use them, but quickly found they went great in the back yard.

flooring relocated from upstairs and lovely fireplace, which has been kept in original condition. The dining portion of the room features pre-Columbian stone art from Mexico and South America originally collected by Hillary’s father and famed architect, Cliff May, and handmade dolls from Peru.

The downstairs guest room is what

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Above: Guests at the Rudder-Jessup Bed & Breakfast enjoy their morning meal in the home’s dining room. The highlights of this room include a display of Peruvian dolls on the wall and pre-Columbian stone work from Mexico that Hillary’s father, Cliff May, collected in the 1930s.

Center Below: The living room is the main common space in the Rudder-Jessup home. The hardwood floors came from upstairs during the remodeling project the Jessups underwent before turning the large house into a bed & breakfast.

After

Before

After Before

6 home in Style WinTer 2010

the Jessups call the “genealogy room.” The walls of the room are decorated with old black and white photos of members of Hillary and George’s families. The room also features an adjoining office that also can serve as a second bedroom.

The Jessups have paired the history of the home with the history of their families. The first floor library is full of antique books dating back as far as the mid-1700s. The library opens into a game room featuring a 1926 Brunswick pool table that – despite being older than most of the houses in the neighborhood – is still in excellent condition and often is enjoyed by guests.

Upstairs accommodations include two individual rooms and a large suite, as well as a common area. These are popular with guests as each room has its own unique appeal. Especially popular with visitors in town for Aggie football games is the fact that the Aggie Band can be heard clearly on Saturday mornings getting ready for the big game later.

The two individual rooms belonged to the Jessups’ children Jonathan and Jennifer, who now live in San Francisco and Chicago, respectively. Instead of redecorating the rooms, the Jessups kept them as the children had. Jonathan’s room is decorated with his high school and college track and field memorabilia. The

entrance to Jennifer’s room is her sports trophy case. The room boasts a bathroom that is impressive by most any standard.

The Jessups allowed their daughter to design the bathroom during the remodel.

As a result, it is almost as large as the bedroom with a large dressing area complete with a full length wall mirror, separate shower and bathtub and a bright color scheme.

“She chose a 50’s motif and a lot of space,” George said. “It really is a girl’s dream bathroom.”

“A lot of our female guests really like it, too,” Hillary added.

The majority of the upstairs space is devoted to the main suite, which also served as an apartment for Hillary’s mother. It is called the Rudder Suite and is the most popular room for guests.

Much like the rest of the house, the Jessups have filled the Rudder Suite with both personal antiques and copies of old A&M photos from the Cushing Library.

The main area of the suite has a bed, sofa and kitchenette, making it great for large groups. Another bedroom attaches to the main area with twin beds that were in Hillary’s room as a child. There is also an antique dressing table that belonged to Hillary’s mother.

In turning the Rudder home into a bed and breakfast, the Jessups have

Right: The library near the entrance of the Rudder-Jessup house is very popular with guests.

The shelves are full of antique books, some dating back to the mid-1700s.

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shared their piece of Texas A&M history with countless visitors, VIP guests of the university and even members of the Rudder family. The business has allowed

them to meet people from all over the world and to share their Aggie spirit in the home of one of the most important leaders in the school’s history.

We’re Your Key to Endless Possibilities Above: This suite was used as a bedroom by the Jessups’ daughter Jennifer before she left for college. Guests in this room enjoy the largest bathroom in the house and can hear the Aggie Band through an open window on Saturday mornings before Texas A&M home football games.

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FEATURE

Dream Caldwell

kitchen remodel leads to couple’s fantasy home

W

Editor’s Note: The following is part two of a two-part series on one of Home in Style’s most remarkable featured homes. The owners requested to let the home designer and head landscaper speak for them as both men were instrumental in the finished product.

10 home in Style WinTer 2010

Big Story by Billy Mau, The Eagle Photos by Chandler Arden

hen a Caldwell couple called Allen Jancik for a kitchen remodel, no one could have imagined what the result of that remodel would yield. Four years later, both the clients and Jancik still have a “to do” list. To say the construction of this dream home has been an adventure is an understatement.

Interior designer Allen Jancik grew up with one of the homeowner’s sons and had the advantage of knowing the family and their property before developing a professional relationship with them.

Just over four years ago, Jancik received a phone call from the couple for a small remodel of their kitchen to allow more space for cooking and entertaining family and friends. “Once I returned with drawings for the new kitchen, the conversation turned to the need for a family room that would be open to the kitchen,” according to Jancik.

A second round of drawings resulted in a portion of the original structure to be taken down. Quickly, it became apparent that the entire structure should come down. The result of this unintended

demolition became a dream realized for the home owners.

The new home was designed to respect the vernacular architecture of Texas both past and present, but with a few twists. Jancik developed a “story” for the design and construction of the home to include several periods of Texas architecture; Spanish Colonial, Texas Ranch (including design influenced

by German, Czech, French and Italian immigrants) and Eastlake Victorian.

The main portion of the bottom floor, including the outside rock fencing reflects the original portion of the structure, built in the Spanish Colonial style which first appeared in this area about 300 years ago. From this core structure, additional anterooms and a second level reveal aspects of Czech, German, French and Italian architectural forms common to the area during the early 1800s. Most of the antique furniture and art pieces throughout these areas are native to the regions mentioned above. In addition, the homeowners had several family pieces which were brought to America from the Czech Republic. Building on their heritage,

additional pieces were commissioned and executed by local Czech master craftsman, George Hlavinka. The final ‘addition’ to the home is a second level of the master suite in the late Eastlake Victorian style.

Upon entering the home, visitors are greeted by an indoor fountain, lined with custom-made Italian glass tile. This fountain is not only an ambient sound source, but also provides natural cooling and humidity. Along one wall Jancik designed a solid walnut, hand-carved side board and plate rack that reaches 14’ to house the client’s majolica pottery collection. At Christmas, this area is used to display her large collection of antique German nativity scenes.

Stone floors and baseboards, hand forged iron work, exposed beams and high ceilings give this part of the home a courtyard feel. The common area slate flooring also covers the front patios and large exterior entryway, bringing the outdoors in, enhancing the courtyard feel.

In the Great Room and other common areas, accessories are kept to a minimum in order to highlight, rather than hide, the many architectural details of the home. A large storage area provides a repository for additional art, accessories, furniture and seasonal décor to transition for parties, gatherings and various holidays.

The lady of the house has an affinity for peacocks…so much so that several species freely roam the property. Jancik used the color scheme of the feathers for several areas of the home. Throughout the home are containers filled with molted peacock feathers while a mounted peacock presides over the Dining Room from a perch high on the stone mantel.

The kitchen, has plenty of room for cooking and entertaining, and opens to the Great Room. Groups of 10 or more can gather at the large kitchen island to chat with the cook or enjoy drinks from the fully stocked bar just a few steps away.

A cooking range, double ovens, warming drawers, pastry station, commercial size ice machine and 20’x20’ pantry, ensure even very large meals can be accommodated.

The perimeter cabinets are topped with a

Above: The theme for the living room is space. From the high ceilings to the spacious floorplan, this room is big. The owners wanted there to be enough room for their grandchildren to ride their bikes through the house.

collection of 200-400 year old pottery from Italy, Romania, Turkey and the United States. The backsplash tile was hand cut in Italy. The kitchen island has a 6” granite top and a base of cherry wood with hand carved corbels imported from France.

The home’s second floor is split into separate wings; one for guest accommodations and entertainment rooms, the other for the Doll Room and Doll Bath.

The guest wing is accessed from an open, mesquite staircase in the Great Room. The stairs deliver guests to what is referred to as the Gallery landing. The landing is used for guest conversation and acts as a transition to the Gallery itself. The landing is decorated with family and found objects. An antique grain trough is filled with vintage doorknobs, antique spurs and petrified wood found on the owner’s greatgrandfather’s property. Maps of Texas, dating to 1827 hang on the walls. Visitors wanting to take a moment to enjoy this unique space in the house can do so from the comfort of chairs made from cattle horns which surround a hand painted German wedding chest from 1817.

The landing opens to the Gallery via

Opposite Page: The dining room fireplace features a stuffed peacock that came from right on the property. The owners keep a variety of peacocks and other birds as well as livestock.

Below: An unassuming alcove in the living room houses a full-service bar that is very popular with guests.

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three 10’ high arched openings, and runs about 80’, ending in an arched marble backed niche. The Gallery is populated with a pair of matching buffets from France, c. 1840, religious relics dating to the year 1000, Texas church pews from the 1880’s and 150 year old handblown French wine bottles from the Burgundy region. The interior wall of the Gallery is punctuated by 6’ ornate iron window pieces offering a view of the Great Room below.

“The light moves through the Gallery very dramatically throughout the day,” Jancik said. “It’s almost church-like and meditative. It’s a place where you can relax and have quiet time.” This aspect makes the gallery Jancik’s pride.

A hallway coming off the Gallery leads to the guest wing which features three bedrooms, a multimedia theater and game room.

The multimedia theater seats 12 in large, plush chairs, allowing guests to enjoy everything from movies to sports events to televised concerts. Popcorn and drinks are served from the adjoining concession bar that leads to the game room which features a number of arcade games, and is a popular spot for both friends and family.

These colorful rooms are tied together by a circular motif found in the custom carpet and drapery fabrics, as well as movie reels in the concession stand.

12 home in Style WinTer 2010

“Both the homeowners and Jancik agree, this is probably the most extensive kitchen remodel in history…”

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Above Left: The home theater seats 12 in overstuffed chairs. Guests enjoy movies or sporting events on the large projection screen (inset) and is especially popular for Super Bowl parties.

Below Left: The upstairs gallery is one of the most peaceful areas in the house. Light comes in from the second-story patio at the end of the hall while the iron-work portals overlook the large living area known as the Great Room.

The three guest suites are spacious rooms with unique motifs. They each feature great views of the beautiful backyard and access to a second story porch with ample seating, including an antique day bed from India.

“The upstairs suites started with our deciding what colors the owner wanted to use,” Jancik said. “Blue, green and beige were selected and named, naturally enough, the Blue Room, the Green Room and the Rustic Room.”

The beds in the Rustic Room are made of reclaimed mahogany railroad ties from Africa, which were cut during the early British Colonial era. One wall is dominated by a stampede scene painted on an old ship sail which measures 8’x10’. A 1930’s ‘Pin the tail on the Donkey’ anchors another. The Green Room was inspired by a Hudson River School painting, circa 1835 and has antique French nightstands and a colonial era bench. The Blue Room is based on a collection of Old Paris White wedding accoutrements and beaded 14 home in Style WinTer 2010

wedding wreaths; some items date back to the 1790s.

The opposite wing of the house is dedicated to the master suite downstairs and the Doll Room upstairs. This part of the home is more cozy and private than the main portion of the house, giving the owners a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of a home that always seems to have plenty of visitors.

The master suite includes a separate bedroom suite called the Grandmother’s Room which is used for grandkids to stay in when their parents are away. The headboard of the Grandmother’s Room is made from an Indonesian window grate from the 1700s. The bath has an Italian chandelier made of seashells and Tuscan landscapes don each drawer of the painted vanity.

The master suite has a sectional sofa for reading or watching television, custom night stands from Portugal, a hand carved headboard, and a dowry chest brought over from Czechoslovakia by the homeowner’s great grandmother.

The highlight of this portion of the house is the Doll Room housed on a second story of the master suite. Opening the door to the Doll Room reveals to visitors a museum-quality collection of antique dolls and women’s fashion displayed on a rotating basis. Themes for the display vary from seasonal to the iconic

such as the film “Gone with the Wind.”

The lighting, wall colors, hand woven Aixminister carpet and furniture, are all period pieces dating to the Eastlake and Queen Anne styles of the Victorian Era. The door to the Doll Room has a special story of its own that didn’t come to light until after it was installed in the house. Jancik had seen it on a shopping trip and nearly bought it, but decided to wait a few days. He later got a call from the owner saying she bought something for the house. It was the door.

“Once people were invited to tour the house, a local historian noticing the door revealed it was the front door from my great-grandparent’s house,” Jancik said.

This house has become a comfortable home due the attention to detail, ties to family history, a respect for local architectural styles and an open door policy when it comes to friends and family. Both the homeowners and Allen Jancik agree… this is probably the most extensive kitchen remodel in history, but above all, this has been and continues to be a labor of love.

“We are thankful to Allen for his dedication to our project,” the homeowners said. “His vision and direction, insights and sensitivity to Below: The guest wing features three spacious suites. This suite follows a rustic Texan theme and is popular with the owners’grandchildren.

heritage turned what could have been a ‘box’ into a spectacular home that perfectly fits our lifestyle and devotion to friends and family. We didn’t think we had any idea what we wanted, but his methods of discerning our tastes, passions and comforts, combined with our requests have created a home in which to build a lifetime of memories”. For information contact Jancik at aejancik@hotmail.com FEATURED IN

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DÉCOR

Forgotten file cabinet becomes eye-catching kitchen caddy

T

he loves of my life can be boiled down to three things: crafting, cooking, and a certain Chihuahua who will always have my heart. They all bring happiness to peoples’ lives (though people may deny their love for my yappy pup), and can make any room a little brighter. The mission I had for my new College Station home was to create a warm, inviting feeling that flowed right from the front door. I knew that meant the kitchen had to bring it home (pun intended). With lots of open space and a large window at its focal point, the colors needed to be bright and vibrant.

The breakfast nook was a blank palette- a big brown table and some very awful khaki walls to cover. To some, it would be a nightmare. To me, it was Christmas morning. My inspiration came in the form of a buttercup yellow can of spray paint and my recent obsession with spraypainting glass vases.

To my

This ordinary file cabinet was found hidden away in a second-hand store.

16 home in Style WinTer 2010

mother’s dismay, my motto is “you can spray paint anything!” And trust me, with some latex gloves and a little patience, you can. The yellow vase came first, which I filled with fabric flowers from the craft store. My favorites are hydrangeas and the mix of blue shades looked perfect in the creamy yellow vase.

So just like that, the color scheme was set.

Not looking for anything in particular, I went to my favorite thrift store just down the street. I have found that searching for anything too specific in the thrift store world will only end in frustration and disappointment.

Even the most unsightly pieces have potential, so go into the day with a creative eye and an open mind. I came across a filing cabinet tucked away between bookshelves in the front room.

These ordinary officemates are standard at most thrift stores and I have always wanted to make a project of one. But I vow to stick to my golden rule: don’t buy what you don’t need…Okay, okay, maybe it’s don’t buy what you can’t remake. This time I had a plan and a vision, so I dragged that pretty blue pile of rust to the front and rang her up. Oh yes, did I mention the cost? $3.

After a good hosing down in my backyard, I determined the filing cabinet didn’t need any paint at all. The light blue matched my color scheme and contrasted the khaki walls perfectly.

Now I may be a seasoned cook, but I hardly have enough recipes to start a full filing system. So behold, a kitchen

caddy and my proudest upcycling moment yet. I measured the top of the cabinet and researched the cheapest cutting board. I spent only $19 at a large home furnishing store on a light brown bamboo board that measured 20”x15”. The hardest task was finding a towel rack short enough (and not over priced for my project) to fit the length of my cabinet. This is nothing fancy, so don’t go out and buy something ornate and copper just to cover it with a dishtowel. I found the perfect solution in an extendable curtain rod for only $2 at a fabric store. I also bought two basic dishtowels to line the inside of the drawers. With all my supplies in tow, I retrieved the power tools and got to work.

DRAWERS: 1. Remove drawers and any filing materials 2. Cut cardboard to fit bottom of drawers (should be snug and stay in place) 3. Iron out any wrinkles from dishtowels and wrap tightly around cardboard 4. Hot glue in place (set something heavy on top of boards while they dry) 5. Fit in drawers- Voila!

CUTTING BOARD AND TOWEL RACK: 6. Use a 1/8” drill bit to make pilot holes in top for screws 7. Attach the cutting board using 1” screws from the underside of the cabinet 8. Use level to mark location of towel rack 9. Use drill bit to make pilot holes in side of cabinet and follow instructions of curtain rod/towel rack to attach

I also hot glued two hooks to the backside of the curtain rod to hang various kitchen tools. S-hooks would work well too. Once everything was attached and the drawers were in place, I set the scene with various knick-knacks from around the house. This part is totally for the eye of the upcycler, so have fun and play around with different options. I hung one of our extra cotton placemats on the towel rack and a couple of spatulas, too. The dusty electric mixer finally found a home and some colorful napkins and bowls filled with fruit gave the corner a bit more color. I knew it was missing something, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

After dinner one night, a friend set an empty wine bottle down on the cabinet while cleaning up. I was sold. The cool green glass and rustic label pulled the whole look together. My kitchen was complete, hello dinner parties.

For a total of $30, I created a classy

kitchen caddy that is both beautiful and functional.

We use the drawers to store anything from wine bottles to spices to tools that just don’t fit anywhere else. The steps are simple enough for anyone to tackle and the price is hard to beat.

Upcycling has endless possibilities.

Take a look at the local junk and a treasure is sure to surface.

Drawer liners, a towel rack and a simple wooden cutting board turned the once-forgotten file cabinet into a stylish kitchen caddy.

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LOCAL ARTIST

Bronze A Past in

Youthful determination leads to success for Navasota sculptor Story by Sharon Roe, Special to The Eagle Photos by Patrick Danielczyk

J.

Payne Lara was just 19 years-old and fresh from a two week course in

sculpting when he loaded up his belongings in his Ford crew cab diesel truck and left Navasota for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Navasota sculptor J. Payne Lara works on a commissioned piece in his workshop. The scaleddown rough copy sits on his scaffold for reference. Lara has created some of the most recognizable sculptures in the Bryan-College Station area.

He was carrying a letter from the Tribal Council giving him permission to photograph and sculpt on reservation land, and the dream of finding his artistic niche in the pageantry of the Sioux culture.

Lara stayed for three weeks, taking photos and making clay sketches during International Brotherhood Days. Now, almost 20 years later, he is known not only for his Western sculptures of both cowboys and Indians, but for his historically accurate work. He is currently working on the third of 18 pieces for the Brazos Valley Veteran’s Memorial at Veteran’s Park in College Station.

“I was young and I needed to start somewhere and discover what my place was,” Lara said. “It takes a while to find your style. I chose the Sioux because they were the main tribe in a historical context — Wounded Knee, Custer’s last stand, and there was a lot of information available. And they had flashy costumes with war-bonnets and eagle feathers — I was young and impressionable.”

Frequent exposure every summer through his mid-20s taught him it wasn’t the colorful costumes of the Sioux, but instead their spirituality that

Above: “Wilderness Awakened” at the Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater in College Station.

he wanted to portray.

“I got to see the Pow-wows and the dancers,” Lara said. “But the main thing was the people that took you in, talked to you, shared their food with you. I started trying to portray them the way they really were. Ninety percent of the time, they weren’t wearing the flashy war bonnets and eagle feathers.”

The sculpting class at the Cowboy Artists of America Museum in Kerrville (now the Museum of Western Art) he took when he was 19 had given Lara the confidence to pursue fine art as a career, and it was here that he met his future wife, Linda, and other sculptors that would later mentor him.

“I came home from South Dakota and I just started working,” Lara said.

“When I’d finish a piece, I took it around to the other artists, and it was all about seeing how I could get better.

A lot of guys will go to equine anatomy workshops and study. My family was all cowboys, so I had horses to tie up. I just did it myself. It was pretty much trial and error.”

Determination paid off, and at 22, Lara made his move.

Below: “Come and Take It” at Veterans Park in College Station.

“I drove to Santa Fe and I put my pieces on the tailgate of my truck out in the parking lot.” The owner of the

The eagle www.theeagle.com 19

Above: “Liberty or Death” at Veterans Park in College Station.

Opposite Page: “Tiger Pride” at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station.

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Jackson-Kirkland gallery, Joe Wade, liked what he saw, and Lara was in business.

Thus began another pilgrimage, with Lara spending summer through fall of the next 12 years sculpting in Santa Fe. “That was where I began working on the larger pieces,” Lara said. “I started to find where I belonged. It takes a while to see where you fit in.”

Being able to move from the smaller, more intimate pieces to the larger scale ones meant success had finally come for Lara, and he started branching out. “A lot of artists are known for doing a certain cowboy or Indian over and over,” Lara said. “I wanted to broaden my scope. I was always curious, always learning about different subjects.”

Inside his studio today, gigantic horses rare back, soldiers stand tall and cowboys search for lost cattle with their trusty dogs beside them. Lara is now working on proposed pieces for Veteran’s Park in College Station.

For each one, Lara will spend weeks preparing.

“I do quite a bit of reading and researching period clothing,” said Lara.

“I look at how it fits. In the Liberty or Death piece, (dedicated July 1) I don’t see how he could have picked up a rifle to shoot it, but that’s how they dressed back then. Everything during the revolution was real tight.”

After the research, a theme and then a form begin to take shape in Lara’s mind. “Sometimes it takes a week, sometimes longer,” said Lara.

“The actual sculpting part, teaching your hands to do what your eyes see, that’s the difficult part. A lot of times you can see something but you can’t get your hands to do it.”

In between working on the memorial pieces, Lara is in the process of obtaining a patent for an armature system that will enable sculptors to greatly shorten the time spent determining proportion. Instead

of building the structural skeletons from wire and whatever materials are available, the armature already will be in place.

“You’re changing the way people have been thinking about doing sculptures for 6,000 years,” Lara said.

“It’s a cheat sheet for the amateur, teaching them proportion, and for the professional, it’s a time-saver.”

Asked what his parents thought about him taking off in his truck for a reservation across the country as a teen, Lara smiled and said, “My parents?

They knew I was hard-headed. I was gonna do it anyway, regardless.”

Now at 38 with three kids of his own, Lara is surprised at the risks he took. “One thing about being young, you’re so naïve,” Lara said. “I look at some of the stuff I did and I can’t believe I did it. You wake up every day and you work, and one thing leads to another. I’m just very fortunate.”

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Think in terms of ‘territorial space’ to create the ultimate master bathroom

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By Michael Juliano, CTW Features

areas,” he says, in order to help maintain “territorial space.” Moreover, Alderman has found that accommodating each person’s height – usually by raising the countertop

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by two to three inches for males – can be useful for making bathroom rituals feel a little bit more natural.

Second, Alderman suggests that couples

Image courtesy of the NKBA

athrooms for couples typically conjure up images of matching bathrobes and swimming pool-sized tubs overflowing with bubbles and bubbly.

For today’s busy couple, though, the bathroom has become a more complex space with two equally important, but opposite, goals – functionality and relaxation.

To make a bathroom as functional as possible, Dave Alderman, a certified master kitchen and bath designer and presidentelect of the National Kitchen & Bath Association, has two key pieces of advice. First, he recommends as much countertop space as possible, as well as two sinks. “If you have the space, it’s better to have two distinct

have a lot of storage space. As much as a couple may want the bathroom to be a shared space, there’s a certain amount of distance that the toothbrush and the razor should have between each other. Simple bins and storage racks can be sufficient for keeping the room in order, but furniture with drawers and especially doors creates more space to stay organized and creates a more complete look.

Kate Flaherty, vice president of building products and special projects at the Chicago-based home renovation showroom LuxeHome, agrees that storage is key. “Build a linen closet or add storage units in the bathroom for easy access to linens and bathroom accessories,” she suggests. “This will save time when getting ready in a hurry.” Of course, not everyone can afford the space and price tag needed for a large master bathroom, but good lighting or an intimate effect like hanging candles can help “take a smaller bathroom and make it more elegant looking,”

according to Alderman. However, if you do have the space, a bathroom can become more than just a place to soak. Some couples opt for turning the bathroom into a complete living experience with the addition of big screen televisions, sound systems, refrigerators and sometimes an entire room attached with space for lounging, laundry or exercising.

When planning a shower, Flaherty says that it should be large enough for two people and designed with the needs of both in mind. “A toe rest or shelf in the shower is perfect for women when they’re shaving,” she says. The National Kitchen & Bath Association reported that traditional styles, ceramic and porcelain tile, and white fixtures were by far some of the most popular bathroom design elements in 2009. That doesn’t mean a couple needs to be restricted to one of these designs. “The bathroom should reflect the couple’s personal style and taste,” Flaherty says. “The master bath should fit the needs of the couple who uses it.”

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