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Invitation
TO OUR READERS
If you or someone you know has a fabulous home or distinctive commercial building, no older than 3 years, that you would like to see featured in this magazine, please call me at 956-266-8663. Publisher of Olé Decor magazine since its beginning in 2007
-Eddie Reyes
Publisher
Eddie Reyes Editor
Lynn Walker Hoverson Graphic Design
John Jacob Reyes Writers
Lynn Walker Hoverson Christina Rodriguez Alma Guerrero Barham Photographers
Mark Lehmann Anthony Medina John Jacob Reyes oledecor.com 5800 Padre Blvd. Suite 203 South Padre Island, TX follow
@
Ole Decor
INFO go to oledecor.com, call 956.266.8663, or email eddie@oledecor.com. Contact us via social media or email us at officemanager@oledecor.com.
Printed in Mexico
On the Cover Builder
A&M Construction AJ and Marissa Hanks 956-638-0216 / 956-467-6303 502 E. Expressway 83, Suite G. Weslaco, TX A&M Builders husband and wife team AJ and Marissa Hanks are celebrating their 20th year anniversary of building homes in the Rio Grande Valley. Their attention to service and detail really does set them apart from most home builders. When we visited with them and the home owners it was clear to see they are enjoying what they do and are making friends along the way. Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Congratulations to them…they got it! Photo by:
Mark Lehmann
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contents Features
Summer 2019
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Indoor Living
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Magnificent Homes
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Your Choices in the colors that surround you have special effects.A new contributing writer to Ole Decor explains some very interesting facts about how this works. A new Rio Grande Valley home in Weslaco is a gathering place for special family and friends.
Builder Spotlight
The A & M Construction Company is a twenty-year old brain child of Marissa and AJ Hanks. Their continuation of a youthful idea has carried them successfully through
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more than 300 beautiful building projects.
Featured Artist
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The well of artistic knowledge from Alma Guerrero Barham’s degree in Interior Design and Architecture and her time spent studying psychology and english composition at Texas Southmost
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College are partially tapped in her bio article.
Outdoor Living
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Innovative Building
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Swimming Pools are not all for swimming! This ambling article about a few swimming pools in Texas and the joys of swimming might be enjoyed while at your favorite summer watering spot!
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Living on the coast can be very fulfilling and devastating. Here we teach you about building or retrofitting your seaside home against the storm.
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Indoor Living
COLOR, PSYCHOLOgY and Design Written By Alma Guerrero Barham
I
n my professional years of experience I have conducted short courses on visual merchandising, industrial blue print reading, space planning, lighting and interior design. One of the most interesting facets from all those experiences came from the people who attended a talk during one of my six week courses that dealt with interior design. Some of the topics included color coordination, furniture study, space planning and lighting, and international motifs, among other creative concepts.
Early in the course’s duration, I proposed a question to the students. ”If you could make a color choice without any restrictions whatsoever, what color would you choose to paint the walls of your home, and why would that color be your choice? To my disenchantment, the majority of them chose white, beige or oyster color. Next, I asked each student to name their favorite color. None of them stated white, beige or oyster for their answers. After asking why no one had chosen their personal favorite for theoretical use in their own homes, their answers were all basically the same. 1. Fear of the overall effect of the color 2. Fear of other people’s reaction 3. Fear of a spouse’s reaction 10
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Those reactions are good evidence of how some people may be influenced by color. Even though some of us may not be conscious of the influence made upon us in our daily lives, there are three elements that have significant roles in this process. Color, psychology and design all impact our emotions, or reactions to certain situations, and even simply the choices we make regarding our attire, the design of our homes and businesses, our comfort zones, and even the selection of our vehicle’s color. The list is endless.
Sherrill Whitton of Interior Design and Decor shared, the psychology is involved with the eyes’ reactions to the light rays and the transfer of the message to the brain. The sensation occurring in the brain precipitates a mixture of emotional responses. Color activity includes four stages: 1. 2. 3. 4.
LIGHT: The source of color. THE OBJECT: For the light rays to act upon. THE EYES: Which receives the reflected light from the object. THE BRAIN: Which interprets this sensation.
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Indoor Living
How does this information relate to decor and design? Colors have their own characteristics, defined by the length and form of their physical wavelength. For instance:
ORANGE represents warmth, light and energy. It can be incredibly decorative in small quantities. Some people believe that it promotes success in general.
RED denotes warmth, richness and splendor. It is quite attention getting because of its short wavelength that gives a rapid fire effect to the eyes. Red can certainly be dramatic in small quantities, but can create a sensory overload when used in large quantities. If the effect you seek in your designing requires boisterous, high energy, such as for a disco, by all means use lots of red.
GREEN is reminiscent of nature, such as trees, grass, and other plants. It is considered cool, restful, quiet and easy on the eyes, depending on the shade and tint of green that is used.
BLUE is considered a cool color on the generally accepted color wheel. It resonates with spaciousness, as in the sky or the ocean. Dark blue is often connected with professionalism. White collar workers are often sporting blue or gray attire. YELLOW, CREME or IVORY represent light, warmth and cheerfulness. They can be safely used in abundance, especially on walls or ceilings and are commonly used in rooms where lighting is poor. TAN and LIGHT BROWN register as warm and friendly. They are popular colors used in many rooms.
PINK has connotations of animation and daintiness. Many children’s books, cartoons and playrooms incorporate pink in their color schemes, especially hot pink. PURPLE, PLUM, and LAVENDER are warm colors that are indicative of splendor, royalty and dignity. Persons of royalty such as kings, queens and priests often wear purple, significantly on special occasions. When used in a home, most designers recommend that it is used sparingly. Once again, psychology enters the picture. If your personality embraces the royal colors, go for it bravely, be it in your home, your clothing, or accessories. BLACK and WHITE are considered neutrals. The use of these two will actually accentuate other colors by way of providing contrast. GOLD and SILVER represent opulence and their use in decorating and elsewhere will generate a significant amount of attention.
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Many homes employ a monochromatic color scheme; which merely means using varying shades of one hue. This will create a flow that is easy on the eyes without jolts of unpredictability to the viewer’s psyche. On the other hand, artists and musicians and many people in the creative fields crave color; they are more adept at using the right side of their brains which has been documented as being where creative thought takes place. People who predominantly use their brains’ left side are more analytical and methodical than their right side dominant counterparts who yearn for the unusual, the unexpected and enjoy “coloring outside the lines .” If your design goal is for decorative accessories to dominate the room, it is best to limit your walls to plainer neutrals. When designing or decorating, keep in mind that the MAIN areas are the floors, walls, and ceilings. Secondary areas consist of window treatments and large upholstered pieces of furniture. Minor areas consist of small chairs, paintings, lamps, pillows and other such accessories.
Embracing color is trendy these days and more homes, businesses, hospitals and clothing designs reflect this shift based on the effect colors have on recipients’ emotional response. Some hospitals are using RED in moderate amounts because it is a passionate and warm color which expresses vitality, energy, and can alleviate depression. The same logic can be applied to that color’s use in homes. If you are comfortable with and used to relying on your phone to help make choices, major paint manufactures now have an app for paint color choice, too. Not everyone has an “artist’s eye” and using an app for that can take some of the anxiety away. Whether you are re-doing your den or creating another MAR-A-LAGO, remember the three magic words: COLOR. PSYCHOLOGY. DESIGN. I rest my case for the Psychology of Color.
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LIGHTING
:fH(
RIO GRANDE VALLEY
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1 lluM i NATi
AND THEN THERE WAS LIGHT
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Magnificent Magnificent Homes Homes
Location WESLACO, TX
A HOME A PARADISE
A HAVEN Written By Christina Rodriguez
Photography By Mark Lehmann
A
t first glance, this home, which is set back from the busy street, seems very simple and unassuming. Once you arriveat the front gate you begin to notice many of the small details that make you realize there is much more to this home than originally meets the eye. When the present homeowners saw this beautiful property for the first time it was empty except for a line of stately oak trees and a soccer goal. For a time, they weren’t sure if it would ever be theirs. The original owners were reluctant to sell their property for sentimental reasons. In the early 1980’s, the father and son had worked together planting twenty-five oak trees and the son wanted to ensure that the trees would remain and continue growing there. When this former owner finally agreed to sell, it was with the understanding that a plaque would be placed on one of the trees in honor of his father. Three years after the sale was final, the property was filled with the current owners’ vision of a unique, modern take on a Hacienda-style home. 16
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Upon arriving at the front of the home we passed through a large Spanish cedar gate set in a gabion wall. This type of wall is a cage or box that is filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in landscaping, road-builing, civil engineering, or even military applications. The house itself is covered with an industrial-looking material called Coreten, or “weathering steel” which is metal siding made in two layers.
The modern, sleek shapes of this home’s interior and exterior are a great match in the amazing home built by Aj & Marissa Hanks owners of A&M Construction pg. 22 956.638.0216 502 E. Expressway 83, Suite G. Weslaco, TX
Inside the front gate, the weathered brick pavers on the walkways lead us past a small casita meant for guests on the left side and the garage on the right. The homeowners open up the garage for outdoor events and parties, which are made even more inviting with a sunken fire pit on one side and a basketball hoop on the other.
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The inside layer consists of a metal that doesn’t rust. The outside layer is made to intentionally oxidize and rust. A hand-troweled Portland cement finish covers the remainder of the exterior walls. The builder, AJ, created sample after sample for the owners before the final application was approved for just the right finish. Next he worked quickly in small batches to cover the exterior before the cement could dry.
The dining room chandeller pictured bellow is part of the Brand-Savory House Lyrique Collection. The sconces throughout the home are Kuzco brand of The Gates Collection. Provided by Illuminations pg. 14
While the homeowners are both active in the local community, entertaining, and hosting events in their home, they also p a r t i c i p a t e in triathlons. A wall of medals in their home gym speaks to their healthy lifestyle. They have participated in triathlons in New York City, Houston, and Boston. At one time the husband held the record of the fastest time for the Ironman competition in the Rio Grande Valley. 17
Magnificent Homes
Morrison Supply Company (inside front cover) was the home builders’ choice for the super modern, minimalist, extraordinary Weslaco home. The range hood is by Best Island Hood. All other appliances shown here are Miele.
Inside the house, the entry opens onto an open-concept living room, dining area, and kitchen with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, which have a view of the back garden. To one side, there is a jewel-box of a powder room with walls that are covered in a lively green and blue wallpaper. In the living room, a raised dais with a grand piano creates a stage for concert events with the Valley Symphony Orchestra or even impromptu family concerts. The wife is a classically trained violinist and each of the children plays an instrument as well. The dining area looks out onto an impressive view of the long, narrow pool, which is perfect for swimming laps and preparing for a triathlon. On the evening of our interview and tour of the home, the golden natural light set off the clean lines, and modern Industrial style of the home’s interior.
In the kitchen, the custom cabinets by Unico were a collaborative design between the husband and interior designer Aimee Escamilla of Studio E in San Antonio. The book matched waterfall countertops of classic statuary marble are the perfect setting for the Galley sink which has customizable inserts that can be rearranged, as needed, for entertaining. 18
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The Miele range had already been installed when the homeowners realized they needed to find the water line in order to make the roaster/steamer functional. The final builder, who was brought in after some of the building had already begun, had spent quite a bit of time walking the house and familiarizing himself with the plans before moving forward with finishing the house. He had an idea of where the water line might be so he took a chance and used a jackhammer to open up the floor. This resulted in his “hero moment” when he successfully found the right location of the water line. In the Master wing, there is a cozy den, a convenient home gym which is adjacent to the master bath, hers & his closets, and the calm and cool master bedroom at the end of the corridor with a relaxing view of the trees outside. In the Master bath, the custom fixtures were hand-made and hand finished in New York. The high, barrel ceilings in the bedroom show off the exposed ceiling trusses and shiny silver ductwork, which enhances the Industrial feel of the home. An opening above the kitchen sink gives you a view to the wood and steel staircase that leads to the second floor. The staircase was special ordered from Philadelphia. The home’s windows had already been installed when the staircase arrived. The very substantial, fully assembled staircase was dropped off in one large piece at the home’s curb and the builder had to then figure out how to get it inside the home. AJ thought he and his crew could lift the stair assembly by hand to move it inside, but soon realized they would need to get creative.
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(Top left) Kitchen island pendant lights are Tech Lighting from the Ava Collection. (Bottom left) The chandeller is Kuzco from the Signature Drum Collection. (Below) The study pendants are Eurofase from the Ramos Collection. Illuminations pg. 14
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Magnificent Homes
First, they used a forklift to raise it over the front wall. Next, he called a wrecker service to come and lift the stair case further into place. The wrecker’s truck was parked under the back patio and then the windows were removed in order to make room to bring in the stairs. It took a total of ten people to roll the 2,300 pound staircase on dollies. Before beginning this phase of the staircase work they told the homeowners, “Don’t come home. We’ll call you when we’re done.” Then they took cables and stretched them across the second floor, connected them to the truck, and winched the staircase inch by inch into its final place in the home.
On the second floor is the children’s bedroom wing. Like the master bedroom wing on the first floor, the bedrooms open onto a wide hallway with floors made of rip-sawn white oak. All of the home’s bedrooms were originally intended to be open to the back garden, which is in keeping with a traditional feature of a typical Hacienda-style home. In this case, the gallery is closed in with large floor-to-ceiling windows that have a view of the outdoor pavilion and pool. The pavilion itself is on the opposite side of the garden from the house. It has an outdoor kitchen that is fitted with Coyote appliances. Next to the outdoor kitchen there is a Bocce court, which is attached to the pavilion. This court can also be used for playing horseshoes when the homeowners entertain guests. The floor-to-ceiling windows are also doors which pull back to open three of the walls to the outside.
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The pavilion itself is on the opposite side of the garden from the house. It has an outdoor kitchen that is fitted with Coyote appliances. Next to the outdoor kitchen there is a Bocce court, which is attached to the pavilion. This court can also be used for playing horseshoes when the homeowners entertain guests. The floor-to-ceiling windows are also doors which pull back to open three of the walls to the outside.
In this “INFINITY POOL� a swimmer strokes and glides across the surface as though swimming on smooth glass. Without any barrier sides to cause backwash friction, the exercise is efficient and uninterrupted. Built by South Texas Pools pg. 15
Featured Artist
Alma Guerrero Barham
A Resurrectionist Artist Photography By John Jacob Reyes
A
rtist Alma Guerrero Barham of Brownsville, Texas describes herself as a Resurrectionist Artist. She coined this term to reflect her personal style of upcycling which respects the past of the objects she works with. Her processes for making
her art are the source for her personally-coined terminology. Alma works on her art with an intense labor of love which flows from a deeply felt reverence and fascination with the past. For Alma, The definition of a Resurrectionist Artist is most appropriate. She has a unique and eclectic style of jewelry, clothing and home dĂŠcor that is noted for reviving artifacts and giving new life to those items which otherwise were destined for obscurity in the dustbin of history.
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“Being a
Resurrectionist
I find art and beauty in everything I see.”
As a small child, Alma discovered she could convert discarded objects into something unique and distinctive. Inspired by her grandfather’s gift for carpentry which Alma viewed as transformative, she would retrieve small blocks of wood from her grandfather’s work areas. Next, she used paint, glue and fabric on the wood scraps to craft her own little line of mini-furniture. These youthful projects started her on her quest for “RE”, eventually inspiring Alma to complete a degree in interior design and architecture from the Art Institute of Houston in 1996. During this stage of her higher education, she acquired knowledge of space planning, color coordination, lighting, textiles, wood-finishing and the psychology of design. She implements all of these in her artwork today. Her degree, in turn, resulted in her employment by large department stores, such as Dillard’s, Foley’s and Macy’s, in the field of visual merchandising.
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This also led to her working privately with clients who wanted customized design work in their homes, offices and businesses. These experiences caused her to further conceive of possibly renewing objects previously seen as worthless outcasts, recreating old jewelry and furniture into things of great beauty. With her basic ideas in place, Alma soon found that her favorite haunts in Houston were flea markets and junk shops, where she began to acquire castoffs of imperfect jewelry and furniture pieces which she ingeniously brought back to lives of beauty. She was following her passions of restoration and preservation and her journey has continued. Jewelry with missing clasps, furniture crying out for fresh coats of paint, shellac or new pieces of fabric; the possibilities were endless, and the end results of her “resurrectionist work” were stunning. In many instances, she completely disassembled discarded pieces and brought them back to a functional life by adding various elements to create her hallmark. Alma’s blend of unique and bold designs scintillate for her special clients of the 21st century. 27
Featured Artist
As an example, During her five year sojourn in New York, Alma found an old buffet with gargoyle handles, bulbous legs and characteristics that infused the furniture with history. Its sole flaw was that its top was slightly warped. Thus, after making an investment in the piece of only $20.00 and bringing it home to be transformed, Alma immediately set to work with her resurrectionidt process. This particular piece’s modifications included old pottery shards and stained glass of every imaginable color that were complemented with antique beads and vintage fabric.
Known as a pioneer in “wearable art,” her creations once caught the eye of a London model who fell in love with a one of Alma’s works: a dress made of vintage silk plus material taken from a shower curtain. The surface designs depicted the Madonna, a Mexican-style magician and various other components expressive of Mexican culture. Beaded candle holders, coffee tables adorned with painted images and serving trays with stained glass, embellished with colorful brush strokes are typical products of Alma’s artistic mind, which sees things that most others overlook.
Finishing “artifications” of this work also included touches of mink and variegated splashes of paint. That piece today is the center-piece in the entry-way to an architectural jewel of a home in the famed, old Spanish colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato which is located in central Mexico. While living in San Miguel, Alma locally displayed and sold her artworks from within Galeria Eclectica which was found within the heart of San Miguel’s artistic hub at El Instituto.
This was her own gallery that she opened in San Miguel. Her client-base hailed from such far-flung locations as New York, California, Texas and various European locales. Her creations have graced the fashions of opera-goers and the homes of admirers from Wales to Switzerland.
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After leaving San Miguel and returning to Texas, Alma has continued to significantly display her jewelry and clothing in boutiques located in Fredericksburg, Texas and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her unique lampshades, throw pillows and jewelry have attracted recognition from a host of fans seeking a distinctive look of individuality which defies convention, but is at the same time, evocative of the past.
If Alma is to be defined, it would be within the inner and outer walls of her historic hacienda-like residence in Brownsville, Texas. Her and her husband’s home is remarkable for its fortress-like brick walls, mosaic tiles, old ceiling beams and also, doors and window facings which date from the middle of the 19th century. In this inimitable atmosphere of art, antiques and oriental carpets, she has established her showroom. Open by appointment only, it is welcoming to those who seek her design and house staging services. Indisputably, once you have visited Alma’s home, interacted with her special artistic personality which is surrounded by her one-of-a-kind creations there, you will have obtained an unforgettable experience.
Alma may be contacted at (956) 443-6359, or by email at almaguerrero@yahoo.com Her work may also be viewed on Instagram at Wowbyalma.
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Outdoor Living
Written By Lynn Walker Hoverson
FOOL FOR A POOL S
ummer and swimming pools are a time and places where long-lasting memories are made. The happiness factor found with experiencing a swimming pool has very few equals, in my opinion. Whether it is a simple, indoor, above-ground lap pool or a luxurious and grand, gravity pool that has a spectacular ocean view, they all have one thing in common: water! We simply cannot live without it. What would summer be without swimming pools? Even if you can’t swim, to bask in the summer light and warmth while lounging next to a dazzling mass of clear blue water is primally perfect, from my perspective. However, I am a “fool for a pool”, as a recently-seen decor plaque states so clearly. 32
Swimming pools come in countless shapes, sizes and styles. Many modern ones are rectangular. I would have to take an international poll of swimming pool builders to know for sure, but my guess is that specific shape, the rectangle, is more streamlined to build, albeit more boring to view, at least before they are accessorized, painted, decorated and complemented with outdoor furniture. Most any size swimming pool adds to real estate property value, realistically, by the thousands of dollars.
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A good quality, above-ground lap pool kit with all the right filters can be delivered to your door after an online order of approximately $8,000. This option for having your very own swimming pool at home is sometimes the choice for people who need to train for swimming competitions. There are documented health benefits that are derived from swimming regularly. Physical therapy and rehabilitation can be achieved through aqua therapy at home in one of these types of swimming pools.
On the opposite end of the pool spectrum is this following example I found after a quick online search for “the largest private swimming pool in Texas”. On papercitymag.com are photographs and details of a backyard pool located in El Campo, Texas. The pool described is on a multi-million dollar, 40 acre property that includes a five bedroom mansion measuring 7,329 square feet. The main pool requires 750,000 gallons of water to fill it to the top. The designer of the pool is Cheryl Kuykendall. She designed some amazing features for this masterpiece.
This Breathtaking multi tiered custom pool and spa was meticulously designed and built by South Texas Pools pg. 15
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Outdoor Living
This ultra sleek geometric infinity pool and spa was design and built by Hamlin Pools pg. 38 Beach entry, waterfall feature and swim-up bar are just in time for Summer!
Within the 40,000 square feet of the main pool area owners and guests can cool their summer woes away amidst six waterfalls, a 21-foot slide, a swim-up bar and a kids’ area. The larger of the two hot tubs has a seating capacity of 25 to 30 people. This pool in a private paradise is one that any water lover could deeply appreciate! Pool owners of even much less lavish design than the one described above can expect to bear ongoing expenses to obtain the beauty and cleanliness that is required to maintain structural integrity and functionality of these specialized, engineered water reserves.
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Uncared for, a swimming pool can take on a nightmarish look. A few years ago I revisited a swimming pool where I had spent many happy, fun and sun-filled days as a child. The original owners and builders had grown too old, tired and uninterested in spending the necessary time and energy required to maintain the once-sparkling pool of joy. At the time of this revisiting of mine, only a some local tadpoles and toads were enjoying the pool.
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In the one-foot deep, murky green water at the in six foot capacity deep end were several wide-eyed little creatures. Nonetheless, those toads were singing in their swimming pool water! That poor neglected pool has since been rescued and restored, but doing so was an expensive endeavor. The toads are not allowed in the triple-filtered water of the present-day, clean pool. Now, this swimming pool is being enjoyed by a different family and a new generations of people!
Water is a absolute necessity for the continuation of life. Water is transformative, inspirational, refreshing, energetic. Depending on its source and the force behind it or the designs of its containment, people frequently use water for enter tainment, such as in a man-made swimming pool. Another very special and also, historical, swimming pool, The Deep Eddy, is located in Austin, Texas. In the early 1900’s in Central Austin a “resort” was located between the Colorado River and Lake Austin Boulevard.
The main attraction was the swimming pool at the Deep Eddy Bathing Beach which also had picnic areas, cabins and campsites. Other nearby entertainment of those olden days of Austin included a Ferris wheel, showing of silent movies and carousel rides. For the extras in the water there was a diving horse show, a world-renowned diving baby, a 70 foot slide, a 50 foot high diving tower and trapeze swings for great splashes into the water.
-Day at the pool “Deep Eddy” Austin TX 1936
Outdoor Living
The Deep Eddy Pool began as a swimming hole in the Colorado River, became a resort in the 1920s, and is today a popular swimming pool operated by the City of Austin. Cold springs rose from the river banks and people swam in the river where a large boulder formed an eddy. In 1915, A.J. Eilers, Sr. bought the land surrounding the swimming hole and built the concrete pool.
The pool served as the centerpiece of the resort. In 1935, the City of Austin bought the property for $10,000 and only two weeks later the Colorado River suffered a massive flood that destroyed the bathhouse and other improvements. The pool was filled with mud and debris. In July 1936 the Works Progress Administration rebuilt the bathhouse and the pool opened as a public park. The city of Austin has put the property to a variety of uses through the ensuing years, but the pool is still open to the public. 36
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Donnie Jones of Surfside Pool pg. 31 diligently worked to follow the owners’ designs and plans for this relaxing outdoor living space, paved with travertine tiles.
Deep Eddy Pool is listed as a historic landmark on the National Register of Historic Places and has been the inspiration of various works of art. Texas musician, Jimmie Dale Gilmore wrote the song “Deep Eddy Blues” about the pool and the nearby bar, the Deep Eddy Cabaret. The pool was named after an eddy formed by a deep hole in a limestone bottom area in the Colorado River. Deep Eddy Pool was very popular in the pre-air conditioning era. Visitors could travel there by electric trolley to get relief from the toasty Texas summer heat.
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When I visited Austin in April of 2019 repairs and upgrades appeared to be underway at Deep Eddy which remains iconic and a desirable place to spend time for Austinites and tourists. The pool water comes from a spring and is not chlorinated and the water temperature fluctuates between 65 to 75 degrees year-round. For recreational and beginning swimmers, there is an open swim area complete with a wading area. For serious swimmers, there is a separate lap pool with designated lanes open daily from 8 am until 8 pm.
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Red Snapper Hideaway, South Padre Island, Texas
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Hideaway. “There are many property management companies out there, but Vacasa’s ability to combine advanced booking technology with a local, human touch makes them a great partner for us.” In addition to their impressive local teams, Vacasa has a central office staffed with professionals specializing in everything from interior design, marketing, data analytics and operations. Connecting Buyers and Sellers In 2018, Vacasa launched Vacasa Real Estate to connect vacation home buyers and sellers with local agents. With access to rental performance data, a steady stream of buyer leads, and the largest inventory of vacation homes in the country, Vacasa is uniquely positioned to streamline the process of buying and selling investment properties—and to simplify the experience of renting them out.
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See how Vacasa can help with all your vacation rental needs: vacasa.com/ole-decor or 254.433.8418.
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Innovative Design
BUILDING HURRICANE PROOF M
any Americans dream of a life on the coast, with the sun grazing their rooftops and waves lapping at the shore below. Not everyone considers the risk of purchasing a coastal property, which could easily be destroyed in the event of a hurricane. When Hurricane Michael touched down in Mexico Beach, Florida, in mid-October, only one oceanfront home was left fully intact: a two-story structure known as Sand Palace that had been built a year prior. The remaining homes were either wiped out or stripped down to their shoddy foundations.Much of this damage could have been prevented if the homes had adhered to Florida’s updated building codes, which require safe construction elements like buttressed roofs and shatterproof windows. But the fact that these codes were implemented in 2007 left older homes powerless in the face of the storm.
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BUILDING FOR A HURRICANE
To protect themselves from damage, homeowners have one of two options: build a new structure or retrofit an old one. The price of both undertakings has left many low-income residents vulnerable to disaster. Hurricane-resistant features tend to double the cost of construction per square foot. It’s not feasible for everybody in the country to design their houses to be hurricane-proof. There are so many people who don’t have the financial resources. Building a hurricane-resistant property comes down to a handful of foundational features. Still there are a few accessories that can protect an older home from damage. Here’s a recommended list;
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HURRICANE SHUTTERS
Hurricane shutters help protect windows from debris that have been stirred up by strong winds. The consequence of a broken window can be grave: In the event of a storm, it causes air pressure to rise and the house to blow apart from the inside. For those worried about the labor or cost, there’s good news: Some insurance companies in states like Maryland, Florida, Louisiana, and Rhode Island offer discounted rates for homeowners with hurricane shutters. While more expensive homes have shutters made of metal or polycarbonate plastic, lower-income properties often resort to plywood. Impact windows are perhaps the most important feature for homes located near the coast, but not directly along the water. Instead of being exposed to storm surge, these homes are vulnerable to a hurricane’s heavy winds.
STRONGER MATERIALS
Fifteen years ago impact windows weren’t required by the building codes. It wasn’t until an onslaught of storms, including Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, that insurance companies began to push for stricter regulations to protect themselves from loss. Now it’s common for new homes in the Gulf to be made of laminated glass with a sheet of Kevlar inside. These windows are designed to withstand the impact of a 2x4 stud heading toward them at 150 miles per hour. But this protection comes at a price. Impact windows are often double the cost of a normal window package: around $40,000 compared to the standard $18,000.
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Innovative Design
MEXICO BEACH SURVIVOR BAY COUNTY, FL
MULTI SLOPING ROOF
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HURRICANE STRAPS
CONCRETE PILINGS
IMPACT-RATED GARAGE DOORS
THE PRICE OF SAFETY
Hurricane straps are pieces of the galvanized steel that secure the walls of a home to its rafters. They can be installed during a retrofit, but it’s an expensive and invasive process. Adding straps after a home has already been built requires cutting back the sheetrock and exposing the beams. It’s far easier to install the straps during new construction, before the sheetrock has been laid down. But there’s still the cost of labor to consider. In either case, hurricane straps help make sure that the roof doesn’t fly off during a storm.
Just like a broken window, a broken garage door can allow wind to enter and put pressure on the roof. By shuttering a garage or installing an impact-rated garage door, residents can save their home from damage. Some impact-rated garage doors can cost around $10,000. Shutters are a much cheaper option, but offer less protection.
One of the most basic elements of hurricane-proofing is to build a home on concrete pilings, which elevate it above the storm surge. The pilings also help support the structure and keep it from collapsing amid heavy winds.
Whether you’re retrofitting an old home or building a new one, coastal homeowners pay a hefty premium for safety. There is a tremendous amount of hoops that you have to jump through when you build or buy a Gulf-front house. You can be sure that everything that goes back in Mexico Beach is going to be built to the same level of construction as that one house that survived.
LESS WIND RESISTANCE
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