Open House

Between Two Worlds

AN AUSTINITE BRINGS HIS COLORADO BACKGROUND TO ROCKPORT

BY: CECILE GOTTLICH PHOTOS BY: JASON PAGE

The Coastal Bend is home to many beautiful seaside towns, but one of the most charming is Rockport. Situated just north of Corpus Christi, Rockport is known for its breathtaking natural landscape and wildlife, and is a beloved vacation spot. Many Texans from Houston to San Antonio have grown up spending their summers there; one such Texan is Bert Holmes.

“I grew up coming to Rockport in junior high, high school and college, and I loved it. A lot of my longtime friends have second homes here,” said Holmes. After living in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado for almost 30 years, Holmes made the big decision to move. “Because of COVID, I had the opportunity to work remotely. I wanted the smalltown atmosphere. That’s why I decided to move down to Rockport.”

After making the decision to move from Colorado to Texas, Holmes enlisted the help of a real estate agent to find a home virtually. He instantly fell in love with the Southwestern style home. “I ended up purchasing the house sight unseen,” said Holmes. Although he was captivated by the high ceilings, Southwestern touches and tree-filled backyard, he felt it needed some work.

That’s where Lori Pruett of LP Interiors came in. Pruett, who also lives in Rockport, understood the natural style of the house would work well with Holmes’ Colorado background. However, Rockport’s beachy ambiance called for some adjustments.

To make the dining space feel more intimate and grounded, Pruett hung several Spanish lanterns from the high ceiling. This trick brings the focal point down to the beautiful live edge dining table and Ralph Lauren rug.

“The house is unique, so when we were talking about our ideas for the design plan, we did want to bring in some Southwestern and Spanish elements like Ralph Lauren rugs, but also make it work with our coastal vibes,” said Pruett.

This mix of styles is particularly evident in the dining room with its Southwestern rug, live edge dining table, Spanish lanterns and coastal accents. Having not brought any of his furnishings from Colorado, Holmes had to start from scratch.

“I pretty much showed up with nothing. Lori pulled it together really fast,” he said. Pruett fortunately found everything locally; most furnishings are from Chic to Chic, including the custom sectional.

In addition to integrating these two design aesthetics, Pruett also wanted to make a connection to the beautiful surrounding nature. “[There are] over 20 oaks on the property. There are trees everywhere. I wanted to bring in a lot of modern nature-inspired details, but stay with the Spanish influence,” she said.

To tie in these elements, Pruett selected furnishings with natural materials, textures and

The smooth plaster finish on the adobe style fireplace is the perfect backdrop for handwoven baskets and pottery.

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forms. The handmade live edge dining table includes an iron base which perfectly ties into the iron on the staircase. The teak coffee table and woven lounge chairs in the living room hint at the tree-filled backyard located just outside the glass French doors, and the organic modern furnishings throughout the home ground the design.

Pruett brought in elements to signify Holmes’ hobbies and familiarities, and in the end, the home feels very personal and true to his background. The blend of these two worlds, Southwestern Colorado and coastal Rockport, makes for a fresh perspective, as well as a newfound friendship.