Honoring the History of a Space

Home base for The Bend’s operations over the last seven years has been nestled inside the Water Street Market in Downtown Corpus Christi. Just as we began wrapping up the production cycle of this issue, we also began the process of relocating our office.

When moving from one space to another, it’s easy to get caught up in the forward momentum associated with change and heading somewhere new. However, I believe an integral part of moving is saying goodbye to the space being left behind — honoring it for what it was, what it provided and the history it housed.

In a lot of ways, this office space has acted as a second home for our team. Late nights and early mornings; hard conversations and problem solving; tears and joyous laughter; birthdays and baby showers; collaborative ideas and “Ah ha!” moments … the list goes on. Personally speaking, I’ve practically grown up within the walls of 309 N. Water Street, Suite C, and the folks I have co-inhabited this space with over the years have become a family of sorts.

When reading through this month’s cover feature, I couldn’t help but relate the history so intricately intertwined within every corner of this house to the place The Bend has called home for so many years.

Beginning on page 42, contributor Cecile Gottlich beautifully articulates not just the architecture and interior design choices of the home, but the many lives it’s housed and history it’s cultivated. From the original owner and builder, Frank Crook, in 1930 and its second dweller, Jack Stone, in 1984 to the current homeowner, Dee Braman, the structure as it stands today houses so much more than vibrant wallpaper and noteworthy furniture pieces. “That’s what is so special about this home,” Braman shares on page 48. “Every piece of this property has a story.”

It might sound odd to correlate a simple office space to an almost 100-year-old estate housing one of the only original Lord & Burnham greenhouses in the state (more on that on page 45), but the true concept of our dwelling spaces transcends the square footage or the design choices inside.

Call me sentimental, but as I write my last Letter From the Editor inside this office location, I find myself reflecting on the history we’ve cultivated as a team within this space. Though I am excited for a change of scenery— and the waiting memories to be made and stories to be written and shared with you all in our new office—I will always look back on this home away from home at the corner of Water and Lomax Street with a loving fondness and lasting gratitude for the role it played in The Bend’s story.

Three Highlights

Kylie Cooper, kylie@thebendmag.com

A Night To Remember

Local non-profit Coastal Bend Fairy Godmothers is committed to providing all students with a magical prom night with free prom dresses, menswear and accessory loans to students who need them.pg. 20

Design Disclosure

Looking for inspiration to guide your next home design project? From finding your specific décor style to honoring the architecture of your home, we asked several local interior designers a series of questions to hear their expert advice. pg. 54