How One Dallas Family Built Their Dream House for Entertaining

“I never ever imagined that I would build,” states homeowner Courtney Gerstenhaber, who, even with that statement, held a jogging record of wishes and ought to-haves, just in circumstance. For 7 years, she wrote down elements—like dinnerware storage and a position for caterers to set food—that she would want in her aspiration relatives residence.

When Courtney and her husband Greg at some point made the decision to go the custom route, they applied individuals notes as a reference guidebook even though functioning through styles with architect Christy Blumenfeld of Blume Architecture. “I held checking that list to make sure I hit the high points,” Courtney says. 

Sheri and Raegan Barringer of Barringer Customized Households brought existence to the Gerstenhabers’ University Park household by way of development, with Sheri Barringer Styles dealing with interior design. Courtney, Blumenfeld, and Sheri Barringer satisfied weekly for far more than a calendar year to focus on strategies, make structure decisions, and cure challenges as they arose. Courtney suggests that it was this close collaboration that assisted the group recognize precisely how the household life.

The specialists developed spaces with adaptability in mind so as to function for both of those the family’s each day life-style as effectively as their repeated entertaining. Pocket doors were a vital component all over the home, letting it to sense at turns substantial and flowing or intimate and private, as the problem phone calls for. Positioned off the kitchen area and breakfast area, the back patio is accessible by way of a set of sliding doors that can also tuck absent entirely, giving a seamless stream amongst the indoor and outside spaces. “We sense like it is an extension of our home,” Courtney suggests of the outdoor dwelling spot. Even the pantry was provided a pocketing doorway to permit Greg to make his every day 6 a.m. smoothie devoid of waking the overall spouse and children.

We sense like we have so several unique environments to delight in.

Homeowner, Courtney Gerstenhaber

An additional essential piece was the dining space, which serves as a accumulating put for spouse and children get-togethers as properly as the big-scale gatherings the Gerstenhabers generally host. The place involving the dining room and bar was purposefully left huge more than enough to accommodate a 2nd desk, letting for seating for up to 24 visitors. “It was a significant format puzzle to figure out how to do that and make it not feel like it is 1 huge house when it doesn’t have that 2nd table in it,” states Blumenfeld. 

Of course, someone who likes to entertain for a crowd needs more than enough tableware to feed just one, also. As she prefers to have 40 location options in each pattern, Courtney needed ample storage to comfortably and conveniently home her huge assortment. Contrary to in their prior dwelling, where by sets were being stored in a few different places, she worked with her workforce to generate committed storage in the bar space for dishes, flatware, and the like—making it basic to set the table as perfectly as cleanse and stow absent just after situations. In truth, the bar place is the heart of the dwelling, with website visitors gravitating below throughout parties. “It’s twin purpose for the reason that it serves the eating place or it is your intimate gathering [space] for modest groups,” Courtney states.

But with three children in the property, official, grown-up gatherings have been not the only sort of internet hosting for which the family members desired to make place. “I preferred a location for our children to hold out and have a calming space to have good friends more than,” Courtney suggests of the upstairs playroom. In addition to designed-in bunk beds and a trundle mattress, the home features swivel chairs and a modular couch that can effortlessly adapt to the kids’ requirements. No stressing about spills, either—all of the home furniture in the space, and throughout most of the residence, is clad in functionality cloth for effortless clear-up of unavoidable messes. Says Courtney of the concluded product: “We feel like we have so several various environments to take pleasure in.”

How to Make a Timeless Household

Bridging the gap in between timeless design and style and modern day sensibility can be tough. Designer and builder Sheri Barringer and architect Christy Blumenfeld observe these key factors for making a new household that will stand the take a look at of time and developments.

Really do not get trapped in an era.

Blumenfeld states that the greatest compliment of a new property is when individuals cannot discover whether the home was a renovation or created from the ground up. “The shell should not have a time stamp.”

Balance a conventional exterior with a modern-day inside.

“I think it’s essential that new builds have staying electric power and have standard factors and proportions,” Blumenfeld says. “But I feel they require to sense youthful and the interiors can feel mild and shiny and airy. Which is where you provide the modernity in.”

Use textures and gentle to include interest.

Sheri Barringer says it is ample all-natural gentle that keeps the common household feeling contemporary. A selection of textures—from woven rope chairs on the patio to bouclé eating chairs in the breakfast room—make the fashionable home furniture items really feel heat and inviting.  

Writer