From the Editor | April & May 2019
Welcome to Tex Appeal’s annual Home + Garden issue. I’ve really looked forward to working on this month’s features because interior and landscape design has been of great interest to me since the time I could hold a trowel or wield a paintbrush.
In this issue, we introduce you to Allie and Ben Guenther, owners of Guenther Design Group in Salado. The couple and their 18-month-old son, Indie, live in an adorable bungalow they completely remodeled as a live/work space. Kati Maxwell photographed them there for my article on the couple’s unusual design concept—one-day “restylings,” where they transform clients’ rooms using mostly furniture and décor they find already on hand in the house—lurking in closets, cabinets and attics (p. 26).
Writer Mandy Shelton introduces you to Tyler Fletcher, who reigns over a kingdom of antiques, books and salvaged architectural items at Fletcher’s Books & Antiques in Salado (p. 82). And we sent writer Amanda Ogle on a shopping trip to Granbury, where she discovered a treasure trove of boutiques on the town square offering unique home-décor items to suit any taste (p. 88).
When I heard the news that HGTV has launched a new home-renovation show featuring Grace Mitchell, a talented Central Texas-based designer, I knew her story would make a fascinating feature. She agreed to sit down with me and talk about her own home-renovation project designing a bedroom for her four adorable kids (p. 40). She shared lots of insider tips sure to inspire anyone tackling a similar project.
Blogger Kristi Dominguez recently remodeled her Harker Heights home’s master bathroom and—with her usual witty voice and eye for style—she offers us a peek at the spectacular results (p. 64).
Don’t worry—we haven’t ignored the garden in our “Home + Garden” issue. Writer Amy Rognlie chatted with local gardening maven Tracy McLoud, who talked about her passion for regenerative gardening with native plants and organic techniques. Tracy gives entertaining talks all over Bell County on the subject, check out her Terra Living Salado Facebook page to find out where (p. 8).
Sharon White gives us a look at ways to create gorgeous potted plantings with advice from Earthscapes Garden & Home Center owner Kay Lynch (p. 16).
And our coverage of incredible swimming pool and hot tub designs by two local designers and builders will have you grabbing a measuring tape and chalking off your yard. In this new feature that we’re calling an “Idea Book,” we offer you a taste of what these local designers can create, from simple, functional pools to over-the-top, pie-in-the-sky stunners (p. 53). In future issues of Tex Appeal, we’ll delve into other design genres in “Idea Book” feature articles.
Happy home improving!
Stacy Moser
stacym@texappealmag.com
254-774-5266