Katy Lifestyles and Homes magazine Nov 2009: Cover Story1 - Open-air Living Defines The Home of Jan and Susan Steinmetz

The homeowners adored their 2,200-square-foot loft—their downsizing venture after the eldest daughter left for college—they found it a bit small. And they yearned for a freestanding home again.

Thanks to a walk one weekend morning, they found it, Susan Steinmetz and husband Jan found the perfect Darling Homes floorplan to accommodate a new phase in their life, the empty nest.

But these homeowners didn’t simply choose a floorplan, paint colors and materials and call it a day. They totally customized the plan to the point that it ’s truly their own, a reflection of their clean-lined, less-is-more design sensibility. And they couldn ’t be happier with the result.

“Darling Homes is amazing. They really work with you to accommodate the kind of changes you want, ” says Susan. “Even structural changes. It’s just the perfect floorplan for us. With the changes, it really fits our lifestyle —simple, clean, fresh. It’s exactly what we wanted.”

The 3,400-square-foot, three-bedroom home, which includes the casita off of a front courtyard, is guided by the couple ’s carefully thought-out design principles—clean lines, high ceilings, open spaces, lots of natural light and materials that lend an organic feel.

Consequently, you won’t find a single window in this house. They were uniformly replaced with French doors, allowing for excellent cross ventilation and the possibility of open-air living six months out of the year. The circular columns that typically punctuate the main

Open-air living defines this home with a bank of French doors leading to the outside. The couple ’s dog, Gabbie, relaxes in front of the fireplace (Heat & Glo gas fireplace). Upholstered pieces by Lee Furniture; coffee table by Oly. Classic Innovations did the custom woodwork in the house, including this living room ceiling. ˙ French doors replace windows in this house with the back doors leading to an elongated porch area overlooking the pool and garden. ˙ Champagne cement pavers (Stone Creek Pavers, Manor, Texas) are underfoot in the outdoor spaces. This relaxing spot is found just off the breakfast area. The couple bumped out the back overhang for a wider porch space and added a covered pavilion area as well, just off the garden.