Adding Texture to Walls to Create Interesting Design

Texture on Walls Can Make a Big Impact

You can learn so much from designers and good interior design can make or break a home's image. The tough thing about design is it can add up quickly so it's very important that you choose the areas that are to be your focal points and concentrate on a cost effective way to make them look good. We have had the pleasure of working with Baxter Design Group in San Antonio for our 2012 Parade project and just like most of you, we were on a budget and challenged to come up with "wow" features that didn't break the bank. in the picture I've attached, you can see where we added stone to an interior wall to create texture inside. We accomplished this by a process called "facing" the rock; or slimming it down in depth so that the sheer weight would be greatly reduced. A process like this runs anywhere from $6-10.00 per surface foot depending on stone chosen. We elected for a dry stack stone native to New Mexico that gave us a look and feel of texture on the wall. When you couple this with the stain grade exposed roof you really start getting a feel that will never get stale and you don't have to worry about painting walls. There will be floating cabinetry against this wall with a maple top and wall hung tv. By the way, the wall scales to approximately 350 surface feet so you can do the math on approximate cost.

2012 San Antonio Parade Custom Firebox

Courtesy of Google Images

If you get an opportunity to come by the Mattern & FitzGerald home to view one thing- please come by to see this.  Our home this year features a Pavilion, which will be a very large room with no interior walls.  Located in the main Pavilion will be the family, breakfast, dining and kitchen areas.  In our case, we will use elements of architecture to visually define the spaces- but the common walled-off points you are used to seeing in a home will be blurred.  I'm very anxious to see how people react to that.  One main focal feature and defining point between the dining room and living room will be this firebox.  What a lot of people don't realize is that fireboxes can be manipulated in many different ways.  We start with a platform, that we build out of wood at a height that is comfortable for the homeowner.  In this picture you see the firebox at ground level, but we are actually raising ours to where the top most part of the box is at 4' tall to give it a more prominent viewing angle from the dining table and living room while sitting.  We also chose a double sided firebox which means you can view straight through it.  The dimension of our firebox is 50" wide X 16" tall,  so it has a more rectangular look and feel.  It also has a ribbon flame feature, which I love because the flames go high to low, and continue to repeat that pattern.  The box is remote controlled, and has the ability to emit LED lights from within when it is too hot in the summer for a fire.  After the platform is built, we build a steel cage around the unit to dimensions of our choice.  We are going almost 7-1/2' wide X 6-1/2' tall.  Then the steel cage will have sheet metal riveted around it and to the top to give it the industrial look and feel that we are going for.  We will then wrap the flue pipe in the same material and have it project through the roof.  Once through the roof, we have a cool feature where we elongate the stack and call attention to it so that it becomes a focal feature as you approach the home.  The Parade begins on May 26th and I encourage you to come by and see this customized piece for yourself.

San Antonio Parade of Homes Cool Cantilever

Living room at back right corner cantilevers over pool

Cantilever:

That's what we do to be cool, and different.  Basically we engineered a structure to hang out and appear to "float" over an edge.  This year, we are cantilevering out over the pool.  That's right, when you are standing in the back left corner of the living room, you will actually be floating over the pool!  How cool is that?  Don't ask me how we pulled that off but we did.  The folks at GE Reaves and Lopez Salas Architects made it happen.  We will have a pool this year that actually goes under the house.  So when you are standing on your living room floor, there is a strong possibility that water will be underneath you.  We are always trying to push the envelope, trying to show you things unique and amazing.  If it was easy, anyone could do it.  I truly hope that you will come and visit us this year for the Parade of Homes in San Antonio, come stand on our living room and feel yourself hovering above the pool.  It will truly be an amazing experience and one that I am so glad to offer to you. I personally can't wait to do it and can't wait to hear your feedback on what you think.  God Bless America and all the wonderful things we get to try and experience as we progress forward in modern architecture.