By Hannah Barricks
Photography courtesy of Danette Adelson
They say good things come to those who wait, and that’s certainly the case for Mindy Laudermill when she set out to build a home for her family on the pastoral acres she inherited from her family in Glen Rose. The project, which began in October 2019, took three years to complete, testing Laudermill’s patience and the creativity of her designer, Haute Home’s Tarin Wallace, after the international health crisis in 2020 disrupted the supply chain. In the end, however, the duo persevered to create a final design that is distinctly French, complete with a 460-square-foot conservatory, and each room reveals a story through layers of draped fabric and custom craftsmanship.
Designing with Meaning
Since the project’s inception, Wallace has drawn inspiration from unexpected places. “Meet the Goat Man,” she laughs, pointing at a rich, earth-toned portrait of a horned buck in a double-breasted suit jacket that hangs above the fireplace in the den. “We just fell in love with him,” echoes Laudermill. “So, Tarin designed the room around him.”
The women’s collaboration was a balancing act between Laudermill’s love of French Provincial design, inspired by her family’s roots in the region, and Wallace’s inclination toward cleaner lines.
“She took what I wanted and made it a little edgier,” Laudermill says. “I like a romantic look, but Tarin keeps me cool and the design unbusy.”
Throughout the home, Wallace also incorporated masculine details, like plaid upholstery in deep, jewel-toned hues, to appease its sole male occupant and Laudermill’s husband, Ryan.
Unpretentious and perfectly appointed like a hunting lodge, Ryan’s influence is evident in the tailored, muted draperies of the goat room, its custom-made plaid sofa by Kravet Workspace in Fort Worth, wainscotting and simple animal-print accents. “You can use the less crazy animal prints in masculine rooms,” Wallace says.
Upstairs, Wallace named the guest bedrooms after the Laudermill family’s grandmothers, drawing inspiration from interviews with the homeowners to create designs reflective of each room’s namesake.
In the “Mimi Room,” for instance, named after Laudermill’s French grandmother, Wallace pairs antique Italian nightstands with a Victorian doll collection belonging to the elder, as well as two original paintings, now framed and flanking the windows opposite the entrance.
Building Against the Odds
The three-year project was anything but straightforward after COVID-19 halted construction. “It was impossible to build a house, then,” Wallace recalls. “Refrigerators and stoves were just gone.”
Texas weather, especially erratic at the mouth of its hill country, compounded the delays. “Snowmageddon,” torrential rains, and even a nearby wildfire set progress back months. Having sat in storage for so long, warranties began expiring for materials Wallace had purchased years earlier. Labor proved just as tricky, and at one point, they had to switch contractors.
Spaces That Tell Stories
Part of the home’s charm comes from the distinct narratives in each room. Wallace added dreamy Chinoiserie wallpaper by Fabricut to the ceiling of a small study, drawing the eye up instead of out, for an intimate workspace that no longer confines but stimulates. Ryan’s office walls hang heavy with mounted horns, Visual Comfort Lighting, and carefully arranged frames of Red Raider memorabilia, so they’re all class — no kitsch.
The bunk room, inspired by Big Cedar Lodge, features indestructible bedding and upholstery from Schumacher Fabrics in equestrian and woodland themes. The scullery, useful for hiding party mess as a secondary kitchen tucked behind the main kitchen, was reimagined by Wallace when the butcher block countertops from her original design experienced installation issues. Wallace and Laudermill agree that the stone countertops in the final design better complement the space, and, by the end of the project, contributed to the room becoming one of their favorites in the home.
“It ended up better than we could have even imagined,” Wallace and Laudermill gush.
In the adjoining space, Laudermill’s purple craft room features a custom hydraulic-lift steel table, originally antique, but made operational by Fort Worth maker Jonny West from Simple Things Furniture Company. Outside, the Laudermills’ conservatory is equipped with automated fans and heaters to grow everything from vegetables to rabbits, as proven by the Laudermills’ young daughter, Izzy, on behalf of the local 4-H Club.
Collaborations That Last
After seven years in the field, Wallace has come to rely on trusted collaborators to bring her designs to life. Fort Worth’s Kravet proved a “lifesaver” with its custom couches, bedding and fabric selections. Simple Things’ West, whose craftsmanship also appears in Fort Worth’s Bowie House, brought the antique work table back to life for a truly custom piece and conversation starter during each house tour.
Looking Ahead
Now that the home is finished, the Laudermills are free to live in it. Often hosting parties and lounging on the outdoor furniture from Four Hands, sipping wine with friends until it’s late in the evening.
“It took everything we had to get here,” Laudermill says. “But now, I can see us living in this house for decades, watching it evolve with us, just like we planned.”
She smiles at Wallace, and the two of them seem to be already at work on their next project or upgrade, forgetting any setbacks from the past. It’s a team forged in the Texas Hill Country, where the women fought against Hell and high water for three long years and won.