In 1959, my family loaded up in the family station wagon and moved from College Station, Texas to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Little did I know that the move would result in a life time search for my dream home. It had to reflect the deep colors, the incredible warmth and the vast cultures that make up the Southwest. At the same time, it had to express my own eclectic personality.

Later on, my first three years of marriage took me to Phoenix, Arizona. In 1970, at the age of 21, I made my first attempt at helping to design and build my first home. It had a few arches and an adobe-like slump block exterior. I was thrilled to be able to call it “Southwestern”. We lived there nine months and moved back to Texas.

In 1975, we moved to Austin and built a very 70’s Austin-style home. By the early 80’s I was ready to make a more bold statement in my decor. This time a casual conversation with a furniture salesman in San Antonio gave me “permission” to ignore the decorators and do what I really wanted to do. I set out on a search for deep colors in fabrics and wallpapers. The end result was close. . .but not nearly what I had dreamed.

Over the years, I kept a file of magazine clippings, newspaper articles, fabric swatches, business cards and photographs all stepping stones to my dream home. That file has grown considerably and even now, when I leaf through its jumbled tattered contents, I realize that my taste in decor has changed very little. I have only become more outspoken and indifferent to what is or isn’t “done” in decor.

Andy Griffith, in an old monologue about his first opera experience said it best when he described Carmen and her lover in a passionate embrace. . .” then the curtain fell and time passed.” This is a fairly accurate description of what happened to my dream home project for the next seven years. The seven years were not totally wasted. Not a day went by that I didn’t think about or dream about the house. I would close my eyes and imagine myself walking through it from the front door to the garage exit. I pored over the plans time and again making notes and scribbling new ideas or changes in the margins or on scraps of paper that went into my now overflowing file BOX. I bought numerous decorating books and subscribed to New Mexico Magazine . I made up one set of plans showing the placement of all the furniture and wall decor.

In January 1996, the curtain was raised and I began looking for builders. The plans went out for bid to three local builders. A nice young man, Craig Austin Duke, came in with a good bid. Our personalities clicked and we began what was to be the most fun I had had in a very long time. Craig was so in tune with the look I wanted that I could start a sentence and he could finish it.

We broke ground in June of 1996 on what was to become a year long construction project. From that moment on, we traveled all over Austin and the Texas Hill Country looking for rustic beams, old doors, and any ideas which would help us put this mammoth project together. Fredericksburg became our favorite road trip as much for the garlic mashed potatoes and the beef jerky as it was for architectural pieces. A trip to Nuevo Laredo and back in a day had to be the hottest and dustiest trip we made but it was worth it. We even made a trip to Phoenix looking for the right color tile for the roof.

I remember vividly the day the framers reached the second story. I stood on the lower floor craning my neck and looking upward. “Can you see the lake?” I asked, holding my breath. “Lady, you can see it all from here. But just wait ‘til we get to the third floor!” I was at the site daily until they finally put in the stairs to the third floor. The view was breath taking. Later on in the construction phase, lightning struck the house as the electricians were working. Fortunately, no one was injured and the house was spared any damage.

In January of 1997, I sold the larger of the two lots, Lot 27, in preparation for the financing on the house. I moved in in May and closed on the house in June. The biggest surprise was that every single window had fabulous views. I never tire of looking out those windows. Fred is to be commended for the placement of this house on the property.

The custom kitchen cabinetry is knotty pine with a hand wiped antiqued stain. The chili pepper cabinet handles are Mexican pewter from Nuevo Laredo. A free set tumbled limestone backsplash was chosen to continue the rustic theme of the house. A few of the cuts from the oak beams were used as supports for the breakfast room bar. The breakfast room affords the first real view towards the Northwest of Lake Austin.

The hall bath off the breakfast room has been faux finished in a bright teal blue. The counter tops and shower are finished out in red travertine marble. This room shows off my mirror collection which I started in 1975 with three mirrors from a funky little shop called The Magic Mushroom in Dobie Mall on the UT drag, a favorite shopping area next to the Univeristy of Texas. Although the majority of the mirrors come from Mexico, one was handcrafted by the Pacific Northwest tribesmen from Alaska.



Across from the hall bath is my office. Most of the pieces on the walls are my calligraphic work. I designed and created calligraphy for over twenty years under the business name of Left-Write Ink. The desk and matching credenza were hand carved for me by the same craftsman in Michoacan who carved the dining room table. The intriguing trompe l’oeil mural began when I asked Jeff to do something with the dead corner in my office. Look closely before you determine how many windows there are in this room. (The window washer miscounted.) The mural depicts various facets of my life, some of the things I have collected, scenes from places I have traveled and several pieces of furniture in the house. The Chieftain rug is one I would buy if I had the resources. And the Maria pot is as big as the one I would like to own. A piece of my jewelry, a raven who actually visited the house while Jeff was painting and many more surprises fill an otherwise empty corner. The mural was begun in August of 1998 and, with Jeff working a few days a week, completed before Christmas of that year. The most difficult part had to be the perspective. The bulletin board has been the most fun for me. The views from these windows is spectacular.

As you walk back down the hall, you will see more of my collection of calligraphy. Some of the pieces were created by me but most are antique. One piece that is particularly special is a family tree which my mother did for me on paper purchased by my parents on a trip to Rome. The doors to the dining room were originally exterior doors from Mexico. They are hung “as is” and have not been rebuilt or refinished. The little letter slot on the left door reads “cartas “ (letters) which I thought was appropriate for a calligrapher.

Continuing back through the family room you can see the massive hand carved doors into the guest room/nursery. These doors most likely came from England but their origin is unknown. They appear to be around 100 or so years old. Roger and Paul were able to hang the doors with the original frame. The backs of the doors show evidence that they survived a fire somewhere along the way. The original oil painting above the desk is by Ben Turner. Turner painted scenes from Northern New Mexico and Colorado during the early 20’s and 30’s. This painting is one of three that were purchased by my grandfather, Calvin C. Boykin, Sr. for his hotels. The other two paintings hang in the home of my aunt, Jo Anne Boykin.

The guest/nursery bath is finished out in the red travertine marble with limestone floors. The shape of the windows into the shower imitate the kiva step design of the Southwest Native American tribes.



Roger, the bear, is the official greeter of the master bedroom. He was “acquired” by my good friend, master trim carpenter and master bow hunter, Roger Wintle, on a hunting trip to Canada in August, 1998. The massive trunk comes from Africa and is constructed of old iron wood railroad ties. The wood was naturally distressed by the weight of the railroad cars pressing the wood into the gravel on which it rested.



The master bathroom also carries out the kiva step design. A large corner Jacuzzi, corner shower, and long dressing table make this room very inviting. Limestone and the same red travertine marble coordinate the bath with the rest of the house.The theme of this room is “faces” since this is where I put on my face every day. The views are of the beautiful rock work, waterfall and native vegetation. The sunrise and moonrise are spectacular from these windows.

In the stair well from the entry hall, you can see a Japanese kimono which I purchased on my first trip to Tokyo. It is most likely a theatrical kimono since they rarely have black backgrounds and decorations all around. At the top of the stairs is a Moroccan wedding coat which I purchased on a trip to Morocco with my mother. Notice the tiny knot buttons which line the entire front edge of the coat. I have actually worn both coats. Traveling across the walkway towards the loft, you can see the wrought iron railing which I designed. The railing design is repeated outside on the deck.

THE THIRD FLOOR - The loft consists of 900 square feet of reclaimed attic space. The sink, cabinets and powder room were put in to accommodate classroom space or a future guest room. The knotty pine floors were once again chosen from the knottiest of wood. The views from this room are spectacular. At one time, Johnson-Long Dance Company, a contemporary troupe, used the room to rehearse. They created several pieces in this room which were then performed at two benefits which I hosted for them at the house. Several calligraphy workshops and two weddings have been held in this room. For one such wedding on April 24, 1999, our dear friend Jeff Jeffreys created a Spanish wedding chapel using almost 100 yards of Spanish lace and hand made faux columns.

Incidentally, future plans will include an extension of the elevator to service the loft. Recently, I moved my calligraphy studio up to the loft.

THE FIRST FLOOR - The elevator off the dining room hall or the stairs adjacent to the guest bedroom/nursery will take you downstairs to the African Room. Most guests notice the floor first in this room. The bare foundation concrete, designed by Thomas Jagger, was scored, stained and polished to produce an aged effect featuring 13 geckos carved into the floor. The artist placed the geckos so that they appear to run around the room and end up under the coffee table. Just in case anyone was superstitious, he placed the fourteenth gecko in the little kitchen. There were two blemishes in the foundation flooring in the little kitchen left over from the framing nails. We decided to feature them by saying that they depicted the birth of Texas as its own Bigger Bang Theory. The stained glass above the little kitchen doors was my first attempt in 1982.

The weavings on the walls are from Lesotho and were purchased on one of several trips to Southern Africa while my parents, Rosemary and Cal Boykin were on foreign assignments there. All of the baskets are handmade and were purchased in Botswana. No two baskets are alike and each one has been identified as to the tribe, village, use and pattern name. The pattern names themselves are poetic: Forehead of the Kudu, Tears of the Giraffe, Swallow Formation, Night and Day, Roof of the Rondavel and many many others. Some of my favorite patterns are more humorous: Urine Trail of the Bull, Knees of the Tortoise and Running Ostrich Leg.

The three faced monkey carving was purchased from the artist at a craft show in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Tamara named him “Bob.” The tall skinny fellow was a local purchase but also from Africa. Most of the masks, spears, shields and knobkerries are ceremonial from Zulu craftsmen. The beaded apron was worn by a Zulu tribesman. The old upright piano at one time was a player piano and has a steel soundboard. It was given to me by my grandfather, Calvin Boykin, Sr.

Put on your sunglasses, because the next stop on the tour is the Folk Art Wing. The school bus yellow hall leads to two guest bedrooms which are decorated with folk art from Mexico, China and Africa. The first is the Turquoise Room and has several pieces of furniture that I painted and decorated in 1992. The little black oak desk is an original piece of Ranch Oak from the Brandt Company. It is the only remaining piece of several given to my parents by my grandfather, Calvin Boykin, Sr. There is a surprise waiting for you inside the drawer of the other little painted table in the room. The rhinoceros wall hanging came from Lesotho. The doll collection is displayed in an old hand made Mexican packing crate used to ship pottery.

Through the “dimly lit” Hollywood bath, past the Tlaquepaque painted fish and beyond the Oaxacan gourd and seed faces, you will find the Purple Room. More folk art and funky stuff adorns these walls. The large mirror on the dressing table was hand carried by me across the bridge at Nuevo Laredo. A closer look will show that the little animals and plants are entirely hand carved.



The three paintings in the hall are from China. I thought it was interesting that I found red chile art even in China but then some of the chilies used in the Szechuan cuisine will take the top of your head off. I bought the piece that depicts the woman and the oxen because I liked her eyes, I was born in the year of the ox, and the piece was painted on my birthday. I tried to explain all of this to the Chinese shopkeeper who misunderstood me to say that that particular day was my birthday. . .so he gave me a lovely piece of painted porcelain as a “birthday” gift which I graciously accepted.



On the other side of the African Room, is the Cowboy Room. Yippee ti yi yo! This room began as an attempt to have a fun Cowboy Style guest room. But when Jeff and I get our heads together, well, we just never know where it will take us. The massive red heart cedar post bed was a local purchase. The arrangement above the bed features a pair of genuine leggin’s. The boots are some my son, Thomas wore when he was a little wrangler. To bring the house in tune with the high tech world, the black and red rug on the wall was an Ebay purchase. Jeff covered the bedside table tops and the desk in leather. He also created the faux leather look of the wainscoting. My good friends, Forrest Preece and Linda Ball began the collection for me of cowboy hat ashtrays from the 50’s.

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