Home Away From Home

photography by Stephen Karlisch

Even though we love living in Dallas,  we all know there are (mostly summer) days when flight is all but necessary. Our land-locked location forces us to head for lovelier terrain such as Beaver Creek, Jackson Hole, Costa Rica, Santa Fe (practically a Dallas bedroom community), Possum Kingdom, Lake Whitney, and Cedar Creek. So much so that,  according to the National Association of Realtors, the good people of Dallas rank as top clientele for second-home developers. Because above all else, we want to feel at home. Even when we’re not. 

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text by Peggy Levinson, photography by Stephen Karlisch, flowers by Christopher Whanger

(left) George Nash and Mark Williams and company take in the stunning lake view from the porch at Pixley Farm.  (right) A 1950s painting of cows bought in Buenos Aires seems three-dimensional, with cactus in pots on the cedar mantel in front.

 

A little more than an hour east of Dallas,just west of Athens, there’s a sudden clearing in the mostly deciduous trees on the side of the road. Immediately after that, a glorious pine forest begins. This is what East Texans call the Pine Curtain—Dallas’ equivalent of New York City’s Hamptons. Eighty miles away, past ramshackle towns, is this lovely place, full of hidden estates where Dallasites go to in order to escape to the country. Riding with George Cameron Nash to visit Pixley, the farm that he and his partner, Mark Williams, have spent the last few years lovingly building and cultivating, is an adventure in and of itself. Yes, Pixley—as in Green Acres Pixley, the bucolic countryside that Ava Gabor’s character (Lisa Dawson) was dragged to by her husband. And all the characters are represented here: Jeb, Mr. Haney, Arnold the pig, and even Lisa. (That would be Mr. Nash, darling.)

Nash is all about innovation. The rough-hewn countertops in the kitchen are java stone from Ann Sacks. The island is actually a sample desk bought from the John Edward Hughes showroom when it closed.

This Pixley is a frame house with wide porches and a standing seam metal roof. It shines behind a pristine lake. The 42-acre parcel of land is part of a farm that has been in Williams’ family since the early 1900s. A 4-acre spring-fed lake, built in 1937, sits next to the sugar cane mill. (This was once a cotton and sugar cane farm.) Nash recently planted 70 new trees around the lake to honor his partnership with Williams.

Shoes quickly become a nuisance here. The deep carpet of winter rye and St. Augustine grass just begs for toes. A barefoot stroll around the lake affords views of crepe myrtles and dogwoods, brightly cushioned Adirondack chairs, and a bridge that leads to the house and its beckoning front porch.

Views around Pixley include a row of Adriondack chairs with upholstered pillows from Great Plains from Holly Hunt (left) and a perennial garden and rose garden (right).

Williams bought the original house plans from a Southern Living catalogue in 2004 and then called on designer friends Neal Stewart and Doug Horton to customize them for his and Nash’s personal use. The nucleus of the house is a cedar-beamed great room with an open kitchen and dining area. To one side are two master bedrooms, and off to the other is a charming screened-in porch, which leads to a lofted guest room. Wide porches equipped with ceiling fans line all sides of the house. Open windows not only provide cross breezes to cool the house, they also allow for views of a perennial garden buzzing with butterflies and bees. On any given weekend, this is where you’ll find Nash and Williams, puttering around the garden, planting roses and tending the tomatoes.

(left) Westies Lucy, Ricky, and Buster lounge on the sofa from Cameron Collection. The embroidered drapery fabric is from Chelsea Editions; it was the first thing chosen for the house, and the rest of the décor centers around it. The Pixley ottomans, also from Cameron Collection, have needlepoint tops made by Mark Williams. (right) The wall above the open kitchen is decorated with a collage of 18th- and 19th-century Palissy plates. The raw cedar shelves contain vessels for flowers and gardening tools.

 

“There were bugs everywhere outside so I thought we may as well have them inside, too,” says Nash, referring to the Chelsea Editions draperies that frame the living room with embroidered bugs and butterflies. A comfortable sofa  from the Cameron Collection and a chair from Rose Tarlow upholstered in soft green complete the room. A teak cabinet overlooks a walnut farm table and slat-back chairs in the adjacent dining area. Raw cedar plank shelves with ceramic vessels and tin watering cans flank the open kitchen. Inexpensive pine cabinets were purchased and put through a 10-step process of gesso and paint, distressing, and paint again. The kitchen island is a pine console that was used as a cutting board in the sample room at the John Edward Hughes showroom. The gray-green cabinets and java stone countertops soften the necessary modern stainless steel appliances.

Both master bedrooms are dominated by dark walnut four-poster beds, but that’s where the similarity ends. One is improbably done in a floral chintz from Rose Tarlow with walls in a cheerful kiwi color. Through the master bath, done in a vintage-looking white Ann Sacks tile pattern, is the other master. This one favors serenity over cheer—it’s a restful blue-gray with natural linen draperies. 

(left) A teak cabinet filled with old tin watering cans and raku vessels stands next to the farm table and slat-back chairs from Minton Spidell in the dining room.  Raw cedar beams embellish the ceiling along with a Melrose House chandelier. (right) One of the master bedrooms is dominated by a four-poster bed in dark walnut against kiwi green walls. The fresh floral chintz is from Rose Tarlow.

“We used more than 37 shades of ’Audubon’ colors in the house,”  says Nash, referring to the famous naturalist James Audubon, who chronicled the birds of America using the soft blues and greens found in nature. There is an almost tactile softness in the house—not a shiny surface or sharp edge anywhere. All the woodwork is dead flat, with absolutely zero sheen. This gives the house a deceptive sense of age. It has the feel of a grand old home that has been lovingly cared for through many decades, rather than merely a few years.

So what about the wild parties for which Nash is legitimately renowned? Do those happen here? “Wild,” Nash repeats. “Only if you consider this wild: Walking around the lake with a glass of wine and sitting in lounge chairs watching the Canadian geese landing on the lake.”
 

(left) Pixley Farm Exterior. (right) A thoroughly modern adjoining bathroom looks vintage with Waterworks fixtures and ming green and white thassos tile from Ann Sacks.

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text by Rebecca Sherman, photography by Ira Montgomery

(left) The views from the floor-to-ceiling windows become as much a part of the décor as the furniture, says designer Larry Grussendorf, who chose pale, translucent colors and furniture to enhance the apartment’s weightless feeling. Included are a Deco-style slipper chair by Julia Gray, upholstered in silk velvet by Nancy Corzine; “Cloud Chest” by J. Robert Scott; glass and Lucite side table by LX Rossi. Custom draperies from Travers silk. (right) The bedroom also houses a dresser by Baker and antique Barovier Murano glass lamps.

 

“My husband and I met while working in New York City 25 years ago,” Larry Grussendorf’s longtime client says. “We always said that if we could afford an apartment in a high-rise, we would come back to the city.” And so they did a few years ago. Though the couple had homes all over the country, including Colorado and Florida, the Manhattan apartment quickly became the wife’s favorite retreat, in no small measure due to its soft, glamorous design.

(left) The master bedroom “has a wonderful cocooning quality, as well as a full view of Central Park,” says Grussendorf’s client. Mirrored commodes by Panache; antique Murano glass lamps; Innovations wall covering; Scalamandré and Bergamo fabric draperies; custom linens on bed made from Nancy Corzine, Création Bauman, Scalamandré, and Brunschwig & Fils fabrics. (right) A custom-mixed blue paint, faux finished on the walls, makes the room look like it’s floating in the clouds. Nancy Corzine sofa; arm chair designed by Bill Sofield for Baker, upholstered in Haas fabric; custom silk and wool Tibetan rug designed by Larry Grussendorf Interiors; Erika Brunson 24-karat-gold cocktail table.

“This apartment was really designed for her,” says Grussendorf, who started work on the project even before the building was completed. “It was done with a feminine flair,” which included a gray-blue and ivory palette, and chic French ’40s Deco-inspired furnishings. Though the previous homes Grussendorf designed for his client played off her auburn coloring with such colors as green, tangerine, and gold, the New York apartment’s blues and ivories played off the sky and city view. “Normally she doesn’t like blue at all,” he says, “but she loved this pale one.”

(left) A custom-mixed blue paint, faux finished on the walls, and a pale blue linen rug help make the room look as if it’s floating in the clouds. Nancy Corzine sofa; arm chair designed by Bill Sofield for Baker, upholstered in Haas fabric; Murano glass lamps from David Sutherland Showroom; custom silk and wool Tibetan rug designed by Larry Grussendorf Interiors; Erika Burnson cocktail table. (right) In the girl’s room, Swaim silver-leaf twin beds in fabric by Nancy Corzine; Sabrina bedside table in City Studios custom lacquer; antique Murano lamps.

After the color was chosen, Grussendorf made a nervy decision to rip out the dark wenge wood floors that had just been laid by the building. “Larry insisted we replace them with a light maple,” the client says. “We questioned this choice as the floor was already so lovely, but the result is gorgeous, and we’ve been so pleased with the decision.”

Pale is perfect, but what happens when an apartment is so subtle it threatens to fly out the window? The solution was to anchor the rooms’ acrylic, glass, and shimmering silk furnishings with substantial, burled wood pieces and textured linen carpeting. “It feels like you are inside the clouds, floating,” he says, “but these grounding pieces help give the room something to hang onto.”

(left) The foyer sets the tone right away for this glamorous New York apartment with its Deco-inspired furnishings, including a ’40s-era Murano glass chandelier; J. Robert Scott’s Guinevere mirror and Hamilton II console. (right) Custom chaise designed by Larry Grussendorf and antique silver-plate floor lamp by John Gregory Studio.

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text by Laura Kostelny, photography by Gerry Mulford

Trisha Wilson describes her living room as “colonial luxury blended with the natural splendor of the Africa bush. The furniture style is a mix of transitional with an infusion of African motifs, which are carried through to carved tables, Puma masks, pillows, ostrich-egg lamps, tablescapes, and artwork.” Wilson designed the monkey chandelier and had local artisans create it. Floors are stained concrete and floor coverings are woven grass mats.

Designer Trisha Wilson fell in love with South Africa while working on Palace of the Lost City, one of her many hotel projects. “The land, the weather, the openness and warmth of the people of South Africa all remind me so much of Texas!” she says. She began looking at property and finally found the perfect site at Welgevonden Game Reserve, a Big Five game sanctuary in the Waterberg Mountain region. Construction was completed in 1998.

(left) The four-poster bed is hand-carved South African hardwood. The finial at the top of each corner post is a bird indigenous to the South African bush. Colonial-style chairs are made of cane and have upholstered cushions. (right) Black-and-white photographs of Wilson’s many friends and family members—as well as her favorite animals on the reserve—line the wall just beyond the front door. One wall folds back to reveal a bar.

Though Wilson is the president and CEO of Wilson Associates, one of the world’s leading architectural design firms, she spends about four months a year at what she calls Izingwe Lodge. She typically begins the day with breakfast on the open balcony where she watches kudu drinking from the stream below. In the afternoon, she enjoys relaxing with a book on a sala (open-air lounge) attached to the villa. “In the evenings, we have ‘sundowners’—cocktails—in the folly, which is an open-air viewing platform built off the ground like a treehouse,” she says. Whether entertaining family, friends, or business associates, Wilson likes to serve dinner in the boma, an outdoor dining area that’s close to the main lodge. “We set up tables in a semicircle in front of a large fire pit and enjoy a leisurely meal while taking in the beautiful starry sky. The walls are made of bamboo, so you can see and hear the animals that are drinking at the watering hole just on the other side,” she explains. At the end of it all, her bedroom beckons. “It’s my personal getaway, and it features floor-to-ceiling photos of animals from the reserve as well as family and special friends who have visited,” she says.

(left) The freshwater infinity pool is built into the side of a hill overlooking the valley. Wilson has to continually refill it because elephants often stop over and drink the water from it. (right) A better view of the monkey chandelier designed by Trisha Wilson.

And then there are the game drives. “Every day at sunup and sundown, we go on game drives to view the animals. It’s both relaxing and thrilling,” she enthuses. “The country is so beautiful. I love seeing how the light from the rising and setting sun reflects off the mountain range and the plains. You never know what you will see: One day we may see a lion kill, and another day we might see mother rhinos and their babies trotting through the savannah.”

The boma, an open-air dining area, is enclosed by bundled sticks to keep out uninvited guests. Trisha Wilson entertains friends and family here after game drives. Guests dine by lamps and candlelight. Says Wilson, “My favorite element is the wire-framed papier-mâché leopard stationed by the fire.”

But it’s not all dinner parties and game drives for Wilson. She says that the first time she stopped into the local government-run school and saw the terrible conditions, she knew she had to do something. “Many of the students were AIDS orphans who lived at the school because they had nowhere else to go,” she explains. In 1997, she established The Wilson Foundation, a nonprofit that not only awards college scholarships to disadvantaged kids in the United States, but also creates health care and educational programs for the children of South Africa. “The work we have done since then has literally changed my life,” Wilson says.

(left) Designer TrishaWilson. (right) Each bedroom has a sala, an open-sided lounge with two daybeds and a chandelier made of porcupine quills and beads.

A bar is adjacent to the main lodge. The walls are varnished gum poles stacked with assorted African masks, drums, spears, and beaded baskets. The window behind the bar opens to the counter on the pool terrace.

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Gamma and buffalo grass as well as red oak trees create a lush setting for the  modern, dark gray brick, 2,100-square-foot lake house. Chaises from Brown Jordan provide the perfect venue for sunning.

Owner Kathleen Muñoz pours herself a glass of wine in her sleek kitchen. Bulthaup cabinetry and countertops; custom kitchen table base by James Cinquemani with Italian Calcutta marble tabletop; Mario Bellini Cab chairs from Scott + Cooner; antler centerpiece from Grange Hall; lighting fixture by Ingo Mauer from Scott + Cooner.

“We are not lake people at all,” Kathleen Muñoz says right away, explaining why she and husband Alan chose to build their first vacation home on the banks of Lake Whitney instead of, say, Tuscany, where they visited many times and still have Italian friends. “My husband is a physician without much time off, and he has to get back to the hospital quickly for emergencies. Airplanes were out.”

But friends invited them to their weekend house on Lake Whitney five years ago, and the Muñozes fell in love with the laid-back lake lifestyle. They snatched up the next house that came up for sale in the area. Says Kathleen: “It was probably originally a 1950s fishing shack made into a ‘house’ by adding big columns and porticos. Everything was out of proportion. It seemed easier to get out the bulldozer,” than to try to fix it. Enter architect and family friend Russell Buchanan, known for his elegantly spare designs using natural materials. Kathleen had shared an office with Buchanan years ago. “I liked Russ’ quirky approach to projects and his interesting use of materials,” she says.

Homeowner Kathleen Muñoz. (Right) The living room provides dramatic views both inside and out. Fireplace in Pennsylvania bluestone with custom mantel and fire screen by James Cinquemani; papier-mâché mounted head over the fireplace from Grange Hall; sofa from Ligne Roset; Diva ottomans and chairs; Platner chrome and glass tables from Knoll; and synthetic shag rug from Crate & Barrel.

The Muñozes’ 2,100-square-foot lake house is just such a project. “We splurged on the Bulthaup kitchen,” Kathleen says, “but even then we used showroom samples. It was a very cost-effective house. “Russ manipulated the materials to get the most bang for the buck.” Most of the rooms have large windows looking onto a private center courtyard, giving the illusion of more space. “I’d love for people to know that it doesn’t take a lot of money to build with good design,” she adds.

Though the lake house seems perfectly suited for its naturally wild surroundings, the original landscaping had been cultivated into a manicured suburban lawn. “The first thing we did was to try to get rid of it and let the natural grasses come back,” she says. Four years into the effort, the Muñozes now have a healthy thatch of blue gamma, rye, and other native grasses. They also planted rosemary bushes, cedars, and mesquite trees. “Anything decorative we made sure was hybrid native or close to it,” she says.

The garden by the front door features agave, dwarf oleander, pittosporum, and an Ipe fence. (bottom left) Chairs from Brown Jordan provide a better view of the lake. (right) A closer look at the agave.

Their property is within view of a bird sanctuary that protects pelicans, bald eagles, owls, and wild turkeys, among others. “Sometimes I take the canoe out by myself and paddle around,” Kathleen says. “We eat alfresco, even in the summer. You can’t do that in Dallas. We are always outside when the sun goes down, just watching. The magic on the lake starts then.” 

After a long day in the sun, the inviting sectional from Ligne Roset offers cool refuge. “Algue” sculpture by Vitra. (bottom left) The spa-like bathroom with Pietrastone countertop; Duravit sink from TKO; concrete floors; and walk-in shower. (bottom right) Visitors get the idea that Alan and Kathleen Muñozes’ lake house isn’t your average lake house before they even get through the front door.

The Muñozes entertain with ease thanks in part to the Gaggenau cooktop, Miele ovens, and Sub-Zero refrigerator. The kitchen affords views of Lake Whitney, so cooking becomes even less of a chore.

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A photographer and photo stylist find escape—and inspiration—in their Santa fe casita.

by Christine Lieb, photography by Ka and Jan Yeung

The living room: Karpen chairs from the turn of the century in Italian mohair from I.D.E.A., tree trunk coffee table by Gary Owens, wood-burning fireplace, lamps by Jan Barboglio, and art and photography by both Ka and other Texas artists.  (Right) A closer look at the antique cabinet.

Photographer Ka Yeung and his photo stylist wife, Jan, love working in their Santa Fe garden among peonies, herbs, and aspen trees. Often they take walks along Canyon Road, which at Christmas is illuminated by thousands farolitos, or candles in paper bags. For the Yeungs, Santa Fe is respite for artistic endeavors. “We like to stay busy, so some visits are more relaxing than others,” says Jan, who first visited Santa Fe at age 18. Her college art projects and textiles took inspiration from travels down Canyon Road. “I felt very connected to that area, and I knew it was a place that I wanted to return to.” Once married, the Yeungs began hunting for a second home, and Santa Fe was a natural choice. “We looked around Marfa. But with Ka being from Hong Kong, it just wasn’t urban enough,” she explains. “Santa Fe has an artistic culture with galleries, a blossoming film industry, and arts foundations, and there are great restaurants. There’s Art Santa Fe in July; the Annual Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta in September; and operas, shows, and events throughout the summer.”

Ka Yeung. (Right) The entrance to “Y Casita.”

Ka initially found the house on the Internet, then they drove to see it. Their first thought? “Too small,” Jan says. “We really did not want a one bedroom.”

After seeing it, they got in the car and headed toward Old Santa Fe Trail. People along the road were frantically waving their arms up to the sky. “We stuck our heads out of the windows, looked up and saw an amazing rainbow—intensely bright—filling the sky. It was magical and sublime. We took it as a sign,” Jan says.

(Clockwise from top right) Jan and Ka Yeung planted aspen trees, Japanese maples, roses, juniper, peonies, and crabapple trees. The bedroom features a headboard carved to look like woven leather, Ka’s Chinese baby jacket framed, French mirror from Sally Rosen, and Murano lamps. Jan’s great-great grandfather’s cabinet is the perfect stand for a  figure from San Miguel; vintage French metal and wood desk.

But as work continued to pile up and the Yeungs were trying to take care of contract issues from a hotel room in New York, they were tempted to shelve the idea of buying a second home. “We had lost that feeling,” Jan explains. But they flew to see the property again. While contemplating the effort and the dollars as they drove to dinner, the night sky suddenly went completely black. “We looked up, and the bright full moon was disappearing. It was lunar eclipse—a miracle of nature. I know that is clichéd, but really, it was quite awesome—in the pre-’90s version of that word. We knew we should be in Santa Fe.”

That was four years ago, and they have yet to make many changes to the house. “But we spent lots of time fussing about it,” Jan says. “And we had to comply with the historic East Side’s rules,” which can make renovating a time-consuming challenge. Decorating was the fun part, since they have mixed finds from travels around the world. “The mementos, the art, and all the little details have meaning. It’s very earthy,” Jan says. “It’s a sharp contrast from our place in Dallas, which is all in white with honey-colored sheers and Chinese contemporary art.”

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Tav and Carolyn Lupton’s Buck Spring Ranch is second home to a bevy of family and friends, including Dee Wyly and former TV stars Jim Nabors, Ruth Buzzi, and Florence Henderson.

 
by Mary Candace Evans, photography by Manny Rodriguez

(Top) Tav always wanted a tennis court—he got one at Buck Springs Ranch. (left) Home owners (and high school sweethearts) Tav and Carolyn Lupton. (Bottom right) The great room has many seating options, including wicker chairs covered in cactus fabric from Guadalupe Handprints and rocking chairs from Campbell Chair Company in Athens, Texas.

It may difficult to imagine that the main house at Buck Spring Ranch, Carolyn and Tav Lupton’s 9,300-plus-square-foot Hill Country getaway that has hosted countless celebrities and VIPs, was originally a concrete slab poured for a hunting trailer. At the time, the family had a number of residences—a Sunnyvale ranch; a Beaver Creek, Colo., home; and their primary address in Highland Park. Buck Spring Ranch is south of Llano, north of Fredericksburg, a good four hours’ drive southwest from Dallas. But Carolyn Lupton says that ever since she can remember, her husband and high school sweetheart, Tav, wanted a deer hunting ranch in the Hill Country—a little log cabin.

As a child, Tav Lupton camped and hunted at Camp LaJunta in Comfort (west of Kerrville), and the land down there apparently gets in your blood. Carolyn was just fine with the game plan. “When you marry into an old Texas ranching family, that’s what you do,” she explains.

(Above) The main house at Carolyn and Tav Lupton’s Buck Spring Ranch is constructed of spruce logs from Colorado and stone from a nearby quarry. (Below) The great room measures 50 by 50 feet with 25-foot-tall ceilings. Builder Jim Sanders wanted to make the room even larger but Tav Lupton said, “That’s big enough.”

So 21 years ago, when Tav turned 60, he bought 1,700 acres in Llano County in order to savor the 360-degree panoramic view that includes Sharp Mountain. The land is craggy, hilly, and covered in wildflowers during part of the year. Crisp, freshwater Buck Spring runs through it, irrigating three pastures. At 1,650 feet, the elevation of Riley Mountain, the heart of the ranch, is even higher than the surrounding limestone hills, which are loaded with deer, turkey, wild hogs, and quail.

At the time, there was no house on Riley Mountain. Tav envisioned an upscale mobile home on a concrete slab that he could occupy during hunting season and haul back to Sunnyvale off season. Later, Tav considered a simple log cabin—he would design it himself and hire a local builder. But the couple kept getting the same message from friends: “Understand, it won’t just be your immediate family camping out. The kids and grandkids will come and bring friends. Make it large enough.”

(Clockwise from top left) The welcoming entry boasts a date plate—a gift from a friend. The Mile-High Apple Pie is a favorite at the ranch. Carolyn Lupton’s decorator hung a pair of Tav’s old cowboy boots and a lasso above the kitchen stove. Owner Tav Lupton. The converted bunk room bedrooms house two queen-size beds. Carolyn found the signs at flea markets in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The four-hour drive to Buck Spring Ranch is reduced to about an hour and fifteen minutes in Tav’s six-seat Saratoga plane. The Luptons spotted this stove at a shop in Reno and couldn’t live without it. It sits in a corner of the master bedroom. A view of the three main buildings on Buck Spring Ranch: the main house, the game room (right), and the gun room. A two-bedroom gatehouse is located at the ranch entrance. (middle) Tav spotted the stuffed coyote in a shop in South Dakota and immediately shipped it home.

So Tav designed an 8,000-square-foot ranch house of hewn, split Colorado spruce logs. His wish: Aside from the logs, all the other materials had to be “Texan.”

The Luptons wanted the Texas experience to continue once guests scraped their boots and headed inside—and they succeeded. Five bedrooms, including the master, line a photograph-filled hallway. The bedrooms boast walls covered in San Antonio-based Guadalupe Fabrics featuring hand-screened scenes of cactus and cattle behind the queen-size beds and pine panels on the other interior walls. Each bedroom has a private attached full bath.

The upstairs space above the bedroom area was originally left open as a giant bunk room with eight army cots for the grandchildren; it has since been remodeled into an additional two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Carolyn’s office and computer are in the open area near the railing. It offers a great view of the enormous, windowed, 50-by-50-foot great room, anchored by a stone fireplace, which combines a living room with the kitchen and breakfast room.

The porch has six swings that are handcrafted stained pine. Each is engraved with the ranch name and a large buck.

The Luptons continued to refine the property as the years passed. When the grandchildren grew older, daughter Laurie suggested building a room just for the teenagers. Thus was born the game room, a separate 2,500-square-foot, two-story structure to the west of the main house. Downstairs, it has a flat-screen TV and pool and game tables. The second story comprises two bedrooms with two queen-size beds each and bathrooms. Across from this, overlooking the pool and tennis court on the spread’s east side, lies a small structure to house and clean guns and a game and sports shed called the Dooley Building (after the Fredericksburg man who constructed it).

Those additions, along with the two-bedroom, 1,600-square-foot gatehouse, make entertaining easy and enjoyable.

Second homes have a way of opening doors, and the Luptons have been hosting celebrities since the 1960s, when actress and comedienne Carol Burnett performed at the Music Hall at Fair Park. It was 1962, before the days of her eponymous television show, and Tav Lupton was already a fan of her work on The Gary Moore Show. So when they learned she would be in town, the Luptons offered to host a gathering in her honor at their Sunnyvale ranch. “We had more than 110 people,” Carolyn says. “We had homemade bread and barbecue. It was the most fun party ever.”

(Left) Painted leather bucket table chairs in the great room. (Right) Copper cactus chandelier made by a Fredericksburg artisan. Tav Lupton had the chandelier installed on a wench so it could be lowered easily for cleaning.

Burnett returned to Dallas the following summer and brought Jim Nabors with her, introducing him to her new friends. They all hit it off. “Jim is such an amazing people person,” Carolyn enthuses. “He just collects people. We have met the whole world through [him].”

As Buck Spring Ranch was purchased primarily for hunting, the Luptons never imagined that it, too, would one day become a venue for entertaining celebrity guests. But Nabors christened the Luptons’ new Hill Country ranch at Christmas with a giant pair of cowboy boots that remains in the great room today. Through Nabors, Carolyn and Tav met Andy Griffith, Ruth Buzzi, Florence Henderson, and a host of admirals, generals, and marines.

And Nabors’ friends have, over time, become their friends, too. Just a few weeks ago, Andy Griffith’s wife, Cindi, called to say that Griffith, who lives in North Carolina, had been offered a part in a film being shot in the Austin area. Could they possibly come by the ranch to say hello?

 They said, yes, naturally. It was the Texas thing to do.