"Where You Live" -- Visiting with Ann at Her Texas Hill Country Home

"I'm a color person," says Ann,
inviting me into her warm and delightful 
Fredericksburg abode . . .

When my girlfriends and I left San Marcos after enjoying a sampling of small Texas Hill Country towns, including Blanco, the lavender capital of Texas (see post below this one), I headed toward where Ann -- author of the blog, Hill Country House, lives.

 

Behind these doors lives a very gracious lady -- a real "girlfriend," 

meaning  you feel as if you've known her forever. Ann is an antiques dealer and an artist at heart. She possesses a fine eye for collecting and exhibits a real talent for making it all work.

A short corridor leading into the living room, from the foyer.

This revealing sign below, which hangs in a wet bar off a short corridor leading to her expansive, stone-walled living room, reveals her basic philosophy about design. Decorating, for Ann, I came to conclude, is a way of introducing herself to others. A way of sharing who she is, as well as providing an introduction to her family. In this very fun and non-verbal way, she makes guests feel extremely comfortable and welcomed.

The sign says: "First, Furnish Your Home . . . It Tells Who You Are."

Ann offers more: "The sign is one of my all time favorite things! I bought it opening night at the Heart of Country Antique Show - maybe 10 years ago. It is an old furniture store sign and is double sided. It also was wired for lighting above the words, but under the "cover". One day I would like to light it again."

   Ann in her kitchen, talking, while Buddy comes forward to investigate.

Meet Ann, now through some of her displays and decorating touches:

An unexpected bouquet of old paint brushes in the living room.

A shadow box -- or Mexican nicho, as Ann calls it -- and an old table display a variety of items that "called" her name.

Her master bedroom.

Upon request, Ann shares some information about her home, collections and style:

1.How do you define your decorating style?

"This is the hardest question. I don't have a name for my style. It is just my style. I fill my house with things I love. I arrange them, move them around, then move them out (i.e. sell at antique shows) and it just evolves constantly. I guess one thing you could say is that my style informal and comfortable."

"The dress forms covered in shells came from an antique shop in San Antonio. I was there with a friend and when I saw them, I just had this crazed, 'I have to have them' feeling. I can't even really tell you why. I just respond viscerally sometimes. Fortunately, the price was right on the shelled pieces. Sometimes when I respond this way, I just plain can't afford the object of my desire," she says. 

 

Is this chest a form of tramp art? 

"I am attracted to a lot of things with that saw tooth edge that you see in tramp art. I actually saw this chest online at a One Kings Lane sale and bought it. It is from Peter Dunham's Hollywood at Home. (Who is one of my most favorite designers and one day I hope to get to California to see his shops) Talk about a risk- but I love it! 

  More whimsical touches in Ann's home.

2. What rule of thumb do you use when shopping for collection pieces? Does it
just happen, or do you "plan," more or less to go look for an item?

"Most of my collections just happened, at first. I would see something, like it, buy it and then start noticing "it" as I shopped shows, etc. Some of my things, like the stone books, are really hard to find, so I am always keeping my eyes open for them. Sometimes I have been known to resist buying one thing that I love because I know I will get hooked on it and start another collection! I am trying not to do that anymore, (start new collections)  but it is in my blood I guess!"

Her collection of rather rare stone books, which typically were carved to resemble Bibles.

3.Your collections seem so right and nicely edited; what advice can you give to
people who want to decorate using collections?

"I would say only collect what you are drawn to and just love! Then, be discerning as to what and how many you collect, of whatever it is that you love. For example, when I first started collecting vintage Mexican pottery, I bought every piece in sight the first time I went to a big antique show/flea market. Over time, I began to learn more about different pieces, different regions of Mexico where they were made, how rare and old they are, etc. I sold a bunch of it and now only buy when something when I just love it, and it is unusual and special. Same with wicker covered bottles - I love them, but only buy shapes and sizes I don't already have in my groupings.

When you read Ann's blog, you know she is a big supporter of artists. She always lets us know "who's in."

 

This piece (above) is made of crinkled paper. 

Gugger Petter is an accomplished artist from Denmark and is represented by the Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe. 

"I fell in love with her work when I saw it in the shoe department at Nordstrom. I loved it but had no idea where to find her art or even her name. When I happened on it at the New Mexico gallery, I got so excited! I think it will be a very special piece to leave my girls one day." 

 

And, speaking of crinkled paper, here's wire basket full of it sitting by her living room fireplace. Just ready to be pitched into a newly ignited fire . . . 

A peek inside the family's screened-in porch:

 

The glider belonged to her dad. "I remember  sitting on it on my grandmother's screened-in porch growing up. It was covered in an old army green canvas with white piping -- actually it would be pretty cute in that today! My dad said he used to take naps on it on as a teen ager! I am about ready to re-cover it again and work on decorating the porch. It has been last on the priority list up until now . . . ."

 A favorite concrete faux bois planter filled with succulents. This is from Ballard Designs. With that said, Ann says she has a few vintage ones (not pictured), which came from San Antonio. "There was a man/family there who built covered bus stops all over San Antonio out of concrete made to look like wood. They also did a ton of the same work at the San Antonio Zoo."

Another planter filled with greenery and color -- out by the pool:

As any artist eventually would, Ann is ready to begin a painting a new canvas . . . . She and her husband currently have their Fredericksburg home on the market. If you would like more information about it, contact Mary Ann Stewart at the Phyllis Browning Company at 800-929-3049. It's pretty fabulous!

Thank you, Ann, and daughter Emma for a lovely lunch. Enjoyed meeting you both. Such a treat! If you'd like to check out Ann's blog, and I hope you do, travel to: www.hillcountryhouse.blogspot.com

I do plan to show Ann's kitchen area another time. So, please come again.

In the meantime, please visit a previous post here, called "Her Personal Space," which introduces you to Ann and some other bloggers.

Would love to hear from you! So, please, if you have a moment, drop me a comment.