Divine Energy
House Beautiful US|July - August 2023/Summer 2023
For one designer returning to her Texas roots, a former parsonage becomes a heavenly home
Kelly Allen
Divine Energy

WHEN THE LISTING FOR A FORMER parsonage in Austin popped up on Shazalynn Cavin Winfrey’s phone at 6 a.m., the interior designer knew she had to have it. At the time, the owner of SCW Interiors was living in Washington, D.C., with her family. Itching to return to her roots, the Midland, Texas, native bought the 1989 structure sight unseen—despite its apparent disrepair.

The building, owned by the local Catholic church, had been home to a bishop for more than 30 years. His apartment filled the upper level, while the lower level was dedicated to entertaining visitors. “It was in bad shape, but it had a lot of things I just knew were right: the high ceilings, the terra-cotta flooring (which I grew up with and love), and all the natural light,” Winfrey says.

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