Sophisticated Country Living

This Texas property is the weekend and holiday getaway of Sara Story and her family. Karine Monie chats with the interior designer about why she built this home to escape the hustle and bustle of new York City.

Based in the Big Apple, where she has been at the helm of her eponymous studio since 2003, Sara Story finds inspiration in travel, fashion and contemporary art. According to the interior designer, her style is “eclectic and constantly evolving. It is actual, but it always references the past.”

Born in Japan, Story grew up in both Singapore and Houston. Texas means a lot to the designer, who has good memories in the Lone Star State. Now that she has three children—one girl and two boys—it has become even more important for Story to share this experience with her family.

To create her dream home, the interior designer placed her trust in Lake Flato, the architectural firm Story’s father had hired 20 years ago. Among some of Story’s main requests was to create a nonconventional project, a departure from the style of traditional ranches.

Located atop a 200-hectare plot, the property spreads over 4 hectares and comprises the main two-storey home, a guesthouse, a pool house and a tennis pavilion. Using pure lines, the architecture is clearly contemporary, built from massive blocks of Texas Lueders limestone, along with glass, wood and steel. Large outdoor verandas were made possible by the broad overhanging roof.