Stephen B. Chambers

These clients are both sixth-generation Texans, so when they approached us to design their home, they wanted something that looked as though it had been in Paradise, Texas for 150 years.   In particular, they were inspired by the ‘Sunday houses’ of Fredericksburg, Texas.  In the mid-19th century, Sunday houses were used by farmers and ranchers as small places to stay while shopping on Saturdays and church-going on Sundays.   A simple Sunday house is too small for the space and conveniences necessary for this guesthouse to a larger home, so the firm designed a wider and deeper version with the same form of these original Texas houses.  Familiar Hill Country building materials included:  limestone, galvanized metal roofing, exposed rafter tails, square posts, and subtle stone arches above windows.  A massive stone fireplace fills the corner of the family room.  Befitting the rural roots of the home, interior trim is kept to a minimum. A deep front porch that provides plenty of room for rocking chairs completes the relaxed feeling of truly Texas cottage.