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‘It’s all about love’

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Ellie Peters loves lots of light, fresh flowers and bright colors, as shown in the living room of her house. The room contains Peters’ most prized item: a doll house built by her grandfather. “It is an exact to-scale copy of the house I grew up in,” she said. Photo by Robert Mihovil

Ellie Peters loves lots of light, fresh flowers and bright colors, as shown in the living room of her house. The room contains Peters’ most prized item: a doll house built by her grandfather. “It is an exact to-scale copy of the house I grew up in,” she said. Photo by Robert Mihovil

Isle cottage is perfect mix of sentiment and sophistication

As witness to more than 150 years of family history, Ellie Peters’ colorful Church Street cottage is a treasure trove of memories and memorabilia. Vintage furnishings, serious antiques and Peters’ own current decorative touches flow throughout, tempered by an awareness of the home’s significance in time. [Read more…]

Return to the water

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Homeport

The Kemah home of Mike Tindall and Jennifer Stevenson features natural light combined with a surfer vibe. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Surfers build Kemah house their way

After 17 years of city life in Houston, Mike Tindall and Jennifer Stevenson decided it was time to return to the water. At least it was for Tindall, who spent his youth around Galveston Bay, where his family owned homes in and around Bacliff. Stevenson, a Texas transplant, was eager to make the transition, too. Like Tindall, she’s an expert surfer. [Read more…]

Next to Nature

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Coast Beautiful Backyard

Barbara and Gary Hankins enjoy their backyard paradise they have cultivated over the years. Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr.

Couple transforms bay lots into lush groves and gardens

With the front of their property facing wetlands and their backyard surrounded by Galveston Bay, Barbara and Gary Hankins know just how lucky they are to be so close to nature. But it didn’t happen overnight. [Read more…]

Guardians of a landmark

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(Right) Gary Foy, George Parsons III and their dog, Mikey, have restored the 1892 William and Lena Juneman Smith Cottage in the 1700 block of Ball Street in Galveston. The Queen Anne cottage is one of three sister cottages built by architect William Pautsch. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

Gary Foy, George Parsons III and their dog, Mikey, have restored the 1892 William and Lena Juneman Smith Cottage in the 1700 block of Ball Street in Galveston. The Queen Anne cottage is one of three sister cottages built by architect William Pautsch. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

Former Houstonians thoughtfully restore historic cottage

Long before builders developed colorful beach house communities on the Texas Gulf Coast, architects such as Nicholas Clayton and Alfred Muller stitched their signatures across the city blocks of Galveston Island. [Read more…]

The Caretakers

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Coast Beautiful Backyard

Thomas and Metta Hemmer’s San Leon backyard is a tropical paradise on Galveston Bay. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

How a San Leon couple improved on inherited gardens

When not out kayaking or riding their Harleys, Mette and Thomas Hemmer spend a lot of time in their tropical San Leon garden, which is overflowing with a variety of exquisite plants and trees, especially hybrid hibiscus.

[Read more…]

The Lake House

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Islander Maureen McCutchen bought a 70-by-120 foot lot on Lake Madeline two years ago and built her dream home, which was completed in March. Photo by Kara Mullins

Islander Maureen McCutchen bought a 70-by-120 foot lot on Lake Madeline two years ago and built her dream home, which was completed in March. Photo by Kara Mullins

Isle attorney builds contemporary, comfortable and dog-friendly home

Maureen McCutchen lived on the West End of Galveston for 14 years, but wanted to get closer to her downtown office at Mills Shirley, where she’s a law partner.

So, McCutchen bought a 70-by-120-foot lot on Lake Madeline on the island two years ago and finally built her dream home in March. [Read more…]

Seaside Retreat

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One of two deep swings provides poolside seating at Susan and Andy Smith's West End home. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

One of two deep swings provides poolside seating at Susan and Andy Smith’s West End home. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

West End abode features subtle bay house flourishes with Texas twists

You have to drive a bit down FM 3005 to get to Sunset Cove, an enclave of waterfront homes in Galveston Island’s West End. But with seascapes rolling past on both sides, the trek hardly matters.

[Read more…]

Orchid Oasis

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Laurie Skov raises orchids and other tropical plants in his Santa Fe backyard. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

Laurie Skov raises orchids and other tropical plants in his Santa Fe backyard. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

Fragrant, colorful plants thrive in care of Santa Fe grower

Laurie Skov grew up on the outskirts of Chicago and rural Indiana. He obtained a master of science degree in chemistry, but always had a keen interest in the natural world. So much so, that in the early 1970s he spent two years teaching science in the Peace Corps in Western Samoa, where he lived in the jungle and became familiar with different kinds of plant life, especially orchids. They became a passionate hobby. [Read more…]