Explore A Spanish Colonial Revival Abode In Dallas

One bright day in 2018, Lauren and Robert Vaughn were married at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach, California. The 1926 Spanish Colonial Revival clubhouse was a natural choice for their nuptials, as it had played backdrop to many shared memories with their families. Building their own custom home years later, they would revisit that night dancing under its vaulted ceilings buttressed with thick timber beams. What if they could conjure the clubhouse’s magic on a leafy corner lot in North Dallas? The idea “was very sentimental,” Lauren recalls. “We both wanted to recreate the beautiful mix of stucco walls, barrel-tile roof and wood accents.”

Their mood board of memories would guide architect David Stocker and designer Erin Sander from the beginning, as they incorporated personal gestures throughout the abode. Backed by a skilled team of craftspeople led by builder Scott Faulkner, the project evolved into “a refined, elegant take on the architectural style that’s so closely tied to the family’s history,” Sander describes.

The exterior channels those classic hallmarks, with rich plastered walls, a terra-cotta-tiled roof and prominent wood frames. All together, these Spanish-style features “could feel weighed down,” Stocker notes. So, the architect favored large-format windows and sliding glass doors to soften the residence’s visual density while nurturing a sense of indoor-outdoor living. In turn, the home’s distinct J-shaped layout “ensures all the main living areas receive light from at least two sides,” he notes. Elegant archways help define the otherwise open layout, creating dedicated zones for the formal living and dining areas alongside more fluid spaces like the kitchen-anchored great room. “Traditional Spanish Colonial Revival houses needed those divisions of space,” the architect muses. “We were always trying to find a balance.”

This sense of definition continues inside, where reclaimed hewn Douglas fir beams bolster the ceilings, especially the vaulted heights of the family room and primary bedroom. The thick timber “has some natural checking and a little bit of age to it, which pushed forward that Monterey Peninsula Country Club aesthetic,” Sander observes. Hand-sculpted limewash plaster details further underscore the theme, from the kitchen’s hood to the living room’s fireplace.

For the office’s ceiling, the designer conceived a labyrinth of millwork inspired by a beloved Aboriginal artwork the couple collected during their honeymoon in Australia. They also gravitated toward reclaimed French terra-cotta tiles for much of the flooring, which are similar to those Robert recalled from his own childhood home. “I remember coming in from the pool and not having to worry about leaving wet footprints,” he reminisces. They imagined the sturdy material would recreate the same carefree joy for their future brood.

Sander deepened this nostalgic palette with equally warm finishes, like the honeyed white oak millwork framing in the kitchen and the built-in demilune banquette lined in aubergine leather. Moroccan mosaic tile brought eggplant tones around the family room’s fireplace. Meanwhile, large slabs of dramatic gold-veined marble encase the jewel-box bar, designed as the centerpiece for many celebratory nights to come.

While referencing the owners’ past, the designer frequently straddled her gaze on the future. The balance is evident in the curation of new pieces, which interpret traditional textures in fresh ways. Familiar Spanish Colonial Revival features like wood and wicker brought weighted heft to the otherwise streamlined furniture, weaving through the main gathering area’s deep-seated sofas, broad-armed chairs and pedestal tables as well as the couple’s jute-wrapped four-poster bed. The rugs, upholstery and gauzy drapes preserved the neutral tones of the surrounding materials. “We took that terra-cotta base and added soothing whites, oatmeals and earthy greens,” Sander points out.

Such characterful ceilings also begged for substantial lighting, like the ornate metal filigree detailing typical of Spanish-style abodes. However, “with the floors and beams being so heavy, we wanted to take a softer approach with the lighting,” Sander explains. The kitchen’s handmade ceramic pendants and the primary bedroom’s tapered plaster fixture introduce gentle textures that still suit the home’s organic finishes. In the dining room, a forged-iron chandelier reimagines botanical metalwork with even more delicate craftsmanship.

Summed up, these little idiosyncrasies create a home “that feels authentically us,” Lauren reflects. And as the house grew from the ground up, so did their family; the couple welcomed two children during the building process. Every step of the way, “knowing this would be the house our kids would grow up in felt really special,” Robert shares. “That’s when our home became real.”