Lynchburg Living

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By Haley Pinder

You know “that house”–we’ve all been to one. It’s often described as the “fun” house, where it seems like having a party with friends and family seems effortless, as though the house itself was designed to welcome you in to have a great time and leave happier than when you came. It’s just that kind of house that is synonymous with the home of the Elliotts on Shady Oak Lane in Forest. Lisa has been an educator for more than 23 years, now working as an Information Technology Resource Teacher in four Bedford County schools, instructing teachers about how to bring technology into the classroom. Her husband, Mark, is a retired UPS driver turned business owner of Herbs Tools Grinding and Sales. Along with their two active children, 19-year-old Kensley, who is a sophomore at Duke University, and 15-year-old Keyton, a sophomore at Jefferson Forest High School, they have enjoyed their home for 17 years after moving from Stafford Street in Lynchburg. These high school sweethearts have been together for 29 years, married for 22, and have been actively involved in their children’s busy schedules of dance, basketball and baseball, while renovating their hacienda, room by room, to make it their own, a place flourishing with true southwest style.

Years ago, shortly after they were married, Lisa and Mark took a trip to southwest Texas. They fell in love with the southwestern style of decorating and decided to bring it back to their home and commit to the style for their entire house. Both Lisa and Mark are from Rustburg, and the majority of their extended family lives in the area, making it the place they wanted to raise their own children. The Elliotts wanted their home to be “open,” both structurally and figuratively to friends and family to come enjoy one another’s company.

“We love to entertain and grill out,” they both explained.

Eating outside on the deck, alongside tall cactus and iron sculptures overlooking the winding pool and the open land, it’s easy to forget how centrally located they are to all of their activities.

“I like the colorful, happy feeling,” Lisa said as she talked about the style they chose for their home.

Lots of folks might have added touches here and there to their homes, but Lisa and Mark jumped in head first and never looked back. They started with earth tones in the living room, a popular first step for many styles, including southwestern. Their neutral leather sofa and overstuffed chair left lots of options to add color with bright accessories, such as art, pillows and rugs rich in cobalt blue, turquoise, fiery red, bright yellow and orange.

Mark has put his touch on just about every surface, including walls, ceilings and archways. Along the way, he says he enjoyed working with lots of the old, reclaimed wood from Old Dominion Wood.

“I like this pine wood from old tobacco barns with all the nail holes and knots,” he explained.

The wood’s texture and character now adds depth to the family’s mantle and the beam that runs along the ceiling, separating the living room from the open and very colorful kitchen. The TV and entertainment system was custom built into the wall to conceal it when it’s not in use.

The remodeled kitchen is large and boasts uncluttered work surfaces. This organization lends itself to all of the easy party planning this family does so well. What stands out the most is the bold choice of palette, with the bright accent color on the wall, and the unique niches that give the feeling of being in an old, Spanish-style hacienda with old, cracked plaster and exposed bricks. Mark achieved this look through the clever use of paint and glazes, which tricks the eye into believing it’s authentic. Pantry doors, once plain white, have been painted the rich colors of red, green and yellow to enhance the paneled doors and brighten the space with a flair that is distinctly Tex-Mex. Their breakfast room also dazzles the senses with painted chairs in different colors found throughout the space. The ceiling is covered in tongue and groove wainscoting to add more visual interest and draw the eye up.

Large, sliding glass doors offer natural light and lovely views to the deck, pool and open land.  Lisa and Mark agree that many of their home’s ideas originated in Mark’s mind.

“Very few things in nature are square, so I prefer more natural shapes,” he explained.

With this in mind, the pool is not a typical rectangle or oval shape–Mark made sure of that! He even built the fence that encloses the oasis with a more aesthetic barrier that offers softer visual lines. This outdoor space truly flows from the house. Some of its unique features include tall San Pedro Cacti is large blue, red and yellow pots, which can be moved inside during the winter, and Orchid Cactus that often bloom in the winter season. Multiple Mexican Iron Wall Art sculptures in playful shapes are scattered throughout the outdoor space.

With two teenagers in the mix, outdoor games are important, so the Elliotts have a designated spot for Cornhole tournaments, (some folks call it Bean Bag or Bean Toss), which Mark and Lisa say are popular and happen quite often here.

Back inside and headed toward the basement, the Elliott family removed the door to make the basement feel like part of the house. The ceiling leading down the stairs was covered in a material that resembles terracotta tile on a Spanish style house. Several arched wall openings were cut out along the wall to open the space up and allow more natural light in.

When Mark and Lisa need an escape, they simply head to their master suite, which was added a decade ago. This well-thought space design allows the couple’s king-size bed and entire wall of natural stone to not feel overwhelming. Instead, the stone feature sets the tone for the room as a lovely focal point with the complimentary soft lines of Indian arts of carving, basketry and pottery displayed throughout the room. A large, stained glass window above the French doors floods the room with more color shining through the cunning coyote on the prowl in the desert.

Down the hall, the guest bedroom gives off a Native American flair through the dream catchers hanging throughout it. Worn, leather cowboy boots and traditional southwestern printed pillows sitting atop a comforter rich in Taos blue add to the decor of the room. As one of the most popular colors in southwest decorating, Taos blue is a mixture of sky blue with a dab of violet, and was introduced by the Spaniards, who believed it would ward off evil spirits.

The Elliott’s house is one that truly displays the commitment to altering a traditional home to fit their family’s atmosphere, activity and creativity. Their blend of rustic pieces with southwestern and Tex-Mex style all blends together to make their home a very personal reflection of their love for color, texture and playful spirits. Most of all, it is a reminder of a place and style that Mark and Lisa fell in love with more than two decades ago, and the warm house and family they have since built around it in.

Take Home Tips:

• Start with neutrals. Think of the desert: browns, beiges, grays and sage greens make up the color scheme of the authentic southwestern-style home’s most basic layer. These colors should be present in the majority of the home’s large pieces. Layers of accent colors are then added, which often coordinate with many the time of year. Fall accent pieces that you might consider adding include wreaths, pumpkins, Indian corn and gourds.

• Play up the season. Fall is the time for warm, rich and cozy colors. From hues of chocolate brown and golden yellow to burnt orange and lipstick red, these season-inspired colors can encourage us all to add vivid layers to any room. Spanish-style art, wrought iron, pottery and plants indigenous to the desert area are all pieces that can be added to a room to create a colorful Tex-Mex feel.

• Let a trip inspire your decor. For Mark and Lisa, one trip inspired their decorating style for two decades. Think of your favorite place–the color of the sky, land, flowers, even the animals and building architecture–and add those colors, keepsakes, shapes, art or photography to your living spaces to bring a little piece of heaven back to your home.