Hill Country Houses Inspired Living in a Legendary Texas Landscap

Located in the heart of the state, Texas Hill Country is the place where the four mighty continental divisions-the Rocky Mountains, the Great Western High and Low Plains, and the Gulf Coast Plains-converge. This geophysical drama results in a singular landscape and climate. Rolling hills, sparkling streams and rivers, unique vegetation, and soothing temperatures give this region a special cachet through the entire South. Gone are the one-room farmhouses of yesterday, but taking their place are homes that clearly celebrate historic details borrowed from those iconic structures. A farmer's focus was always his land, and it is land that also plays a major part in these designs, either by the placement of the rooms or how the interiors reflect and complement their environment. The terrain and its indigenous materials-stone, water, sky-now inspire architects and interior designers to create beautiful modern spaces that relate to the classic farmhouses that once dotted the land. The architecture featured here in beautiful full-color photography shows a reverence for native materials such as limestone, cedar, and cypress and the old building techniques that were handed down through generations of early European settlers. They were craftsman-stonemasons, woodworkers, blacksmiths-and their primitive architecture grew out of what they knew from the old country and what they could find to build with in their new land. Their structures were very simple and efficient, but beautiful in their use of materials and craft. Today's interior designers and architects seek to honor those traditions in well-designed new homes made for modern living.