Jun 23, 2023

Take a Tour of "Cinderella", The Basden Family's Stunning Granbury

Experiencing the process of building your dream home and watching it come to life is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This experience came to life for the Basden family, who designed and built a stunning Granbury E home on their family property in Fayette County. With a navy exterior, a wraparound porch, and a spacious kitchen, this home is an absolute dream come true. Join us as Ann Basden takes us on a tour, and fills us in on the creative customizations that transformed this house into a home.

The Basden family began their process at Tilson's Katy office, working alongside Eric McKiernan. The Basdens knew they wanted a farmhouse-style home with enough space to accommodate their family, as well as additional rooms for friends and family. They had built a home before, but they knew this would be their Forever Home. With their list of must-haves and don't-wants ready to go, they dove into the process, taking their time scouring all of the available floor plans, until they found the perfect one: the Granbury. With help from Eric, they began customizing the floor plan to meet their needs. After starting construction on the home, the Basden family's construction superintendent, Jonathan Bass, lovingly named the home "Cinderella" for her gorgeous blue exterior. He frequently referred to their closing date as getting Cinderella to the Ball, and the name has stuck with the home long after closing.

Inspiration from Tilson's Model Homes

They toured the model homes at the Boerne Design Center for more inspiration and incorporated bits and pieces from each model they saw into their own home. The kitchen cabinetry was inspired by the Breckenridge and Fredericksburg models, and the stone arch at the cooktop and at the front of their island was inspired by the kitchen stonework in the La Salle, the Fredericksburg, the Breckenridge, and the San Jacinto models.

Customizations to the Home

The Basdens made some incredible customizations to their home, starting with adding stone bases to each of the cedar posts on the front porch. When you enter the home, you'll notice that the foyer isn't open to the second story like the standard model - the Basdens chose to floor it in to create a flex space upstairs. They wanted a formal dining room, so they converted the study into a dining room and bumped out the front wall to make sure it could accommodate the dining table and chairs they already had. To keep the exterior of the home symmetrical, Ann's closet was also bumped out to match. This additional square footage was added by removing some square footage from the porch, so the footprint of the home didn't change.

A massive pantry was created in the space underneath the stairs - where the original powder bathroom was located - with custom shelving that allows for plenty of space for canned goods and staple food items. The powder bath was relocated to the original pantry location, and a drop zone was added by the door to the breezeway, leading to the detached garage. They wanted to create a bar area off of the kitchen, so additional counter space and cabinetry, including a wine rack and space for an under-cabinet refrigerator, were added to the breakfast area. They chose the cathedral ceiling in the living room that extends onto the rear covered porch, both of which they extended even further. A beautiful outdoor wood-burning fireplace was added to the rear of the back porch, with a full-stone face.

The couple plans to age in place in their new home, so throughout the home, doorways were widened, grab bars were added in the master bathroom, along with a roll-in shower featuring a seat and additional grab bars. and all of the cabinets were raised to 36" tall. Last but not least, they chose the alternate utility room, which moves the utility to be adjacent to the master closet, directly across from the stairway.

Selecting the Colors

The Basden family attended their color selection appointment with their daughter, who flew in from Los Angeles to offer her expertise. Ann knew she wanted to steer away from the popular white farmhouse look, opting instead for Sherwin Williams "In the Navy" for the exterior siding color. For the interior, they decided on a neutral color palette, featuring dark kitchen cabinets, white bathroom and utility cabinets, beautiful quartz countertops, and gray-toned luxury vinyl plank flooring. Personal touches were added throughout the home through deco tile selections and accent walls, reflecting the couple's personality.

Additional Features

The master bedroom in the home is a sight to behold, with large windows that flood the room with natural light. Located adjacent to the master bedroom is the utility room, which adds an element of convenience. On the second story of the home, a bonus room allows a place for the kids to hang out, along with extra bedrooms down the hall for friends and family who come to stay. Additionally, a kitchenette stocked with snacks and beverages sits across from the created flex space to ensure a comfortable stay. This home truly goes to show Tilson Homes' commitment to providing customized solutions for nearly every aspect of the homeowner's needs.

Hi, everybody. Welcome back to Tilson Home Tours. I'm here today with Anne, and we are going to be talking about her gorgeous Granbury E home here in Fayette County. So for starters, let's talk about the outside. When you roll up, this is not your typical white farmhouse.

No, it's not. It's called "In the Navy," but we love it. It's dark blue. It's dramatic.

And it goes really well with the stone, because there's kind of like that gray blue tone in some of the rocks. And when you have the rock next to the Navy siding, it just-- it's so-- oh, it just flows. It's beautiful. Yes. Thank you. We love it. What made you pick the Granbury plan?

Well, we scoured all of the Tilson plans for a long, long time. This is not the first house we built, but it will be the last. And so we made sure all of our have to haves and our absolute don't want kind of things were in the right plan.

We went to Boerne we looked at all the models that Tilson had. And then one day my husband was just scouring through the plans and he goes, I found it. Yeah.

And that wraparound porch on the front, tell me a little bit about that. Was that a--

That was a have to have, yeah, because it faces the setting sun. And so that's where we love to sit in the evenings and just watch the gorgeous sunset and look at the trees.

I love that. And then when you come inside, it's so open and welcoming. And then you've got this very grand kitchen. So tell me a little bit about your kitchen.

Well, we like to entertain. So everyone gathers in the kitchen. So we knew we needed a big open kitchen. Yes.

And we have four kids, so when just the six of us gather, there's always a couple people cooking and a couple of people sitting in the chairs. Yeah, and there's definitely plenty of seating all throughout here. And then I love this, personally. Thank you.

This stone arch, it just-- it makes everything in the kitchen feel that much more elevated. And it's such an easy addition.

So we found the arch-- like I said, we scoured every plan that Tilson had and looked at all the pictures, all the galleries, and stuff like that. And then we just went through and picked out the things we loved.

Yeah. The stone arch was in one plan, so cabinet wall was in one plan. And we literally came to Eric and said, this is what we want.

You're like, I want this from this house and this from this house. Put it together.

Yeah, I love the cabinet space that you have in here. I mean, there's storage everywhere you look. And then, over here, we've got your husband's bar area.

Yes. When people gather, we like to have a glass of wine, we like to have a little libations. And so this is where my husband greets all the guests and gets the party started. Yeah, I love the built-ins that you did here with Kent Moore I mean, this little wine rack, we don't see a lot of them. So I like that you guys chose that. It's really cool to see in person. Yep, love it.

And we've got your nice little breakfast area that opens up onto your awesome outdoor space.

Yes, that's definitely one of our high points. The weather in Texas is just perfect for it. I mean, we have a couple of months where it's not great to sit out there, but the rest of the time of the year is perfect. We've got great big fans put up there to keep the air moving when it's warm out. And that's where we gather.

Well, let's mosey on into the living room.

All right, here we go.

All right, so this living room originally was just open and plain, and then you added all of these after the fact, correct?

Yes. I am a collector of life. And so we needed shelves to put out all my things that we've collected through our travels, our kids--

Yeah. And you've made it so homey. When you walk in here, you've got this really pretty stain on the beam. You've got huge windows that look out onto your back patio. This whole area is just-- It's the epitome of a great room. I mean, you've got room for everybody when you're entertaining. And it's just so homey.

Thank you, thank you. We love it, we really do. We enjoy it. Like I said, we love entertaining, and that's all we've done for about six months. Yeah. And tell me a little bit about the color selections. The flooring that you picked is a really nice tone.

We looked at the selection center at the Katy office, and looked and looked. And my husband was finally-- We're going to do the black cabinets. And I'm like, OK, that wasn't the direction we originally were planning on going, because he likes color. And so we were even looking at the blue cabinets. And he was like, no, we're going to do blue outside, we'll do black inside.

And so my daughter flew in from LA, and the house was built around the black cabinets. And the gray just worked perfect, because it's got the black in it and it just picks it up and brings out the color.

Yeah, it really just goes with everything that you've picked. I love the tone, I love the cabinets, even the backsplashes, both of them that you picked. They just turned out amazing.

Yeah, thank you.

And you continue the same color scheme throughout, correct? So let's go check out the laundry room, because I think I see a little bit different color going on in there.

Well, it's more blue.

Yes. All right, I love the location of your laundry room.

Yes, it was one of the must-haves when we picked the Granbury. It was one of the options that they offered, and it was an absolute for us to put the laundry room next to our master so I don't have to carry laundry everywhere. Well, and it's right next to the stairs, too. So when your kids have laundry, it's a straight shot to the laundry room.

Yep, definitely.

And I love this scallop tile, it's so pretty.

Thank you.

We don't see a lot of it, especially in laundry rooms, so I really like that you brought in that navy from the exterior into another space. Plus, you've got some white cabinets going on here. Look at you, branching out.

[LAUGHTER]

Well, we gotta have some options.

Exactly. And then the proximity to your closet and your bathroom and room is amazing. This makes it so easy to just start your laundry. You don't have to walk across your house.

Yeah, it's all right here, very centrally located for the basic needs of the house. Mm-hmm. And this, originally, is just all open. And, again, after the fact, you had all of these customized built-ins added.

Yep, we had those added after we moved in.

Yeah, I think it turned out great.

Thank you, we like it.

And then through door number three, we have your bathroom. Let's go check it out. OK.

Oh, this is very spa-like.

Thank you. I love the tones that you picked. You kind of brought in some more of that navy with the tile in here. Yes.

Tell me a little bit about what you wanted for your master bath.

So in our previous home, we had the grand, huge bathroom, with the great big tub and everything like that. And we decided for this home, we needed something a little bit more practical. Because we're hoping to do the whole age in place kind of plan out here. So we had the grab bars put in. And one of the pictures on the Tilson gallery had the whites and the blues, and stuff like that.

So this particular tile wasn't in the selection options. But Eric gave us the name of the people who--

The tile company.

Who work with, for the tile. And he's like, have at it. So my husband and I went over to the actual showroom there and just dug around.

It looks really good. And I love that the tile on the walls matches the tile that you have on the floor. And it also ties in with your countertops because it's got that nice kind of streaky look, the quartz.

Yep.

It's just very cohesive and very, very relaxing in here.

Thank you.

I love it. Part of it was, we were getting tired of selecting options.

[LAUGHTER]

Like, OK, we're done. Oh, that'll look great on the floor. Just go ahead and-- Yeah. And then, right through here, we've got your bedroom. So let's check that out. OK. We've got carpet in here, I love that. Yes.

Don't see a lot of it.

I am a carpet girl. I love-- Cozy.

The feel of carpet when I get out of bed in the morning--

Yeah, this is really nice. We don't have a lot of carpet because we do have a lot of dogs. But this was--

This is your sanctuary. You get what you want in here.

Yes, I do.

The natural light.

Yes.

It's incredible. And you have it throughout the entire house, but the windows are just so big. I mean, you've got to have blackout shades. Otherwise, it's light all the time, I'm sure.

Yeah. We don't function by the clock here in the country, we function by the light. And so in the morning, the sun wakes us up through these windows, unless I don't want to get up. And then, like you said, we have the blackout curtains, and we just pull them shut. But yes, I'm all about the natural light. Because in the city, we didn't-- I never felt like we got enough of it.

And now, you've got plenty of it.

Yeah, we capitalize on it out here.

And I do want to point out this accent wall that you've got. It's such an easy way to elevate your master bedroom area.

Yes, and I changed it completely.

And I love the color.

It's more blue.

There's definitely a theme going on.

Yep, definitely. Well, let's go check out the foyer.

All right.

So before we head upstairs, I want to point out this really grand entryway. I love this whole space.

Thank you, we love it.

I also like that you did the formal dining, in addition to the breakfast area, so you can have-- That's like your normal family area. And then, when you do have people over, you've got this nice, huge table for everybody to sit at. Yeah. So one of the things that Eric actually suggested, because I already had this furniture and I knew I wanted to bring it out here, was to push that wall out a couple of feet. Well, of course, I love the idea, because then it made my closet bigger, too.

OK, so you bumped this out and then made it symmetrical.

Of course.

Awesome.

Yeah. And then the other thing that we loved about this entry is, the original Granbury had-- It was open two stories, and I didn't want to waste that space. And so we had Tilson close it in for us. So we have the extra little room upstairs for it.

Oh, that's really smart. I like that. Well, let's head upstairs.

All right.

So, you've got bonus room.

We have bonus room. So when we have guests, or the kids are here, they have a place where they can come and hang out, watch movies, and not disturb the parents. Yeah. And you've even got storage in the bonus room for all the games, and whatever else you want to stuff in there and hide.

Yep. Games, videos, puzzles.

Yeah. And more light.

I tell you, it's all about the light.

It never ends. And down here, tell me a little bit about what we've got.

So, like I said, we like to entertain. So we wanted this to be very user-friendly for friends or family that come to stay with us. So we've got nice big bedrooms with extra beds so they can have mom, dad, and a kid. Or family units in each of it. We set this up with snacks, coffee, beverages. Yeah, I love this little upstairs bar space.

They can make themselves at home when they're here, morning, day, night.

Yeah. And is this what you were talking about downstairs?

Yes.

So you added the flooring, and now you have an extra nook up here?

Yes. So, eventually, it'll be my craft space so I can crochet, or read, or whatever.

Yeah, whatever you feel like doing. Any sort of crafts. And are all of the other bedrooms up here? Yes. There's three bedrooms up here, they're all about the same size. Nice and big to accommodate, like I said, family units or teenagers that need their space.

So, on our way out, I would like to peek in one of these rooms.

OK. You can do this one in here.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

So these are the bedrooms, or one of the bedrooms up here. They're all pretty much the same size, so there's no disagreement amongst the kids on who gets the bigger bedroom. Oh, that makes it easy.

It does, but there's lots of room for extra beds. All of these rooms have great closet spaces for storage, or guests that stay for a long time, so they get comfy and make themselves at home.

Plus, even more big windows.

More big windows. A friend that we had staying just a couple of weeks ago intentionally moved the bed here. So when she lays in bed at night, she could see all the gorgeous stars. Because you just don't see them in the city, and they're just huge out here in the country.

Yeah, you really do have that country escape.

Yes, truly. Well, let's head on back downstairs. I do want to check out a couple more things before I get out of your hair.

OK.

OK, so this is an awesome little area that you added.

Yes. When the kids are out dirt biking and getting all muddy and stuff like this, this is the place where they can drop their shoes and their hats and all that, and--

Leave the mud over here. In the drop zone.

Yeah. That's really nice. And then--

Then, there's a half bath there, another-- So if the kids need to use the restroom when they're outside getting all gross, like kids do sometimes, they can have easy access to a bathroom.

Yeah.

And then easy right outside the door again.

And were these built-ins something that you knew that you wanted, or was that just recommended by Eric?

That is a great question. Eric came up with a lot of great suggestions for us, so that might have been an Eric thing.

Yeah. I cannot--

He's full of good ideas.

He is. He is. We would dream it, and he would be like, let me just put that there.

And I do like the combination of the black with the white, because the white kind of ties in the cabinets from the rest of the house, and the black ties in the cabinets from the kitchen.

I never thought about that, but thanks.

And then this, I don't even know if you can classify this as a pantry, because this is a food closet. A massive food closet.

Yep, this was another Eric creation. We are hoping to build a greenhouse in the fall. And I said, I need lots of storage, and, not big on going to the grocery store every day. So he's like, OK, well, let's just make room for that. And I think we even said, maybe a little bit more. And so he backed the wall--

Make it bigger.

Yep. No, this is amazing. And then again, after the fact, you wanted to utilize as much space as you could, so I love the built-ins that you added.

Yep, thank you. Yeah, it was really fun to put that together. And we had some good helpers.

Yeah, well let's go check out the rest of the outside.

OK, here we go.

OK, I love this look, this is nice. You've got the breezeway that goes to your garage instead of just having it right off the house.

Yep. So when I bring my groceries home from the H-E-B, I don't have to get out in the sun.

The good old H-E-B!

[LAUGHTER]

And I just-- I mean, the weather is not a huge factor here, but the sun is. And so it just keeps it a little bit protected when we're moving around.

Yeah, and even when it's raining, you've got the cover. This is really nice. Was there a reason that you opted for the detached garage with the breezeway?

That was all my husband and Eric. They decided that was the best option because of the size of the garage, and how it would match up with the house. And safety, safety, safety, It's safer to have the garage separate from the house.

Yeah, I love that. Let's go check out the back patio.

That's my favorite.

All right, this patio space is amazing.

It's a favorite.

Yeah.

This is where we gather with friends, family, most of the year.

So tell me a little bit about this area. I mean, you've got this ceiling that's got the wood on it, that looks really neat. Yeah.

And this huge fireplace.

Yeah, we knew we wanted a great outdoor space to entertain with, and to relax. And so my husband and the land stakeout guy talked about where it would be best to capture the wind, and to make it the most comfortable for the most part of the year. And so this is how they decided to orient the house so we would catch the perfect wind.

It blows the bugs through, you don't have to worry about that when slamming into your house, either, especially if it gets a little stormy. Yeah.

And did you know that you wanted to have this outdoor fireplace?

So the option for the Granbury to have a fireplace added inside just didn't work for us. We would have to give up windows, and I'm not give-up-a-window kind of girl. And we knew we didn't want it to take up that wall, because it's really the only big wall space we have. So Eric's like, well, why not an outside fireplace? So we're like-- So you still got everything that you wanted for your house, you just rearranged a couple things.

Moved it outside.

I love it. Well, thank you so much for allowing me to come and invade your house, and just, kind of, make myself at home.

My pleasure. You've been very welcoming and accommodating. So thank you for that. We love our Tilson. We brag about it every chance we get.

And we do love your Cinderella.

Yes.

Can't forget about that.

But thank you again. And thank all of you, as well, for tuning in to another episode of Tilson Live Home Tours. We hope to someday soon make you part of the Tilson family.

From the custom cabinetry to the color palette to the bonus room and the detached garage, the Basden family's dream home is the ultimate example of how Tilson Homes can create a personalized solution that is both practical and beautiful. If you're looking to fulfill your own dream of building a home on your land that is ideally suited to your lifestyle, then Tilson Homes is the right choice. Contact us today to explore your options and begin the journey toward your dream home!