Kristina Wrenn
You Can Come Home Again!
Located just south of Loop 49 and the Village at Cumberland Park is a pocket neighborhood of new stucco and stone homes that played an integral part in bringing Abby Woulfe and her family back to Tyler. Abby, a blogger and owner of She Gets It Designs, and her husband Brendan, a former SWAT Officer who is now manager of corporate contracts at Rosemark, met at a wedding in 2008. After dating long distance for a year, they became engaged, and Abby moved to California, to join Brendan.
Abby’s dream had always been to have a family and keep a home, like her mother Sandy before her. Abby taught Home Economics before having her son Tate, and when they decided she would quit teaching and stay home she realized her love of decorating and design. It was a full circle moment to find that her flair for design and her eye were in fact where her talents lie and fortuitously were aligned with home and family. When she had her daughter Baylor it afforded even more opportunities to live her dream.
A phrase she and her mother use to describe their shared obsession with home décor is jokingly, “it’s not done until it is overdone.” Like mother, like daughter they love color, texture, drama, and whimsy. They blog about their shared experiences and different design aesthetics at shegetsitfromhermama.com.
Abby’s philosophy is that happiness is a direct result of being surrounded by little lovelies. That is something we can all take to heart as we tour the Woulfe family’s forever home.
A LOVELY LIGHT
Abby has a true love for wallpaper. She is convinced it took a couple of weeks for their home in California to sell because it was a monument to wallpaper. Wallpaper is sometimes a personal choice, but here when it is used to stunning effect in the dining room and the entry, it certainly has mass appeal.
These two rooms at the front of the house showcase Abby’s love of black and white. She feels that black is a particularly modern accent that is the perfect choice for a growing family with young kids. It also pairs wonderfully with green as shown through her placement of plants in each space and in drawing the outside in—another thing that had the Woulfes realizing this was undoubtedly their home. The beauty of the trees and the East Texas landscape, three minutes from where Abby grew up sealed the deal to move.
Another of Abby’s “go to” design elements is great lighting that looks beautiful. Here the chandeliers in the entry and over the dining room table each fit that bill and illuminate some inspired furniture choices. The Woulfes sold most of their furniture before moving so they could start with a clean slate in this home. The iconic French Balloon Canopy Chair reintroduced by Kelly Wearstler in her design of the BG restaurant in New York and reproduced in the Versailles line by RH, is regal in the dining room. It is a wonderful place to sit and design or read.
THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Here Abby has created a wonderful room for family and guests, in her signature black and white. She uses her love of wallpaper to create drama on the back of the shelves and give a pop to the displayed collections, including four iconic Fornasetti® plates. This room also incorporates her fondness for different textures with the velvet sofas, furry cushioned brass chairs, the sleek white leather bench by the fireplace and the varied shape and design of the accent pillows.
This is the first place in the home where you can appreciate the custom drapes Abby designed and had made for many of the rooms to cover the large picture windows. Here the drapes are hung on an acrylic rod that disappears during the day and appears to be floating when the drapes are drawn.
There truly is no place like home and the neon installed in the entryway reminds the Woulfes of this daily. Abby still pinches herself that it worked out to be living back home sooner than she ever expected.
The black lacquered, Sequoia wood console table looks like it was custom made for this spot and this wallpaper.
BLACK AND WHITE
Black is a foolproof color according to Abby and in the open plan kitchen, a continuation of the family room, she doubles down on the black and white motif. The black barstools are the perfect complement to the chevron backsplash. Abby originally thought she would add another color to the mix, but liked the impact this has in the room. The white and brass pendant lights echo the furry chairs in color and add layered texture.
The black Lucrecia Wagner porcelain hung high above the stove is a feast for the senses, in its depth of color and deceptive relative sameness.
Breakfast nook chairs that are as comfortable as they are beautiful, are a shape that gives you a hug coming for breakfast and going to bed after a family meal. The chandelier and the mid-century modern floor lamp bring warmth to the table used for meals, games, and homework.
DREAM A LITTLE DREAM
In the primary suite you can just envision sleeping well. The custom curtains there for beauty and to block the sun, the cozy under bed rug, and the luxurious texture of the comforter perfectly set the stage with or without a soak in the roomy freestanding tub.
Baylor’s room is the sole room in the house that strays from the overall black and white palette. It wasn’t because she asked for a different color palette, but that her grandmother found the chicest pink velvet RH bunkbed, when her only request was a bunkbed, and that dictated the design scheme. Abby also discussed how they chose that room for Baylor because it is shaped like a playhouse with its vaulted ceiling, so it seemed the perfect place for a little girl to formulate her dreams for the future.
Tate’s room is not shown, but Abby says they had a wonderful time choosing things for his spaces together and he has a definite idea about what he likes.
A dream from Brendan’s childhood was to have his own bathroom after sharing with twin sisters, so he wanted that for his children. This home accommodated his dream when another home in the same neighborhood didn’t.
Black takes center stage in the guest suite proving that black and white really do create an impact not to be missed. Here Abby included brass accents as throughout the house to soften and combine the look in the chandelier and the Greek Key pattern on the drapes.
FAMILY TIME
The centerpiece of the backyard is not the pool, but the chandelier that hangs over the outdoor living space that you can see from the house. It was important to Abby that it be beautiful like the rest of her special touches throughout the home and really make the outside another room. The outdoor carpet and pillows complete the look.
The Black and White MacKenzie-Childs planters create a touch of whimsy on the back porch and are an homage to the original doyenne of “Black and White.” Abby now holding that title, at least here in Tyler, completes her black and white vision through two seating areas near the house and two by the pool.
The table with corresponding striped umbrella and outdoor rug sets the stage for many a summer meal fresh from the pool. Moms can chat and get some sun while lifeguarding in the black chaise lounges placing their lemonades on the marble outdoor table.
It is here in the backyard where they have their annual Watermelon Party for the kids to end summer on a high note and enjoy games and fellowship. With the ample size of the backyard, they can have a home run derby in addition to many other contests with prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Each year the Woulfes come up with something new to make it bigger and better. This year it is bound to be fantastic. Say hello and welcome them home and you might get an invite!