San Miguel Style: The Most Colorful Home in Preston Hollow

When Karen DeGraffenreid bought her home inside Waterford on the Park, it was thoroughly ensconced in everything 1980s. The 3,434-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bath home was an uninspiring time warp. 

“It was a 1980s home when we bought it, and there was no surface that was left unrenovated,” DeGraffenreid said. “For the past almost 12 years, I have loved every room in this home.” 

Of course, the bright blue door at 7249 Helsem Bend foreshadows the colorful San Miguel de Allende-inspired style DeGraffenreid favors, with custom finishes and eye-popping shades of every hue.

DeGraffenreid’s travels to San Miguel inspired this warm and artful take on the region’s style. She hand-picked the paint and tile, and has filled her home with the treasures found during her time there. In fact, she sought out materials crafted by artisans in San Miguel, including the tile throughout the home. In other ways, she emulated different rooms she fell in love with during her travel.

The home has beautiful spaces for entertaining, which DeGraffenreid does often. Naturally, many of her friends and guests comment on the vibrant nature of her decor.

“They always thought I was brave to live with this much color,” she joked. “They say it’s great, but that they couldn’t live there themselves.”

Of course, DeGraffenreid realizes that it will take a special kind of buyer to see the beauty in her home’s distinct personality, and while she is very much attached to the place, she’s finally come to a point in her life where it’s time to pare down.

“We put the home on the market two years ago, and I found that I just wasn’t ready,” she said. “But now it’s time. My husband and I have a plan and we are ready to retire.”

Of course, while the home is colorful, you shouldn’t let that distract you from the other upgrades DeGraffenreid made. Take the kitchen for example.

There’s something so perfectly Southwest about the antiqued blue kitchen cabinets that we can’t help but be reminded of Santa Fe. The kitchen, which was originally covered in very basic wood cabinets, was transformed by replacing the doors first. Then came the custom finish.

“I wanted the kitchen to look old, so the cabinets were first painted that blue and then sanded down,” DeGraffenreid said. The result is a finish that has vibrancy and depth. While it’s bold, it doesn’t overshadow the eclectic handmade tile backsplash, or the Viking stove and copper venthood, the stainless steel double ovens, the concrete countertops, and the hand-blown pendant lighting.

While many rooms are a feast for your eyes with color and texture, the master suite is a warm respite. Notice the barrel-vaulted ceiling, a touch that DeGraffenreid adapted from a home in San Miguel. But even more beautiful is the master bath.

While the cabinetry at the base of the two master vanities could use new doors and drawer faces, the rest of the bathroom is perfectly adapted from its 1980s style. I love the hand-painted sinks and the details throughout the five piece bath, which is separated from the bedroom by artisan-crafted, stamped metal doors. The large garden tub, situated on a platform covered in hand-glazed tile, feels palatial. There’s also a frameless-glass, multi-head shower. 

Though there is plenty of space for relaxing and entertaining inside, we’d be remiss to leave out the beautiful backyard. With a pool and spa, patio, outdoor kitchen, and pergola, this space screams summer. 

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate agent Cynthia Paine Drennan is offering 7249 Helsem Bend for $679,900. Want to see this colorful, San Miguel-inspired home? It will be open on Sunday, June 25, from 2 to 4 p.m.