Forever on Vacation: Home in River Ranch reflects a love of tropical excursions
“I call it “staycation,” says Roxanne Graham of Lafayette. Passionate about design and life near the ocean, she facilitated the creation of a contemporary home with tropical elements nestled in the traditional neighborhood development of River Ranch. Roxanne resides there with her husband, George, and teenage daughter, Lauren.
“My friends come over here and they say that they feel like they are on vacation,” she says. “We love the beach, especially Alys Beach in Florida. I wanted a house that made me feel like I was on vacation all of the time,” Roxanne discloses. “River Ranch reminded me of Seaside, a similar community in Florida. We wanted to be in a place that felt like a community. River Ranch is a small town within a town. Everything is in walking distance,” she says.
Seaside, which is located near Destin, combines the traditional elements of a small community with a mix of retail and dining venues, all within walking distance of homes. Children can be seen riding their bikes through the village without the worries of traffic or crime. In the town square, there is a sushi cart similar to the Lucky Dog carts seen in the French Quarter, along with ice cream and coffee houses near quaint shops and galleries. And just like River Ranch, live music is performed in the town square during the spring and fall concert series.
Located in the heart of Lafayette, River Ranch is home to more than 2,000 people. Broad sidewalks and common areas encourage people to step out of their homes and visit. It is a return to the traditional concept of Main Street, and is representative of the New Urbanism movement. The seven architectural influences include Caribbean, which is what the Graham family wanted for their home.
“On the one hand, the Grahams had a concept. They wanted the home to have a Caribbean feel to it. They brought me some photographs of their vacations. On the other hand, we were building in a development that had fairly strict design codes so we wanted it to fit into the community but also to stand out,” says Mark Pritchard of Mark Owen Pritchard Design Services in Lafayette. He worked closely with Roxanne to design the residence.
“I did research for many years,” Roxanne remarks. “Everywhere we went, I acquired things for my notebook from magazines and books. We collected ideas and took pictures. By the time I went to Mark I knew what I wanted. He made it work and he had wonderful ideas as well,” she says. Gayle LaFosse, owner of LaFosse Construction Company and her son, Clayton, worked as the builders. “They really took their time with us, and made sure every detail was perfect. They implemented Mark’s plan.”
Those of us who have spent time near Seaside and further down towards Rosemary Beach can appreciate the Graham’s attraction to this laid back, tropical lifestyle. “The Grahams and I were inspired by some of the homes built recently in Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach, Florida. There we found the West Indies style with a modern sensibility,” says Pritchard. “The West Indies architectural style of the residence is a varied one because it was developed by many different cultures whose explorers and traders built in the islands,” he says. “This house is most like the Dutch type with its white stucco, fairly simple details, and especially the parapet walls that extend up past the roof at the front and rear.”
Other West Indies characteristics are the exposed rafter tails and the balcony railing with four-inch operable louvers. “The basic layout of the home was based on that of the so-called Charleston single house, featuring an entry door which opens not into a foyer or a living room, but onto a porch which runs along the side of the home,” explains Pritchard. The same porch opens to the courtyard with its cocktail pool and fire pit. Kevin Kimball created the landscape design. A scored patio surface around the pool and a stucco bench near the fire pit provides a relaxing “tropical Zen” ambiance.
“I put the fountains near the pool so I could hear the water,” Roxanne explains. “The pool reflects the turquoise color of the ocean. We made the patio extra wide. It is all about being comfortable,” she says. The living room has large, arched-top French doors that open onto the patio. “This house is designed around entertaining and comfort. All my furniture is slip covered.”
Everything about the house beckons images of life near the ocean. “I love white. It reminds me of the beach,” Roxanne says. “My house has a lot of soft, sea blues. Even the limestone floors outside and in my kitchen are all white. It’s like something cold on your feet, like cold sand. We have glass sea blue tiles in my bathroom, and there are splashes of sea glass all around. There are bright green tiles in my back kitchen,” she says.
The main living area, which includes the living room, dining room, and kitchen, is very open and has 12-foot ceilings with mahogany beams. The four-bedroom, two-story house has three kitchens because Roxanne’s husband, George, loves to cook.
Behind the main kitchen in the living area is a secondary kitchen that serves as a prep area. “That allows someone to prepare the food in the back,” says Pritchard. “There is even a little opening to pass food into the main kitchen. It was the owner’s idea.” The second kitchen has a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, and an ice maker. There is also an outdoor kitchen on the side porch complete with a grill, refrigerator, sink, and a wok burner. “George recently placed second in a national Napa Valley culinary competition,” Pritchard exclaims.
Meticulously designed, most of the wood flooring in the house is walnut that is stained dark. This contrasts beautifully with the limestone tile in the kitchen. “It makes a nice contrast,” says Pritchard. “With this style, there is a lot of contrast between the dark woods, the light plaster, and the limestone throughout the home.”
The master bedroom features a vaulted, pyramid-shape ceiling with tongue-and-groove cypress and exposed rafters, another West Indies style element. “That is something you see a lot in the Caribbean,” Pritchard remarks. A dry bar and a custom wine cabinet are nestled beneath the stairs, with their sculpted plaster railing. “Rather than a typical wood or iron railing, we made sort of a sculptural railing done in stucco on the exterior and plaster on the inside. It appears that the stairs are almost carved out,” he says.
Inspired by the sparkling white sand and the clear blue waters of tropical climes, the Grahams have cleverly fashioned a seaside retreat in the midst of Acadiana with its bayous, cane fields, and swampy marshlands. “I have created a wonderful environment of staycation,” Roxanne concludes. “But ultimately, I have to give all the thanks to God for my house and my family, and for all the people who helped make this happen. It is all a gift and a blessing from Him.” ✦
