My Houzz: Impulsiveness Works for Work-at-Home Texans

Rocky and Sara Garza are fairly impulsive people. They moved four times in the past three years in pursuit of the perfect rental. Then, after looking online for a home to actually buy, they bought the first one they looked at in person, a 1926 house with good bones to accommodate their growing wedding photography business, which they run from home. “We just dove right in,” says Sara.

After they moved in, Rocky picked up a few woodworking tips from his handy father-in-law and set out to build almost every piece of furniture they would need, including a coffee table, a computer desk and a wood bench. Even their decorating approach — a lot of Southwest textiles and pottery — has a certain impulsiveness. “If we love it, we buy it and find a place for it,” Sara says.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Rocky and Sara Garza and their goldendoodle, Samson
Location: Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas
Size: 1,800 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built: 1926

The lobby of the Ace Hotel in Portland, Oregon, and The Brick House blog inspired the living room. Rocky hand crafted many of the furniture pieces, including the coffee table, which he built out of reclaimed wood decking from Sara's parents' home.

Sofa: Lorimer 2-Piece Chaise Sectional, West Elm


The couple's goldendoodle, Samson, strikes a pose in front of a Native American portrait that Sara's grandmother painted.

Striped blanket: Eivor Throw, Ikea


Simple window treatments and a single bloom allow the eye to focus on carefully chosen midcentury furniture pieces, like this console with record player, which Sara uses throughout the day.

Southwestern pottery, like the black and white piece on top of the console, is found throughout the house. Some of the pieces came from Sara's mother's home.


The couple filled in an original doorway in the entry here and created a wall for art and travel photos. Rocky built the bench with reclaimed wood and metal hairpin legs. A tall Southwest-style terra-cotta pot softens the corner of the gallery wall.

"Make Art Not War" poster: Shepard Fairey, Syracuse Cultural Workers


The dining room was originally two rooms: a breakfast nook off the kitchen and a formal dining room. The Garzas removed the dividing wall and created an open-concept dining area where they can entertain large groups.

"I think we realized the fullness of owning this house when we were sitting at our first dinner party, watching everyone around us use our home and enjoy what we had done to it," says Sara.


Sara's father built the bar for the couple as a housewarming gift. The copper samovar is one of many family heirlooms that came from Sara's grandmother. A world map hangs above the bar, with colorful little pins marking the couple's travels. This year they visited Paris and Marfa, Texas.


Much of the furniture in this room is handmade. Rocky built the dining table, which seats 10, with wood from a Fort Worth, Texas, warehouse. He also built the wall-mounted console with sliding doors along the wall. "I started building furniture when we moved into the house for budget reasons, but now I love it. My father-in-law has taught me a lot about how to work with wood. Every Christmas he gets me a new tool," says Rocky.

Sara studied interior design and architecture in college, then worked at an architecture firm in Dallas before going to work full time as a wedding photographer.

Chairs: Ronnie Wire Base Chairs, Overstock.com; lighting: Warehouse Pendant with Wire Cage, Barn Light Electric


Natural wood accents, Southwestern textiles and a suspended philodendron in the corner fill out this breezy and bright white main suite. "Rocky and I have a very similar style, so for the most part we usually both love or hate something," Sara says. "Making design decisions together is easy."

Rocky built the headboard from reclaimed wood and attached it to an existing platform bed. Two low wood stumps are used as side tables, and the throw pillow covered in a woven Southwestern textile was picked up at a local estate sale. "Most of our things have come from estate sales, my granny's house, or is something Rocky has built," says Sara. "We haven't really splurged on anything yet for the house."

Bed frame: West Elm


The couple built narrow wall-mounted shelves in their hall bathroom. Wires attached to the ceiling loop by two eyebolts provide additional support for the shelves. A hexagonal midcentury brass fixture holds a screen-printed hand towel.


A chalkboard accent wall in the home office provides a space for travel photos. "We're going to keep adding to it as we make our way around the world," Sara says.

Sara's mother reupholstered these two vintage chairs in purple fabric covered with camera silhouettes.

Upholstery: City Craft; cardboard moose head: Curiosite


The computer desk is another one of Rocky's creations. Here the couple edits wedding photos, stays in touch with clients and blogs about their home on Our Cozy Casa. Their vintage camera collection is displayed on a wall-mounted shelf, another one of Rocky's projects.





The couple enjoys spending time on the brick patio in their backyard. Rocky also uses the backyard as his workshop, and a small but functional shed houses his woodworking tools. Two raised vegetable beds back up to the fence. "One of my favorite things is the red midcentury fireplace I found on Craigslist," says Rocky. A bright blue indoor-outdoor rug completes the look.

Outdoor rug: Cost Plus World Market


"Oak Cliff is sort of like a little city within a city. There is such a sense of community here, and everyone supports everything local," says Sara, shown here with Rocky and Samson. "It also helps that our neighborhood has some of the best restaurants in Dallas!"

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URL: My Houzz: Impulsiveness Works for Work-at-Home Texans http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-21406.html