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The swimming pool designed by Galloway Pools is positioned next to the covered outdoor kitchen, which is fully equipped with a custom barbecue pit, a gas top stove, refrigerator, cable connections for a TV and a half bath.

By Diane S. Morales, Caller-Times

May 29, 2005

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An elegant custom cherry wood and wrought iron banister crafted by Custom Fabricators softly curves to the second level. An Italian chandelier illuminates the area at night. ‘Sometimes our neighbors ask us to turn on our chandelier when they’re entertaining,’ Mary Serna said.

Busy pulling ingredients from the refrigerator, Mary Serna prepared jalapeño corn dip and pinwheel hors d’oeuvres at the kitchen counter for a family friend’s graduation party.

“This dip is so good and it’s easy to make too,” she said.

Mary, 56, and husband, Zeke Serna, 63, a retired real estate agent, have decided to pack up nine years of pleasant memories they’ve spent in their 5,408 square foot home to find something fit for two.

“We’ve really, really enjoyed our house. We’ve lived it, used it and that’s why we need another family to bring it back to life,” Mary Serna said.

Married for 36 years, the Sernas began construction of their five bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom dream home in February 1996 and completed it in January 1997. Since then, the couple’s tan stucco home has been the hub for family celebrations, holiday parties and neighborhood get-togethers.

With their two grown children living on their own, Mary Serna said it’s time to downsize.

“It’s just too much house for us.”

During construction of the home, Mary Serna oversaw many of the details, such as selecting solid brass hardware for the interior doors and crown molding from California for the formal dining area. Quality materials and craftsmanship were top priorities for their home.

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Mary and Zeke Serna found this screen on a trip to Florence, Italy. The three-dimensional scene of a courtyard in Florence fits snuggly against the back end of the staircase wall.

The first impression of quality is the home’s entrance, where visitors pass through a solid mahogany door by Signature Millworks accented with an elegantly etched glass transom and glass side door panel by Olzewski Glass Studio

In the foyer, an Italian crystal chandelier dangles from the 21-foot ceiling, accessorizing a winding wrought iron staircase with a cherry wood handrail handcrafted by Custom Fabrication. Climbing the staircase to the bedrooms offers a glimpse of hand-painted billowy clouds in the chandelier’s dome.

The traditional home features formal living and dining rooms on either side of the entrance with oak flooring, adding warmth to the palette.

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Pillars, marble floors and trim around the double-sized Whirlpool tub create a spa-like atmosphere.

White decorative crown molding with a scroll-like design adds a sophisticated touch to the formal dining and living area. Marble top-lighted niches provide space to highlight objects in the dining area, plus a recessed space is perfect for fitting a buffet or sideboard.

Gather around the kitchen

Past the dining room, a spacious kitchen with oak cabinetry, granite countertops and tile flooring inevitably becomes the gathering place when the Sernas entertain.

“The kitchen is the focal point of the house,” Mary Serna said. “Before you know it, we’re all in here. If we’re not outside enjoying the patio, we’re in the kitchen.”

Since the family loves to cook, the couple installed two gas-top stoves, a two-burner cook top and a four-burner cook top, plus two electric double ovens to whip up their dining delights.

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In the formal living room, the Sernas display a frieze from Florence, Italy. The art piece is a replica of a segment of a charge from the Renaissance period, according to Mary Serna.

A built in breakfast bench with a granite counter propped on cantera stone pedestals offers additional seating behind the kitchen bar. Three stained glass panels also by Olzewski Glass Studio draw the eye upward and outward to the covered patio where a blue tiled fountain flows into the swimming pool.

Around the kitchen bar is the den, which also overlooks the patio. A white finished entertainment center with built-in shelving units and accent lights, a wet bar and marble fireplace offers a cozy area to pick up the guest flow from the kitchen and the patio.

Master comfort

In the master suite, hardwood flooring extends from the beige painted den to maize yellow walls with square-like framed molding painted gold lining the suite walls. Picture windows positioned perfectly above the swimming pool create the illusion of a floating bedroom.

“At night, you just see the water and it just looks great,” Mary Serna said.

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Faith is an integral part of the Sernas’ lives, evident in the religious icons throughout their home. The couple’s son, Father Patrick Serna, gave Zeke Serna a crucifix from Mexico as a Christmas gift. The couple had a special niche built in their bedroom to display the gift.

Marble floors and countertops enrich the master bath, complete with two decorative pillars accenting the oasis-like jet tub.

A spacious closet opens from the master bath, then leads to a study complete with oak cabinetry and a handmade Mexican entry door with beveled glass panels.

Split bedrooms

With one guest bedroom downstairs and a nearby full bath, the remaining two bedrooms and a self-contained bedroom are upstairs, each with full-sized baths.

In their son, Father Patrick Serna’s former bedroom, a wall-sized shelf unit with glass paned doors and accent lighting was designed to house his books.

In daughter Erika Serna-Bouts former bedroom, a partial canopy serves as a decorative headboard above the bed. A marble vanity with pink, lavender and peach swirls adds a feminine touch to the full bath.

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An inviting den sits between the kitchen and the formal living area, providing plenty of space for guests to roam. ‘I wanted to achieve warmth in the home even though there’s a lot of space,’ Mary Serna said. ‘And that’s the biggest compliment I’ve received — that our home is warm, but elegant.’

Situated between the siblings’ bedrooms, is another den/bedroom that wasn’t part of the couple’s original plan for the home, but has since become a useful suite for overnight guests.

Complete with a wet bar, a full bath, a bedroom and a view of the swimming pool, the hideaway room provides guests absolute privacy.

Outside the covered patio, Saltillo tile and colorful talavera tile accents surround the swimming pool and the outdoor kitchen area. A gas top stove next to a custom built barbecue pit is an added convenience for Zeke Serna, who doesn’t have to run indoors to operate the kitchen stoves.

The blue-tiled wall near the pool with the lion head fountains adds a soothing touch when the Sernas lounge poolside.

“I had a neighbor say, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t realize paradise was right around the corner,’” Mary Serna said.