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Life on Padre Island for the Hellumses combines relaxation and fun when a waterfront view serves as their backyard. ‘Two to three nights a week we have people over,’ Jaye Hellums said. ‘It’s kid, family entertaining all of the time.’

By Diane S. Morales, Caller-Times

July 24, 2005

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‘And these are my babies,’ Jaye Hellums said. A few large portraits of the Hellumses’ children decorate the walls in the entryway.

When Jaye and Carl Hellums built and designed their dream home, family came first. They didn’t expect to win awards in the process.

“When we bought the property, it was all vacant here,” Jaye Hellums said. “Carl and I were so excited we were bouncing off the walls and my mom was like ‘oh my, what have they done?’ “

What the Hellumses did was build a 3,319-square-foot home on the canal in Padre Island fit for their two children Allen, 5, and Emily, 8, and spontaneous entertaining.

The Hellumses had started a building company TWOSAAM, Inc. in 1999, renovating homes. They reached a highpoint when they constructed and sold their first duplex on Padre Island, then ventured into building small homes, catapulting them into their own homebuilding project.

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Massive, deep colored artwork contrasts with the light hues in the living area. ‘I guess our décor is classic, just comfortable,’ Jaye Hellums said.

“We lived on the island prior and quickly outgrew the house with our two kids,” Jaye Hellums said. “We were falling out of it, literally.”

The Hellumses moved into their tan stucco and tile roof home on El Socorro Street in May 2003, but not before participating in the Parade of Homes.

Jaye Hellums said the home won best floor plan and best kitchen.

“We were bowled over. It was the only single address to win two awards,” she said.

The couple wasn’t striving for accolades, they were just intent on building exactly what they dreamed in a four-bedroom, five-bath home.

“We had a list of non-negotiables and list of dreams,” Hellums said. “We got everything on our lists except for the three-car garage because the lot couldn’t accommodate it and a pool.”

With two growing children and a close-knit family, the Hellumses focused on building a kid-friendly home with guest-friendly

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The couple decided to position the master suite downstairs at the front of the home, reserving the waterfront view for the living area for family and friends to enjoy.

entertaining areas.

“We wanted the water view for entertaining. By keeping the kids’ world upstairs, they can be comfortable in their own world,” Jaye Hellums said.

Past the master suite and guest room downstairs, a waterfront view frames the living, kitchen, dining areas and a centrally located wet bar.

Khaki colored walls and neutral tone furnishings dominate. Taupe leather sofas contrast with dark wood accent tables. A scroll-like stone mantel above the beige tiled fireplace was one of several decorative selections in the home from Interiors by Braselton.

Next to the living area, the Hellumses’ kitchen colors flow with more taupe hues. Corian counters in a putty tone with tan, white and gray speckles complement the ash cabinetry.

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In 5-year-old Allen Hellums’ room, more bright bedding and decorative accents from Kids Stop create a colorful world of play.

“I spent hours mixing colors at Sherwin Williams. I call it a Jaye original,” she said.

Hellums said the kitchen was her husband’s master plan that evolved around a commercial stainless steel gas stove. The couple collaborated on a user-friendly kitchen for all of the family cooks to enjoy.

“My husband is the chef in the family,” Jaye Hellums said. “And my dad loves to come over and bake, too.”

A pot filler faucet on the stove’s back-splash, an extra sink for vegetable preparationand plenty of storage keep the kitchen a sleek and efficient culinary space.

Bedroom bliss

Around the granite counter wet bar to the left of the home’s entrance, shades of white blanket the master suite’s décor. Sunlight from the white plantation shutters adds to the room’s crispness.

Up the oak stairs and rustic wrought iron banister, the kids’ world unfolds in the family room centered between the children’s bedrooms.

Emily’s room is the quintessential girl’s room with pink and white bedding, floral window treatments and white wood furnishings.

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Eight-year-old Emily Hellums helped her mom, Jaye Hellums, select the fabrics and colors from Kids Stop to decorate her room. 'She likes it because it's not babyish, but still girly,' Jaye Hellums said.

“She has the best view in the house,” Jaye Hellums said, pointing to the canal.

On the other end of the family room, Allen’s planes, trains and trucks-themed room bright with primary colors is a 5-year-old boy’s playroom paradise with a canal view to boot.

But the swimming pool is where the Hellumses’ children and family get-togethers often converge.

“The kids just think it’s the berries to watch Disney and float in the pool,” Jaye Hellums said. “We have everything we need out there. It’s like vacation living.”