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‘The big living room, kitchen, and you can walk into the living area from the bedrooms — it’s just a feeling of openness,’ Dr. Pedro Torres said.

By Diane S. Morales, Caller-Times

July 31, 2005

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Dr. Pedro Torres said he and wife, Mafalda Torres, opt to dine at the Corian kitchen island instead of at the casual dining table near the island.

Nature has a magical way of melting the hearts and souls of city slickers when given the opportunity. Consider self-proclaimed city boy Dr. Pedro Torres turned animal and countryside lover.

The Details Address: 2101 Whispering Oak Drive, Roscher Estates Subdivision Square feet: 3,278 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 Price: $498,000 Built: 1984 Information: Karen Fregia, Century 21 Best of the Best, 215-0814

“Never in my life I imagined living in a house with a barn and animals,” Torres said, nodding.

With the help of his wife Mafalda and the tranquility of their Flour Bluff hacienda, the empty nesters now long for more land to love and less home to labor.

The Torreses have lived in their home on Whispering Oak Drive for 12 years. Torres said he and Mafalda were drawn to the 1.3-acre lot home because of the location and its style.

“The home’s stucco style and Hispanic flavor with the tile floors and indoor/outdoor arches reminds us of homes in Venezuela where we’re from,” he said.

The tan stucco home with a red tile roof is canopied with mesquite trees stretched in the front yard. A coral like fence on the sides and rear of the home is a telltale sign of livestock land.

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In the master suite, a 20-foot angled ceiling allows height and space for a wrought-iron canopy bed.

Torres said Mafalda grew up with horses and animals at her childhood home in Venezuela. Her love for four-legged friends translates into three dogs and a pony at their Whispering Oak home and two horses housed outside of the city.

“We want more land to retire our horses, Rembrandt and Vegas,” Torres said.

The couple has plans to stay in the Flour Bluff area because Torres said it has given them the best of both worlds — the feel of country living in a coastal city.

The home’s open, airy design is no doubt defined by the amount of windows in every

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Religious icons and decorative crosses accent a wall outside the master suite near the living area.

room, especially the living area where three large picture windows overlooks the Saltillo courtyard and tiered fountain.

“My wife saw the home first and she said whoever designed the home developed it in a nice way for a one story home,” Torres said.

He said Mafalda, who studied architecture, noted the openness of the home minus hallways and the attention to the availability of natural light.

“I’m in the operating room where it’s cold and enclosed,” Torres said. “That’s the last thing I want to feel when I’m at home.”

A white brick fireplace contrasts with the Saltillo floors in the 20-foot ceiling living area where a few steps away a spacious kitchen becomes the typical gathering place for friends and family.

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Slate gray tile with hints of brown and blue hues in the master bath adds depth to the palette. Dr. Pedro Torres said all three of the home’s bathrooms recently were remodeled.

Rows of peachy tan cabinets line the L-shaped Corian kitchen counter tops, while an natural brick wall adds warmth to the area. A Saltillo-tiled back-splash continues the rustic theme kitchen.

A stove-top island with a square ivory Corian counter provides extra seating space for guests, but these days it’s a cozy dining/chatting space for two.

Behind the stovetop island is a casual dining area with a perfect view of the courtyard. A kitchen side door leads to a covered and gated breezeway that opens to a circular driveway.

Down a small kitchen hallway, Mafalda converted a bedroom into a lilac colored pilates room

.“She enjoyed the room so much she painted it to match her equipment,” Torres said.

On the opposite end of the kitchen, a family room overlooks the front yard.

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In the family room, a screen print with polo players and a rocking toy horse reflect the Torreses’ passion for horses.

The master suite, office and guest bedroom and bath are located on the other side of the living area away from the potential kitchen noise.

Although white walls and peachy tan trim dominate the home, sunlight from the windows and patio door illuminates the master suite’s pale sage walls. A remodeled master bath combines sophistication and casualness with rustic gray tile work and a taupe colored dual vanity topped in white Corian.

Stepping out the master suite onto the patio, arches mimic both sides of the sun-drenched courtyard. Similar arches define the small barn proudly designed by Mafalda where her pony Pompe is housed.

“She hooks up the pony to a cart and rides the neighborhood,” Torres said. “That’s very special because you can hear the clop, clop, clop — you can’t do that just anywhere — and the kids wave.”