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With the kitchen overlooking the living area and a casual dining area, the Blancos never skip a beat when they entertain guests flowing through the spaces and onto the patio.

By Diane S. Morales, Caller-Times

October 16, 2005

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

This seven-foot tall water fountain with swan accents graces the entrance of the Blanco’s 2,240-square-foot home. Paul Blanco said it was bought in McAllen.

Viola and Paul Blanco invited friends Mary and Ralph Hinojosa for a take-out dinner of tamales, rice and beans and guacamole to watch a boxing match and to discuss their day-trip plans to Laredo for some Christmas shopping.

At the top of Viola Blanco’s list are accent items for her home.

“I’m looking for some big pots for the patio because we’re not finished with it yet,” Viola said.

Viola also wants to add a few more finishing touches to their custom-built redbrick home on the 8100 block of Mima Street before her Mediterranean-inspired home is complete.

Amid faux palms and greenery, bold accessories and flowing curtains it’s impossible to notice any decorative gaps. That is, unless you’re the homeowner.

Viola, a customer representative for AEP, and retiree Paul Blanco, started with a blank canvas when they built their three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home about a year ago. They got rid of furniture, silverware and pots and pans from their previous home for a fresh start and a new décor.

“Our realtor took us to different houses and we liked different parts of each house we saw,” Viola said. “We took the parts and put them together for our new house.”

Golden Real Estate Construction centralized the kitchen in the home, a priority for Viola when the couple entertains guests, and decorator V.R. Mirelesowner of Decorating Concepts and Design, made Viola’s vision of tropical sophistication a reality.

“This is our last home. We’re not going anywhere,” Viola said.

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

Guests are swathed in rich color in the purple room, Viola Blanco’s favorite color.

Ivory tiled floors and a 13-foot ceiling graces the foyer as an impressive crystal chandelier draws the eye upward then forward to search for the sounds of a trickling fountain and tropical birds.

An illuminated niche displaying a stone-like water fountain is the source of nature’s music that greets guests, setting the home’s tropical tone.

At the right of the foyer, red-hot colored walls contrast with the ivory upholstered chairs around the oval wood dining table.

“My cousin’s house in Houston has the same color and I wanted it, too,” Viola said.

From the boxed ceiling, another crystal chandelier adds a bit of sparkle to the scene, reflecting in the mirrored china cabinet that displays a collection of black, gold and ivory dishes.

Dining room corners and space above the china cabinet sprout faux palms and ferns.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of palm trees,” Viola said.

The living area often becomes the gathering spot for guests, who easily flow around the kitchen that flows seamlessly into the living room, or wander outside to the open courtyard. “In the other house, the kitchen was in the front and the living room was in the back,” she said. “Now, I can cook and visit with my company at the same time.”

Sleek gray and black speckled granite counters glimmer in the kitchen with an angled bar for extra seating.

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

Three arched mirrors reflect the dining and living area near the kitchen, adding depth to the space. Glass paned doors lead to the backyard, which was tiled with a rock-patterned tile by Artistic Tile, according to Paul Blanco.

Although Viola and Paul split the cooking duties, Viola’s barbecue skills are legendary among her friends, a gift from her late father.

“My mom says ‘Vives con tu comida’ (you live with your food) on the weekends,” Viola said.

Shimmering mossy bronze curtains adorn a trio of windows in the living area. Instead of following the arched window shape, Mireles created peaks with the curtains made by Viola’s aunt. Mireles’ design resembles an Indian decorative accent.

Privacy for guests

A split bedroom layout provides privacy for the Blancos’ houseguests. Viola named the home’s bedrooms after their décor. The “purple” room, a guest bedroom, is drenched in rich purple wall color contrasted with sateen bedding in warm red, gold and orange hues.

Down the hallway of family photos, another guest bedroom, the “leopard” room, gets its name from the leopard print bedding

On the other side of the living room, Viola named the master suite the “jaguar” room after the bedding style name. Rich red and gold tapestry bedding with matching curtains dominates the room.

As dinner winds down, the two couples look forward to another memorable shopping trip to Laredo and more memorable gatherings at the Blanco home.

“We were there with them to say goodbye to their old home,” Mary Hinojosa said. “And we were here when this was just dirt.”