Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

In the great room or living room, refinished doorframes contrast with the whitewash finish of the custom-made shelf units by the fireplace.

By Diane S. Morales, Caller-Times

October 30, 2005

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

Additional seating at the kitchen bar allows family and guests to watch Bussieres and Borkowski cooking in action. ‘It’s like a working kitchen,’ Borkowski said. ‘People cooking, talking or sitting down having a glass of wine.’

Katherine Bussieres and John Borkowski passed their children — 1 1/2-year-old Alex and 5-month-old Gabrielle — from each other’s arms, preparing them for the bedtime bath ritual.

The couple moved from Seattle into their Country Club home about two years ago and during that time they’ve started a family and renovated their home, only to outgrow it.

“We’re staying in Corpus Christi,” Katherine said. “The other house is a two-story. We have so many relatives that stay over and we want to have another child, so we need the extra space.”

Plus, their new home is on a golf course, the site of one of John’s favorite sports.

Sense of sophistication

The traditional brick exterior with white columns and shutters transforms into a sophisticated scene of color and style inside the home, with Brazilian cherrywood floors.

New floors were just one of the major changes Katherine and John made to the home. Warm wall colors, a redesigned kitchen and removing some interior walls updated the home’s look and flow.

“We like the floor plan of the house, but there were a lot of small spaces,” Katherine said. “So we opened them up. We like to entertain and the open spaces help us watch the kids.”

The couple chose to leave the bronze textured wallpaper in the foyer, which leads to a study on the right and a dining room on the left.

Open-paned windows in the study and dining room allow plenty of light to enter the rooms, a quality Katherine enjoys.

Maize-colored walls in the dining room with white crown molding contrasts with the dark wood furnishings and pumpkin-colored dining table chairs. Shades of yellow dominate the home.

“I just like warm colors, not white. Since it’s so open, I couldn’t add different colors everywhere,” Katherine said.

A sitting area with pale yellow walls flows from the dining room and into the kitchen. John said they concentrated on changing these rooms where they spend most of their time.

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

Brazilian cherry hardwood floors tone down the dark granite counters, stainless steel appliances and white cabinets in the kitchen.

“It’s where we live. Anytime we entertain, the kids can be there and we can watch them,” Katherine said. “We’ll miss that and the back yard.”

Eclectic flavors

White cabinets by Signature Millworks with slender metal handles and stainless steel appliances add a contemporary look in the kitchen. Katherine said the Susan Castor Collection helped with ideas for the kitchen’s design, such as the black granite counters, tan tile back splash from Aston Designs and paint selections for the home.

With family and friends to entertain, Katherine and John made good use of the kitchen, cooking regularly and using fresh herbs from their garden.

“We have orange trees, a grapefruit tree, Asian plums and a pear tree. We had fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice from December to March,” Katherine said. “I’m going to miss that.”

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

Pottery and plates adorn an accent table in the couple’s living room where the kitchen is just a few steps away.

The kitchen and breakfast nook opens to the great room where a cathedral ceiling and a stone fireplace highlight what Katherine calls her “eclectic international” décor.

International flair

Silk rugs from the United Arab Emirates, colorful sofa pillows from India, textiles from the Middle East and other accessories from their travels decorate the room. The objets d’art accent a living area in front of a big screen TV, and a sitting space behind it near the fireplace. Custom-made cabinets flank the fireplace.

The open space between the two areas allows an unobstructed view of the swimming pool through the glass paned doors.

“We had a luau once for my employee’s 50th birthday party,” John said. “We had a lot of fun. About 75 guests and it was comfortable. We didn’t swim because it was February.”

Thick shrubs line the backyard for added privacy and a bit of intimacy.

The home’s bedrooms are concentrated on one side of the home near the great room. And each bedroom defines its space with color — the guest bedroom is a terra cotta color, Alex’s room is gray blue and the master suite is sage.

The Canadian couple already has plans to add some color to their new home, but they’ll leave more than color from their old home behind.

“I’ll miss the quaintness of the house and the neighborhood. It’s safe living at the end of a cul de sac and we have great neighbors too,” John said.