When looking out the large picture windows of Charles and Ellen Lacy’s log cabin, all you see are trees. Rolling mountains of trees. There is no doubt that this is a true mountain escape.
This was their dream when they purchased property and designed their vacation home high in the hills of Cloudcroft. They wanted a retreat, and they also wanted it to be very different from their home in El Paso, where they live and run their jewelry business, Lacy & Co. Fine Jewelers.
The home is western all the way, typical of the Texas roots that flow through Charles and Ellen, who are natives of the state. “I love my western house. I knew I wanted this to be a true Texas house,” Ellen says of the home they have vacationed in for the past three years.
With busy workweeks, five children and 12 grandchildren, Charles and Ellen wanted a retreat they could visit often, and bring family together. The couple designed their home, and Charles sub-contracted the work himself. The remote location led to a year’s worth of building, but in the end the wait was worth it.
The entrance to the house leads to the great room, with a large kitchen, breakfast bar, dining area and two seating areas, but the main focal point is natural art in the purest form – picture windows overlooking miles of forest. A large deck provides an ideal place for grilling, relaxing and animal spotting; they regularly see elk, deer and a large variety of birds as well as an occasional bear. “We built according to the view,” Ellen says. “From every area in this great room, you can see the view.”
In a pattern consistent with an open floor plan on the main floor, the upstairs holds a loft with a sleeping alcove and sitting area, all overlooking the downstairs seating areas and, of course, the view. Three other bedrooms can be found in the corners of the home, and while private, they even seem to be a part of the openness, thanks to the large windows.
Ellen bought vibrant rugs in Oaxaca, Mexico before ground was even broken for the house. She knew the colors in the home would be red and green, and the décor of the home would be built around the rugs. With the help of Ross Landers of Ross Landers Interiors, Ellen and Charles were able to bring the West home.
Throughout their home you can find western art and artifacts. Stone was used extensively on the living room fireplace, in the kitchen and bathrooms. The bathrooms are pieces of art within themselves – one with beautiful tile mosaics, another with colorful cowboy boots lining the wall. “It’s exactly what I envisioned it to be,” Ellen says.
Ellen and Charles try to make it to the cabin every weekend for rest and relaxation. With “mountain clothes” always at the cabin, and food stocked in the freezer, all they need to do when heading to their home away from home is jump in the car.
“When we return to El Paso, I miss the solitude,” Ellen says. “I like to come up here where it is quiet. We love this place.”
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