I think my favorite thing in this house tour is the black and white family portrait in the master bedroom. That is priceless. Nice home.

I think the yellow striped walls in the playroom (?) are my favorite but it's hard to choose. This house is bursting with life and color. And PIECOUR I believe they have two children and one on the way. These are some lucky kids!

I love Audrie's room! I wish my room looked like that when I grew up at my parents' house. Unfortunately the house came with ugly wallpaper in my room, it was like... pea soup green with cream flowers... the house was built by a company called Flowers, so they had flower wallpaper all over. Bleh. I also love that family portrait in the master bedroom!

Nursery is awesome- great gender neutral colors and love the stripes!

I just love this house overall!

A beautiful, functional home with many pops of color. Maybe staged, but why not? If someone were documenting my home and family I would likely do just the same. The kids are clearly enjoying their spaces and are proud of them. Very sweet.

I don't see the wonderful peacock color named. Is that in the music room? The study? Jeez.. so many rooms, how can I identify it?

I love the kids play room. Will you please share a close-up photo of what appears to be a cardboard building in the corner of the room. I would love to see more detail of this. It looks homemade. Is it?

Beautiful home! Love the colors, artwork, everything. Very creative.

I like the kids spaces the best! They're very playful and artistic. I know first hand how hard it is to furnish a house of that space (well, not quite 3600, but you know...) and I think they did a great job. The rest will fill in in time, but for now it's clean and airy!

momoftwoboys, here's a link to our box house:
http://nessadeeart.blogspot.com/2012/05/crafty-friday-box-house.html
saramargaret, the peacock color is called Distance from Behr. I finally found the old paint can.

Thanks for the kind comments! Our house is a work in progress, and it is a lot of space to furnish! All in due time, though.

GREGGANNYC:

The new layout allows you to specify tours of studio and apartments if you prefer those tours. Just hover over Tours in the column on the left. A drop down will appear. In addition to that, Small Spaces has a link all its own.

@momoftwoboys

You can see a close-up of the cool cardboard house on Nessa's blog:
http://www.nessadeeart.blogspot.com/2012/05/crafty-friday-box-house.html

Good job making a builder basic into a happy home! I like the use of color.

Lovely home--I like so much of the artwork and the colors that were chosen. And that b/w photo is priceless. :)

Now, will someone please fix the heading so that it shows the correct possession? There appear to be 4+ Roeders at this lovely home.

Why does nobody in this family wear shoes?

Where is Gulliver with all these lilliputians?

These kids are too happy. Why has the world not beat them down yet?

Such a lovely and whimsical home! I'm in Pflugerville and so excited to see a neighbor on AT! I especially love the Union Jack ottoman. Did you make that?

And to the naysayers, please remember that this is Texas, so land is cheap and there's lots of it. Big houses abound here, just like the blue sky.

RLMESQ, this house was 10 years old when we purchased it. It was much bigger than what we wanted, but it was a steal, and we've had fun with it. Should we have burned it down instead?

I think the use of color in the home is great but, their is a lot of empty space still. I wish to see the family take advantage of all the additional room they have. Not everyone is lucky enough to have that much square feet.

RLMESQ do I sense some jealousy?Anyway at least it is refreshing to see kids doing activities instead of staring at a phone or laptop.
Live and let live.

The first thing I would do is change the gold/shiny brass door knobs through out the house. I think those are cheapest stuff builders use from their parts bin. Changing something as simple as door knobs instantly changes character to a room.

I love the union jack ottoman. Where did you get it?
Frankly, I don't mind the size of the home at all. I live in the tiniest house with two kids under 8 and a dog and a spouse, so seeing a family in a non cramped house is very theraputic for me. Thanks for letting us visit your home and I appreciate all the great ideas. Even though I am renting and probably won't paint my rooms any time soon, I can appreciate how other folks use their own space and fill it with their own style.

Cute family. Big, beautiful house with lots of personality. I love the tree trunks (painted or decals?) in the upstairs hall. That'd be a fun way to display family photos — on a big family tree.

I'm sure the naysayers are mostly just jealous of the abundant space — I know I am. It does look a little staged, but a lot of that probably has to do with the huge space not filled with lots of stuff and the fact that they just finished a bunch of projects right before the photo shoot. I'm sure if we revisit in 5 years, there'll be a lot more treasures filling up the 3,600 sf.

I'd love to know the name of the fabric on the vanity chair in Audrie's room.

You've succeeded brilliantly in transforming a builder's grade tract house into a very appealing home. I could comment on lots of things that struck me as intelligent or charming, but the one thing that really hit me (and for which I applaud madly) was the kitchen. Hallelujah!: what a relief to see white appliances so well-intergrated and be spared the tyranny of stainless steel! Bravo!

LOVE the two-tone map in the boy's room! I so want to do that in my own house someday.

I love the wall treatment in the bathroom... wallpaper? stencil?

The bedspread and wall color in the girl's room seem so joyful.

Very nice house tour. I enjoyed flipping through the photos and I'll go check out their blog after this. Just for future home tours... I kind of agree that there were a few too many "people shots" and, overall, just too many photos. 72 seems like a lot to me, anyway. I did wonder if, maybe, all the photos of the family were to make a point... that home is more about the people that live there than about an ottoman or wall treatment. I agree :) But, I agree that it made the tour feel a little off. But, lovely home. Lovely use of color in a mostly neutral background. And I'm glad they want to celebrate theri family so much.

So... I visited the blog. Very nice. My above comments, really, boil down to praise for the home, but a little constructive criticism for the AT contributor, Chris Perez. Hopefully, he'll take the input and make some changes before his next house tour shoot.

Nessa... your home is lovely. Truly. And so is your family.

Love many elements of this house. Big house, and very family oriented.

Well, generally speaking a lot of reaction = success no matter the sentiment (good or bad).

That said, this house seems a bit forced: like everything was borrowed from a design blog or a West Elm catalog. It's like a projection of personality without actual substance, as if everything has been borrowed from somewhere else and there is no soul to the home.

And I agree with @Piecour. Be real, AT.

please tell the gray wallpaper source/design behind white pedestal sink......loved it!

While I will agree that some of the photos seem contrived, the slightly irreverent vibrancy of the home is just up my alley.

Looks fine to me, LOVE the Union Jack ottoman (how's that for a Turkish/British collaboration). I don't understand why anyone would comment on the staging - would you prefer to see toilet seats up, not down, or dirty dishes or glasses out? Besides, looking at my living room, dining room and sun room from my vantage point, I don't see anything unnecessary sitting out, since I've always tried to put things away that aren't in use.

I'm saddened by the negative comments.
Granted, when I saw how big the home was I almost didn't click to view the tour. I live in a small place and love looking at small homes for examples and ideas of what I can do. BUT I'm so glad I decided to look at this home. Absolutely beautiful! The colors, the creativity, the love of the family that is evident in not only the surroundings and details but in the faces of the family themselves - absolutely priceless!!!! LOVE!

Love that rug in the entry. What a great gift from your brother!

But I think my favorite element is the alphabet over the crib. The concept is perfect for a nursery, and the letters themselves are beautiful and fun. Great job!

I am also surprised by the negative comments. The house is quirky, colorful, fresh, and full of personality. I loved seeing the family in the home tour. Makes it personal and real. Thanks for sharing your fun space!

I really don't understand how anyone can say that this looks like it's 'borrowed from a West Elm catalogue'. That's just weird, given that most of the artwork, for example, is originals done by the owner.

Newsflash, people: a house can still be 'real' without having unmade beds and unmatched 1970's thrift-store bric-a-brac filling every nook and cranny. It's a colourful, functional, uncluttered family home, with some unique personal touches (like the mural). It's not the most wildly unusual place I've ever seen on AT, but it's far from cookie-cutter.

You know what? I think all the Grumpy McGrumpytons making comments here need to go have a nice drink, sit back, relax, and appreciate how freakin' great this house is and if they're still jealous, move to Texas. There's room for everybody. Even you.

"A ridiculous 3600 square feet". Precisely.

GORGEOUS SPACE! And great photos! Thanks so much for sharing. And I agree with Lauriebird. People can be so critical.

KIKI LEE and KUHNSTERTHOTS the wall treatment was done with a stencil from Hobby Lobby. The base color is Frozen Pond, and the stencil color is Rhino both from Behr

LUPINELLE I'm not sure of the fabric name, but my daughter picked it out at Joann Fabrics

LULUWEBER and CAKOWALIK I found the ottoman at Home Goods...it came preworn and prestained, so I don't have to worry about it with our kids and dog. :)

info on the map on the wall, please? thanks

I can see both sides of the argument here. I don't think there is anything quirky about this house. Its very catalog. I get the sense that some of the staged look has to do with the fact that since the house is so large parts of it are probably not really lived in.

My gut reaction too was that this house is way too big, and while No Nessa, you shouldn't have burnt it to the ground, it probably shouldn't have been built so large in the first place. Surely, you understand why many people at a website that has often advocated small space living, and grew out of a small living ethos would be put off by the size. It is a waste of space.

However there is some really nice rooms, and agree with lots of others that the kids rooms seem to the nicest most enjoyable parts of the tour.

Wow, I'm surprised and saddened by all the harsh comments on this one. I'm in a severely underwater condo in the SF Bay Area, but you know what? I don't begrudge this family their square footage. More power to them. If you want to see true excess, go find the photo of the $12,000 lighting fixture that AT posted recently. (Yes, 12 thousand, not 12 hundred. My head about exploded when I saw the price tag.)

And I think their place is great! Love the paint choices, the graphics, and the rainbow of color choices for furniture, accessories, etc., in various shots, esp. the daughter's room. Well done!

And, while I'd avoid the camera myself if I were ever in an AT home tour (my 2 adorable cats can stand in for me!), I love seeing kids in AT photos and whole families - they look as though they're having a great time and really enjoying being around each other. Staged? Really? I'm one of the world's great cynics, but they didn't seem staged to me.

p.s. Laurie Bird's comment about Grumpy McGrumpytons made me laugh :) Good one.

I enjoyed this house tour. It was real, family-oriented, and down-to-earth. I, too, live in Round Rock, TX, so it was refreshing to see how someone has taken a standard, "cookie-cutter" home, which all over the place around here, and made it their own, true to their family's personalities and needs. It has inspired me to think outside of the box with my own home. I also can't wait to check out your blog. Thanks for sharing!

Please, for the love of God, hang up your pictures instead of just leaning them against the walls. Other than that, I say well done for it being a McMansion. :)

DURGA the map wall was painted on using one shade darker than the base color. I penciled in the equator and prime meridian as guidelines, and then with a map in hand for reference I freehanded the rest. It's not the most accurate map, but my son doesn't care.

It's nice to see a home that is not a MCM blowout. And as noted, this IS Texas. Lots of land, and not too expensive in cities like Round Rock.

@MELISSAM is right. If you want to see conspicuous consumption (or at least its promotion), look at some of the featured products of AT!

Yup - good call MelissaM.

Since the size of the home has generated so many comments, I looked on craigslist to see what homes in Round Rock go for.

Hell's bells, people, you can get a home their size for $279K:

http://austin.craigslist.org/reb/3031112880.html

Try entering that same dollar amt for San Francisco (the city, not the whole Bay Area), and you get 31 listings, most of them purposely miscategorized listings (truncated or missing dollar amts) or spam for property in Costa Rica or the Philippines:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/rea/sfc?bedrooms=1&hasPic=1&maxAsk=280000&srchType=A

Location, location, location.

Size: A ridiculous 3600 square feet = Im sold on this one :D

MelissaM: It's not just about how much one spends to buy a house, it's about how many resources it takes to build, heat (maybe not so much in Texas), cool, and maintain such a large home (and the many similar others that populate the US).

For everyone saying that land is abundant and cheap in Texas...well, so what? Does that just automatically excuse us from considering the impact of what is built? Does it mean that we don't have to think smartly about how we use resources? I would hope not.

That said, for this home in particular, it had been around for some time before the homeowners bought it. Unless it was torn down (a waste), someone was probably going to be living in it. At least it's a relatively big family making use of it. Aesthetically, it feels too cavernous to me, which isn't my personal taste, but there were some really nice elements like the letter collage in the nursery, Audrie's whole room, and the handmade bookshelves. And the family is quite lovely.

I always skip articles regarding overly large homes. It's time we move beyond that paradigm and live within the means of our planet.

square footage doesn't disturb me; different strokes for different folks...but for all the hype about its personality, I just didn't see it. It all looked very generic to me.

EEKNS, that's quite a moralistic statement to be making. If we really want to 'live within the means of our planet' we wouldn't be reading apartment therapy with its constant push to 'update' things that are all actually perfectly in working condition, but dated, or buy new products, etc. the whole site is about consumption, just gussied up under the theme of 'we need to live smaller'. And yet, most of the homes featured here are for couples living in 1200 sq. feet (or single people living in 600 sq. feet). And all these houses are filled with 'stuff' that people ooh and ahh over. This family will have five people in it. multiply 600 by 5 and you get 3000. So why the moral superiority?

It is big and I loathe newer big houses ....mcmansions.....for all the reasons stated above...especially the habitat loss.....kids have been to play in houses where the great room could double as a basketball court.....ridic.. Meanwhile we are killing bears because there is no room for them...sigh...it is what it is as it was already built. The fault lies with govt not resticting building size...lot size with developer.. With that said I really like what was done with the interior.....not married to any one style and NOT MCM yippee! Like all the creative touches. Thought the daughters room awesome....letters over the crib so cute. I like all the art....I like that it's not stuffed to the gills with stuff. Youve created a great family home for sure...good job.

What struck me the most when I reviewed this tour was that the owners have went to great lengths to make a fun, happy home for their children. The most fun, eye-catching decor (yellow striped walls, stenciled tree) is concentrated in the kid's rooms. How wonderful to have parents who would rather spend hours painting an atlas on your bedroom wall, than waste five minutes hanging a mirror up in their bedroom!

Nessa and Jon, I think you have a lovely home, one that your children will remember fondly when they are all grown up. I hope the negative comments here don't deter you from providing an update of your home in several years. I would love to see the rest of your home after you've fully decorated it!

@bindy - Well said.

a house in Round Rock that isnt a boring color palette ! I am shocked and pleased. These folks did it a great job making it there home and not sticking with what the scheme up there seems to be although beautiful homes it does become a bit repeted. LOVE the color palette they chose.

Very very nice house! I love a lot of things about it and it inspires me for my own! What is the atlas map on the wall? Did you paint it yourself or is it a sticker we can purchase somwhere? ;-) Would look great in my boys bedroom! :-)

"Furnished with stuff from readily available stores instead of vintage MCM and refinished thrift store dressers" =/= "copied from a catalogue." And the reason their house doesn't look all cozy-cluttery is because they have lots of space but notably HAVEN'T purchased tons of crap to fill in every nook and cranny. Which seems to mean that they might NOT be supporting rampant consumerism... doesn't mean it doesn't "look lived in."

this is going to be bizarre, but here goes...

In photo #23, there is an illustration of Mom and Dad sitting together surrounded by records on the wall on a green bench. This wasn't inspired by a photo of any kind was it? and if it was, if said inspiring photo is from a specific two-story record/book shop in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida; I will lose my mind, as in my brain will liquidate and drip out of my ears.

(snaps out of it)
I MEAN, WHAT A LOVELY HOME!

KRISTALOUISE...the illustration was a gift I made for my husband based on a picture from a vacation we took to Seaside, FL. If that's Santa Rosa Beach, than yes it was at the most unique and fun two-story book/record shop. You can see the actual picture here:
http://www.nessadeeart.blogspot.com/2010/05/and-were-back.html

ARIANE_STING The map wall was painted on using a shade darker than the base. I drew the prime meridian and equator as guidlines and then freehanded the rest. Australia ended up a little big, and I'm sure there are a few too many, or too few islands, but for a six year old, it doesn't really matter. :)

@ANNA LISA ding ding ding! We have another winner. Spot on. Nearly all house tours on AT are vintage/MCM/quirky and when a family does something different than what's currently trendy, it's "catalog." Don't get me wrong, both are fine, but let's not pretend that going with the trend has more "personality."

As someone else has pointed out, I love the dark wood floors; makes a huge difference as opposed to carpet. I also like that wallpaper/stencil/whatever in the restroom! Very tasteful.

my husband and i live in 3500 f/ 1/2 acre yard house in a small town in Ontario, it is 1880 red brick, we have purchased the property four years ago, today place that size sells for about $180 K, it was a fixer upper, but we have a roof over our head.
I also have to say that the space is nice, sure, but after a while you do not actually think about it, and it is not that big.
When we were in process of closing I was told by a friend that for THAT money I could buy mansion with a pool and a tennis court in Corning ,NY.
Location people!

I enjoyed the tour quiet a bit.
Thank you for sharing!

I love the colorful chairs at the tables and vanities!

Love the colour of the chairs in the breakfast room! Could you please tell me what paint colour you used? Thanks!

As someone who lives in a builder grade Colonial, I was inspired by the house and love the cute family. I love what they did with it. I too could not afford what I really wanted (quirky modernist house-- they are well over $1M in my area), so I got the one I have. I nearly cried the day I moved in. But I've grown to love my home.

Yes, it's a suburban house. But its fabulously energy efficient with a new(ish) roof for my solar panels. And it's been a really fun challenge to try to make the house my own.

I think many of these comments are ridiculous and mean. There are 5 members of this family so each person lives in 600sq ft. I know plenty of single people who live in energy inefficient 1000 sq in Boston-- but no one would attack them on AT.

Moreover, I'd like to know what people think we should do with McMansions? No one should *ever* live with them? Even if you burn them to the ground, the costs of building a new smaller house would mean a huge foot print.

One more thing-- so there are more than few cute family pictures. Big deal. Does it really ruin your day that much? REALLY?

In short: I love this house. Lots of great ideas, and applicable for the AT audience.

This house has motivated me to get off of my lazy bum and keep paiting... Insane asylum white is not a living room color option.

That family photo is awesome. And the exterior is lovely. But these guys need an MDF intervention! Maybe hit some vintage stores in Austin & pick up something unique that was manufactured before 2001...

Nessa Dee,

How saddened I am by all the negative rubbish posted in the comments. I could hardly believe it. No one had apparently read your "I'm pregnant and emotional" comment on your blog . . and if they had, I'm guessing they probably would have ignored it anyway. There is no excuse for it.

Your home is absolutely delightful! The colors, the creativity, the work you, your husband and kids have put into it - all amazing. Your daughter's choices of colors are outstanding. Your art work is delightful. It makes me smile. I'm saving it as one of my favorites. And I may even purchase one of your prints. Keep up the great work!

Love that this happy family appears to have a No Shoes Indoors rule. So glad to see that because wearing street shoes indoors is a filthy habit.

Love to see all kinds of homes that represent the people who live there--nice job. Many of us don't live in apartments in urban areas.

I too really like the letters in the nursery and the fabric on the chair in Audrie's room!(love it actually).

I don't want to add to the negative nellies, so let me phrase this as an honest question that is not meant to be a pointed criticism of this family: is it not disrespectful to use a nation's flag to put your butts/feet/dogs on? As much as I'm on board with free speech, I thought there was an understanding, at least in the U.S., that you don't let an American flag fly at night without a light on it, sit out in the rain, slide into disrepair, appear on clothing in 'compromising' locations (e.g. the butt of jeans) or touch the ground (a crafty friend blogged one she had made one into a bag and was flamed because of that likely possibility). Am I just old fashioned and out of touch, and/or does this understanding not apply with respect to the flags of other countries?

Being from RR, I have a question regarding how difficult it was to stencil over the textured walls that are so common here? Or were you lucky enough to not have that problem?

TASTERSPOON, I've felt a little uneasy about putting my feet up on the Union Jack. I'll ask my British friends what they think and get back to you :)

I adore the house and am awed by all the work you have put in it - KUDOS! I also live in Austin and would just love to have a big, beautiful open home like yours. The kitchen is modern, but classic and combines elements of family fun with space, light and comfort.

I think it's great to see a happy family and people enjoying their space.

yeah, i don't get all the negative comments. i absolutely love this house! i think you've done an amazing job with it. as a mom to 3 young children i took a lot of design inspiration away from this tour, although i realized as i was looking through the many family-filled photos that the real key to such a lovely home is the joy and love you all seem to have for one another. very inspiring indeed.

Not sure what room - but the piano room - could you tell me your carpet source? Also - the pink vanity/dresser just pulls everything together in your daughters room - love it. Looks like you have some budding artists in your household. I'm also deep sighing over your walkway and entrance! Thanks for sharing!

This is an awesome, beautiful, well lived in house!
Thank you so much for sharing it and pictures of your adorable family on AT. It's definitely an inspiration on how to make a home more exciting and lively!
Good luck on your soon-to-be new addition!

Beautiful home but definitely not modern. I think a lot of people are confused about what modern is. I would say definitely more of a traditional home. Very creative!

Wow this house is huge! I thought the house tour would never end.

Thought the house was really cute and very colorful. Especially the artwork and the kids' playspace. I feel lucky to live in a larger house (already built when we bought) and never dreamed there were so many people out there who felt so angry about larger houses. I lived in a very small house before this. Both have their upside and their downside. I think it's fine for people to voice their opinions, but I wish some people would preview their comments before sending. If they thought about it first, I think they would re-phrase some things.
Also, this doesn't look like a catalog house to me.

I am a small-house person, but I understand that in many areas with newer houses McMansions are the norm. These people did not BUILD their house, they took an existing property and made it their own. They are clearly not all about materialism, and their list of resources is a lot more down-to-earth than a lot of the posts on this site (like the 800-square-foot apartments in New York that are crammed full of overpriced, showy, "statement" furniture, fancy wallpaper, restaurant-quality appliances that they never use, and so on).

I love the pink mirrored dressing table in Audrie's room! What's the source?

I agree with posters MrsMogun and Rennie Lou. This house tour had an unpleasant aspect, and it had nothing to do with the decor. Did we need to see so many photographs of the family - in poses? Isn't the point of a house tour to concentrate on the design, not the designers?

For those who are distressed to see some criticism (valid from my point of view), is only "happy talk" allowed. AT needs constructive criticism so that mistakes can be corrected in the future.

I can see that elements of this must be nice for the kids but overall this house didn't really speak to me. I'm not sure why.There are elements, such as the pops of colour, that I like but it doesn't feel 'real' to me, somehow...

@NESSA DEE ...YES! SUNDOG BOOKS! RIGHT IN SEASIDE. I performed improv comedy right there for one summer and now I live in New York. Funny how the image of the seat with the surrounding records is so burned into my mind, it's so quirky and picturesque and eye catching. What a teeny tiny world! And you did that? What a gorgeous rendition!

The owners did a fantastic job - it's not easy to turn a typical suburban Texas home into something unique, and they did exactly that. Yes, it is not 100% modern with crown moldings and chair rails and curved staircase railing. Yes,ceiling vent and recessed lighting in those homes is not placed by Frank Lloyd Wright's drawings. So what? The fact that the structure is new does not mean it has no charm or merit - in fact, I bet that this house is more energy efficient than some of the glorified New England and California one-bedroom apartments.

You can go buy a truly designed modern house in quite a few Texas burbs by the way - the problem is that those run 3x per sq ft and construction quality is often 'experimental'. Not worth the price for most common folk.

This family achieved a great look without ripping apart the standard features - I admire their creativity because it's easy to forget that this lovely colorful home is MCM based - and that's the whole point.

I wish AT would just eliminate the comments section all together really, too many self righteous jerks. This family didn't build the house, they took an existing home and used it. Rather than, buy land, tear it up kill more trees and use more resources on a modern or simple new structure. BTW i bet this home uses a heck of a lot less than Al Gore's just sayin'

KRISTALOUISE what a small world! I'm surprised you even recognized it from the illustration! We absolutely loved that shop. I would have moved in if I could.

I’ve enjoyed reading the comments on the Roeder Home Tour – and I try to be open to constructive criticism, but some comments have made inaccurate assumptions about the Roeders. “unnecessary, conspicuous consumption” - most of the furnishings in Ness & Jonathan’s home are hand-me-downs, secondhand, or even picked up off the side of the road and given new life (like the yellow chair in Audrie’s room). I’d call that creative reclamation. And a side note, Jon still drives the truck he took to college, which is rare for the over 30 bunch. “borrowed from a design blog or a West Elm catalog” (I don’t even know what that is) - Few things in life are truly creative. Everything we do are products of what we’ve viewed, read, heard, etc. Otherwise why would design catalogs or blogs put anything out there at all if they were not meant to provoke new inspiration and attempts in expressing ourselves in the places we live. I’ve yet to see a robot in a baby nursery or a hand-made five foot tall cardboard village like that in a house, but those are just a few of the things that make that house (no matter what size) uniquely their home. “since the house is so large parts of it are probably not really lived in” - I can attest that they live in and use every room of that house daily except for the dining room, which is used for overflow or games when company comes. I love what they’ve done to the house so far, and knowing Vanessa, the house will change through the years as they change. What a great place for Jon and Ness to raise my grandkids—not because of the house itself, but because they’re in it.

The ad hominem sniping is a shame. We don't know nearly enough about this family to moralize at them.

But, there is a valid critique to be made here: of the home itself, of the decorating choices, and of the way AT has approached it editorially.

- the home, sadly, is an object lesson in the fact that no amount of imagination, creativity or color can overcome the soullessness of the mega-builder status house. When people talk about good bones, this is the opposite. It is aching, disjointed, pieces of furniture desperately trying and failing to anchor yawning expanses of wall and carpet. Even the huge monolith of bookcase in the living room feels so lost on that vast wall surrounded by distractingly-shaped and placed windows and doors.

- I can see the owners' style and some touches of real heart --like the little narrow wood chair with the yellow cushion and sweet portrait over it. They are clearly swimming upstream hard against the pull of show-home decor. But these flashes are relentlessly beaten back by the uber generic kitchen, dining room and, again, just the empty, awkward volumes of air. I would love to see what Nessa and her family could do with a space that does not swallow every attempt at a creative touch and spit it out.

- apartment therapy, the tour is too long. I don't know what the answer is but if we are going to have McMansion tours, we need to find a way to do it in less than 70 images. Similarly, I was put off by all the posed family shots. It undercut the authenticity of the story about this carefree, natural family home that we're being asked to buy.

This house isn't decorated in my taste, and I wouldn't want a house that big myself, but it looks great and the whole family looks happy and comfortable. The kids' rooms are amazing! And I am so glad to see some variety on AT rather than yet another staged mid-century modern house in LA. Thanks.

@ DONNA VAN CLEVE I hope everyone reads your post: nobody tells it more truly than Grandmother.

A home can be lived-in, AND clean. I know this might come as a revelation to some, but for many of us, cleanliness is just a way of life. I absolutely love this house tour. The home is beautiful and so is the family. I applaud the parents for not allowing their children to grow up in filth. Well done.

I posted an improved source list on my blog to address the questions in one go.

http://nessadeeart.blogspot.com/2012/05/sources-for-our-stuff.html

Hope this helps!

This family looks happy and loving -- they make me smile. A house this size isn't my taste because I am a bit agoraphobic so I prefer cozy to palatial. That said, I can appreciate what they've done with the place in a very short amount of time. I love the kids' rooms. Their home isn't haute design, but I think it's a good reflection of a pleasant and creative middle-class, middle-American family. If the space were 1/3 the size, I'd find more to love about it, but I really don't fault them for living here.

I live in central Texas as well and the only reason I stopped to check out this house tour was because of the line: "a builder grade home and injected it with personality, imagination, and life." There are SO MANY of these builder-grade homes in Texas, it's sickening! It seriously makes me sad how many of these neighborhoods already exist & they're only building more! (On a side note, they don't upset me because of the "size" or "consumerism", it's because they're all so cookie-cutter & bland.)

All that being said, I'm glad AT featured this home. I'm always interested in people who can take on the challenge of transforming these boring houses. Good job Roeder family!

You go Grandma!

Oh, I love those 4 pics in the entryway.

@KLBKLYN Well said.

I love all the fun kid spaces! I can tell you put a lot of thought into their rooms and the things that will spark their imaginations. Overall, I'd say the style is very Pottery Barn-esque. I looove the Union Jack ottoman! xo

Ohmigosh, I just read some of the negative comments and realize mine might be grouped with them for saying "Pottery Barn-esque." So sorry! I meant that it looked tasteful. I personally really enjoy Pottery Barn. Hope that didn't come out as veiled criticism. :)

Love love love! Every single inch! My favorite is seeing the kids being inspired to create, imagine and DO. Great job.

Love love love! Every single inch! My favorite is seeing the kids being inspired to create, imagine and DO. Great job.

I hope that the homeowners are able to see much of the criticism posted here for the back handed compliments they really are. The fact that so many people have criticized that there furnishings and decor are store bought (as if there is really anything wrong with that!) just means that the up-cycling they have done with so many of their furnishings was done so well that readers are assuming that they were purchased that way. And, your original artwork displayed around the house is gorgeous, lively, and unique.

As for the size of the house, I think it is awesome that you live in a part of the country were the luxury of space is affordable and attainable. And, being that it is in your typical, suburban, cookie cutter neighborhood, there are probably tons of kids around for your children to play with. What a wonderful place for your family to grow.

AT, I have to agree with the critics on the size of the tour. 70 images is a bit much. I like looking at a lot of photos, but this one took so long, I had to come back to it later to finish viewing it all. Sorry :/

What I love about this home is the family who lives and loves in it. Their caring connection to each other exudes through every room. Although the design of the home is aesthetically pleasing, it is apparent that it is born out of the needs, creativity and comfort of a family where each member and their relationship to each other is carefully considered and encouraged. I WANT TO KNOW THESE PEOPLE! They are wonderful!

OMG, some of you are CRAZY! Why all the hate because of someone's large home? Please go have a drink.

You have a lovely home that was decorated with thought for how your family uses the space. As for the comments about "conspicuous consumption", really people. If this family can afford the house,uses the space and doesn't find it onerous to clean, then leave them alone. It doesn't matter whether they had the house built or if it was bought used. They could afford the space.

If everyone shoppes at thrift stores and/or pull things off a curb, what happens to all the people who make furniture and home goods? Are they just supposed to join the ranks of the unemployed?
Many people have good reasons why they need larger spaces,large extended families, the ability to entertain large groups of house guests. No one should have to apologize for the choices they make regarding their homes. It is all a matter of preference.

I have always lived in small spaces for five reasons: I have a modest salary, I hate house work, I don't drive, I like living in downtown areas, and in a small space I can afford well made high end furniture and antiques. You shouldn't have to make housing or furniture choices based on someone else's morals. The last time I checked this was supposed to be a free country.

Does anyone have any idea where the carpet in the room with the piano is from?

Love this beautiful house for a beautiful family. Great pops of color, and so many lovely DIY and handmade touches. Great art too. Made me happy and inspired me.