It’s rare that a designer gets to revisit their first major commission. For the influential Texan architect Ted Flato, the design of La Barroneña ranch house in 1985 was a first opportunity to materialise his site-specific, regionalist and sustainable approach to modern design, a working philosophy that would come to define Lake Flato, the prolific San Antonio-based firm he would go on to co-found.
When La Barroneña’s second-generation owners set out to make necessary improvements to the retreat in 2024, it was an obvious choice to rehire the architect that built it. For Flato and his team, the renovation wasn’t just a walk down memory lane but a chance to reaffirm the practice’s original guiding principles.
‘Returning to the very first project that established the values of our firm was also an opportunity to add a level of refinement that brings new depth, richness and renewal to the experience of living in the house,’ says Flato.
La Barroneña sits on 6,000 acres (2,428 hectares) of semi-arid brushland due east of Laredo, Texas, a property that’s been in Ed Lasater’s family for 120 years. As a child, he recalls his parents landing their small airplane on the ranch’s dirt runway and setting up camp during winter breaks. They were often joined by their extended family. ‘After years of “roughing it”, my mom decided she wanted to be able to sleep in a bed and take showers,’ Lasater recalls.
To design a new – and at least semi-enclosed – dwelling, Lasater’s father reached out to O’Neil Ford, a forefather of Texas modernism, for advice. Proponents of the movement set out to interpret the 20th-century style through a vernacular lens. Texas modernism prioritises durable, locally sourced materials and introduces layouts accommodating an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Ford suggested a then-fledgling Flato.
Flato’s initial concept hewed closely to Texas modernist values, but overlaid with environmentally sensitive principles. Flato called his design a ‘big tent’ structure, one that was imagined to stand tall but blend in with a gnarled mesquite tree and the thorny undergrowth.
‘The house is more porch than house, with the majority of the space under a big shady roof,' Flato explains. ‘Screens keep bugs out, breezeways foster cross-ventilation, and the house is oriented to face the cool prevailing breezes coming off the nearby Gulf of Mexico.’
Inside, Flato kept the plan simple. Guests move around a semi-indoor, semi-outdoor entertaining space, enclosed by large glass doors that seamlessly fold into thick stucco walls, and two perpendicular bedroom wings. Each houses two en suite bedrooms protected from milder winter weather by sliding barn doors. Though 5,036 sq ft in size, the house requires very little air conditioning. Today we know those strategies as ‘passive design’, an approach Flato was seminal in deploying.
Lasater and his wife Ellie took over ownership of the property in 2012. Over the past 14 years, they’ve added a pool, pickleball court and the Lake Flato-designed Porch House. The last brought La Barroneña’s sleeping capacity up from 8 to 14; almost enough room for all those cousins still flying in for short breaks. ‘The house was still working as designed, as evidenced by regular use over 40 years [by] groups ranging in number from two to over 70,’ Lasater says.
When the Lasaters started having such a full house, the kitchen became overwhelmed. There wasn’t a clear distinction between the prep and clean-up area. This centralised space needed to be rearranged but still tied in with everything around it.
‘The house has been a focal point for me and my extended family’, Lasater adds. ‘We felt strongly that any changes could not alter the original feel and function. We needed very thoughtful adjustments in a space where adding square footage was not an option and knew that Lake Flato would have the restraint to adjust and tweak without changing what we love about the house.’
Lake Flato associate partner Vicki Yuan and senior interiors associate Pamela Dailey were tasked with the sensitive, mostly cosmetic revamp, opting for a light, integrative approach. ‘The renovation was about enhancing the interiors, offering a more comfortable environment during inclement weather, and creating a modern, multi-use kitchen for both daily meals and large gatherings,’ says Yuan.
New finishes such as engineered stone countertops and textural zellige tile backsplashes were introduced to accentuate the tone and texture of the existing brick-on-sand floors, timber cabinetry and shiplapped accent walls.
In addition to the subtle architectural interventions, the architects selected new furnishings to add another layer of softness and comfort. Staying true to the original look and feel of the space, these pieces were sourced for their formal simplicity, textural quality and earth-tone colour palette. It seems as if they’ve always been here, but don’t appear dated. A storage closet was converted into an additional dining nook, adding more seating. This cosy corner works well when it's just Ed and Ellie but also when their grown-up children and other family members are here for a stay.
‘The result was a much-needed update to the core and other spaces while keeping the spirit and feel of the house intact,’ says Lasater.
Of course, ‘Ted blessed all of the changes’, he adds.
