< PreviousSWEETWATER COVE Sweetwater Cove, located on beautiful Galveston Island, a desirable stretch of land only 50 miles southeast of Houston, boasts West Indies styled homes that seamlessly coexist within the vibrant surrounding nature. Location, Views, Design, and Infrastructure are the four ways in which this affluent and small by design community sets itself apart from the rest. Location is everything when it comes to p,urchasing a home. Many seek to find that rare gem nestled in a quiet and picturesque paradise, but also close in proximity to the shops and attractions of a city. Sweetwater Cove is that rare gem! Cradled within a 450+ acre nature preserve, managed by the Galveston Bay Foundation, and strategically positioned along the serene waters of West Bay, residents are immersed in a peaceful and natural setting. Sweetwater Cove is also only minutes away from everything Galveston has to offer. This vibrant city hosts frequent music, theater, and entertainment events that cater to audiences of all ages. Fine dining and casual fare - Galveston has it all! Enjoy fresh catch of the day at local restaurants, or venture into a new and exciting dining experience. Family fun is right around the corner with Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Moody Gardens, first class golf courses, and beaches less than eight miles away. In addition, travel on and off the island is a breeze with 1-45, a major Texas thoroughfare, only 7.5 miles away. With over 500 species of local and migrating birds, the Sweetwater area is already a popular bird watching destination for bird enthusiasts and wildlife photographers alike. To encourage the bird’s migration to the island, and retain the beauty and safety of their sanctuary, there are no streets lights within the community. This means the birds above Sweetwater Cove sing sweeter and the stars shine brighter! Sustainable design and premier infrastructure also set Sweetwater Cove above other communities. With gated and private access to the community, residents feel safe to come and go as they please. Still keeping safety in mind, all Sweetwater Cove lots have a land elevation of 4.25 to 7.25 feet above sea level. In addition, all bay lots have a newly installed bulkhead complete with a 50-year warranty. With only 60 homesites available, the close proximity to town, breathtaking views of West Bay’s calm waters, the sights and sounds of nature at its best, and top tier infrastructure and design, it is no surprise that Sweetwater Cove is the most sought-after new community on Galveston Island. Buy or build in Sweetwater Cove, and commit to the tranquility of island life. 281.794.9463 | KELLY@KELLYKELLEY.COM • KELLYKELLEY.COM/PROPERTY-SEARCH ASK ME ABOUT THE LOTS AT SWEETWATER COVE2021 | Parade of Homes | 31 are finding they can work from their Galveston home and enjoy that vacation style of living all year around,” he said. Office spaces should be away from kitchen, dining and living rooms for privacy and to avoid work/life spill over or conflicts. “You want to make sure that you have space for your laptop and files, space to spread out,” Bage said. “You can’t work from the couch or bed or from a small desktop without room to move. Otherwise, you will find yourself moving to the dining room table to work.” Ergonomic considerations are important. For example, good lighting to avoid eye-strain, a well-designed chair and desk to avoid fatigue and back and neck troubles. “You don’t need to rush out and spend $2,000 on a chair, but, when you are working from the same chair and desk for many hours, you do need to make sure you have an ergonomic set-up,” he said. With people spending more time at home, Bage said home renova- tion and interior design have been a focus for many. People spending time at home realized they needed to get on with delayed mainte- nance or they simply wanted a more beautiful, “magazine cover” home. “The desire for a beautiful home extends to the home office space,” Bage said. “Many of my clients want the design aesthetic of their home to flow into the design of their home office.” This means there is no one trend for home offices. Clients have requested everything from a traditional executive look to a sleek and modern space with sim- ple more Scandinavian lines. ◊ “I’m a huge believer in flexible spaces. Why have a guest room that only gets used once a year when it can also be a home office space, too?” CATE BLACK Courtesy/Vanessa Chavez of Realty Exposure Photography RISE Architecture + Design remodeled this Galveston home into a beautiful artist studio.Mary Ellen Smith ABR, E-PRO, GRI, RSPS, SFR, SRES, CMRS BROKER / OWNER / REALTOR P.O. BOX 2555 CRYSTAL BEACH, TEXAS 77650 (409) 457-1070 | CrystalBeachBroker@att.net | CrystalBeachResortProperties.com | MaryEllenSmith.com 3267 Pirates Cove— 2 bd, 2 full ba, 1,954 sqft, large spacious rooms, huge open living area, great neighborhood… $399,500 929 S Selwyn — 3 bd, 2 full ba, 1,540 sqft, Traditional Craftsman Home built for owner with many upgrades...has a lift… $424,500 932 Copacabana — 5 bd, 3 full, 1 half ba, 3,305 sqft, good rental history, lots of upgrades, good views, elevator and friendly flood zone A… $625,000 OPEN HOUSE: Sept 25th & 26th 11-3PM OPEN HOUSE: Sept 25th & 26th 11-3PM OPEN HOUSE: Sept 25th & 26th 11-3PMGalvestonian gets the ball rolling and livens up her backyard Story and photos by Shannon Caldwell BACKYARD BOCCE BALL Shannon Caldwell and her husband , Bryan, decided do utilize empty space in their backyard to create a bocce ball court. 34 | Parade of Homes | 2021 A t the start of the pandemic, I never imagined we would add 4 1/2 tons of crushed granite and lava rock to our backyard. Like many others, COVID has kept us working from home, and those stuck-at- home days inspired a frenzy of painting and home improvement. Once the inside was done, and the pandemic continued to drag on, our attention turned outdoors. We have an established garden, a wood- en deck and a paved patio. There’s not much room for improvement except for a long, narrow strip of land sandwiched between the back of our garage and the fence. An unloved and ignored part of the garden — what could we do with that? One of our neighbors added a paved patio and fire pit, and another neighbor installed a new swimming pool with each stage documented on social media. We read about people creating outdoor kitch- ens, and one golf-crazy Tennessee couple even added a putting range to their back yard. The land behind our garage seemed too narrow for a fire pit or outdoor kitchen, we don’t play golf and, much to the disap- pointment of our two children, our budget didn’t extend to a Moody Gardens-style lazy river or even a lap pool. My husband, Bryan, came up with the idea of building our own bocce court. Bocce is a fun game, similar to English bowls or French pétanque. It is suitable for players of all ages and abilities and up to four people can play. One person throws a smaller ball down a specially designed 2021 | Parade of Homes | 35 court and then the other players try to get their bigger balls as close as possible to the small ball. Best of all, you can eat snacks and drink wine while you play. So, it seemed the perfect solution for our unloved strip of yard. Unfortunately, an initial Google search revealed a standard bocce court is 91-feet-by-13-feet — too big for the available strip of land. Further searching showed back- yard bocce courts can be smaller, so the project was back on. Like many DIY projects, the bocce court project turned out to be a real labor of love. First, the ground needed to be prepared, and Bryan spent many weekend hours digging out the 30-by-8-foot court. String and a hand level were used to make sure the pit floor was level. The final depth ranged from ½ inch to 3 inches across the court. The next stage in the project saw 6-foot-by- The Caldwell’s DIY project included digging the court (top left), applying the weed mat, wooden frame and lava rock chips (top right) and adding decomposed granite (bottom left). The final result is smooth enough to play boccee ball and backyard safe. Call Us Today! Beau Rawlins, OWNER Galveston, Texas 409-682-4727 rawlinsbuilders@yahoo.com What We Do General Contracting, Construction Management, Consulting, Design, or Legal Expert Opinions Beau Rawlins, RRB specializes in kitchen or bathroom design and renovations Beau Rawlins, RRB has exceeded expectations in completing over 200 flood and hurricane damaged homes caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Ike from gutted to move-in stages. Let us bid your next project Tucker, Beau, Ava Grace and Beau Rawlins “A Family of local Galveston County Builders” CONSTRUCTION CONSULTING EXPERT OPINIONS2021 | Parade of Homes | 37 2-foot treated timber used to make a dou- ble-walled frame for the court. This was set into the pit to provide structural integrity for the court and to ensure there was a 3-inch frame above the court surface. Once the framing was in place, bags of lava rock were added to a depth of 2 inches to make sure the court would drain correctly. Pro tip: A squeegee broom is an excellent tool for even distribution of bocce court rocks. After the lava rock was leveled, a weed mat was added to discourage weeds. Finally, 2 to 3 inches of decomposed gran- ite was added to make the surface smooth enough for good bocce ball play. Leftover lumber was used to create a 10-foot-long level that could be dragged across the surface of the court to make sure it was even for the entire length of the court. It was hard work with close to 4½ tons of rock needed to complete the court. Landscaping is the final touch. Sitting on top of black river rocks is a metal seat for three that includes a little pop-up table in the center. Ferns, hostas and various variegated plants have been planted alongside the court, and lemongrass has been added at one end in the hope it might help keep mosquitoes away. What was once an unloved, unused strip of land is now a favorite part of the garden. The court looks lovely in the dappled light of surrounding trees, and, best of all, it works perfectly. We can’t wait for cooler weather to have friends over to play. ◊ Dimensions and materials adapted from: hgtv.com/ design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/build-a-bocce- ball-court-pictures. Bocce takes place in two teams of two players each. Each player has two large balls called bocce. A smaller ball called the pallino is the target. Gameplay The team going first throws the pallino and the place where it comes to a stop becomes the target. All players should then stand behind a line to make their throws. The team that threw the pallino throws the first bocce. Teams and players alternate throws until all eight balls have been thrown. Players try to make their team’s bocce be the closest to the pallino. Scoring Only the team with the closest bocce to the pallino scores any points. The team that is closest gets a number of points equal to how many of their bocce are closer to the pallino than the other team’s nearest bocce. If the player’s bocce touches the pallino, it is called a baci and the team earns 2 points for that ball. A game of bocce is called a round and it lasts until a team reaches a predetermined point value. Common point values are 9, 11, 12 and 15. Source: thorntonco.gov/recreation/ facilities/Documents/Bocce.pdf BOCCE BALL how to play “What was once an unloved, unused strip of land is now a favorite part of the garden.” SHANNON CALDWELL Bayne HomeWorks is your community appliance store servicing the Bay Area, Galveston, and everyone in between. When visiting us, you’ll find the most knowledgeable appliance team with the skill to help you build your dream kitchen and the power to beat any competitive price. Bayne HomeWorks is open Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, and Saturday, 10 to 3. 382 W Main Street, League City, TX 77573 (281) 332-8000 | info@bayneworks.com Bayne Homeworks is located in League City in Texas. We specialize in Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, JennAir, Speed Queen, LG, Thor, Electrolux, Liebherr, American Range, Sharp, and Gladiator. Please visit www.bayneworks.com to see our full line of appliances. 2021 | Parade of Homes | 39 S mart homes once were the works of science fiction; it was just a computer nerd’s dream to automate a house and make life easier for its occupants. Now, smart home products are so accessible a simple search on a big box store reveals more than 1,500 products under 18 different categories. While searching smart home technology might seem overwhelming, Galveston County residents can get help from an expert at any time. Paul Scott is the principal and director of Anchor Technology Group and has 25 years of experi- ence in the industry. This com- pany specializes in smart home integration, security and surveil- lance, and audio visual. He said the future is bright for homeown- ers wanting to enjoy the benefits of smart home technology in their own home. “Every 18 months or so, we see huge leaps forward that result in the rapid deployment of technol- ogy, making life more convenient for people,” Scott said. “Technolo- gy that we installed 15 years ago for commercial clients or luxury homeowners is now accessible for all homeowners and at a fraction of the price.” Home automation is one of the most popular areas as it allows homeowners to control lighting and thermostats from their phone or tablet. People can set up their system so their house is cooled down or heated up when they get home, Scott said. “You can control the tem- perature of your pool and even preheat a stove with the same technology,” he said. Security and surveillance have long been a priority for many homeowners. Smart home technol- Smart home technology adds security and convenience at your fingertips Story by Shannon Caldwell | Photos courtesy of Anchor Technology Group HIGH TECH HOUSESNext >