Bringing it All Home - Interior Decoration from Around the World
- Community
- Annuitants & Former ExPats
Author: Nancy Ackerman
Released 9 September 2006
Ann and Richard Barr on their Deck, with Kerry
Barr-tering and Barr-gaining Will Get You Lots of Stuff (and Many Things Hard to Carry Home!)
“Decorating is not just about ‘look what we’ve got and where we’ve been’, but rather, ‘this is who we are."
~Quote by Richard and Ann Barr
This defining statement perfectly describes Ann and Richard Barr’s home in the Hill Country of Texas, a home filled with warmth, easy charm, friendliness, and yes, a wonderful array of exotica! They have never set out to impress, but rather to simply enjoy, in retirement, the objects that hold memories of their 23 years with Aramco, a stint in Guam, and extensive worldwide travel where bazaars, souks, and mercados beckoned with irresistible temptations.
Guest Bathroom adorned with masks and more.
Richard and Ann muse that in 32 years of buying mismatched souvenirs, bargains, treasures, big splurges---and outright mistakes---the day of reckoning came when it all had to fit into their dream house---a third of the size they pictured having. But paring down seemed akin to deciding which of your children you would cast aside…and so, they figured, what’s the harm in having a few extra African masks in the bathroom?
A reclining Buddha watches over guests in the living room. The door seen at rear leads to an Oriental Garden and the stone façade staircase displays a large collection of paintings.
This is an exciting house, and the occupants clearly enjoy living with their collections. Cathedral ceilings and a vast expanse of windows in the living room showcase the wall-to-wall oriental carpets that completely cover the living and dining area. This blast of gorgeous color and pattern, seen as you enter the house, is an energizing and exciting introduction to what is displayed on shelves, hung on walls, and arranged on tabletops. Far from being too much, everything looks like it has been there forever, content in its spot, providing eye appeal as well as practical function. This is a home. And it just happens to be full of very interesting things!
Grand Piano
A grand piano nestles up to a stone wall cleverly altered by Tom Inglet to reveal a showcase for Russian boxes (see photograph below) on the reverse side. A Chinese screen hides the opening.
The Kashan Carpet is just one of many in the large living area.
Created space from the stone wall is home to the Russian collection
Tom’s carpentry skills worked a bit of magic in other areas as well, creating extra closet and storage areas and wall space, something Ann and Richard needed badly!
A cozy sitting area pampers fortunate houseguests
I couldn’t wait to snoop and peek and marvel---and share with you their vivacious decorating style. As Richard commented, “It is always so much fun to visit ex-Aramcon’s homes as most of us share a similar decorating philosophy---get as much displayed as possible! Whereas others might be somewhat taken aback by our homes or make a ‘museum’ comment, fellow Aramcons understand the relationships we have with our ‘stuff’.” I had to laugh when Richard said ‘You just don’t bond with that huge Thai pot purchased at the local shopping mall in the same way you do with one that you hand carried from Bangkok!” We can all identify with that! (Attention weary spouses with shopaholic partners---.aren’t you glad now you have all that stuff you picked up in Nepal, Paris and Hong Kong?)
The Indian-inspired guest room features a Colonial Dutch hanging lamp from Indonesia and paintings ‘layered’ over a silk rug---a clever way to max wall space!
Ann and Richard were both hired on as Counselors/School Psychologists (Richard at Dhahran Junior High/Dhahran School, Ann at Intermediate School and Dhahran Hills) in 1978 and remained in these positions until their retirement in 2001. Their children are Elizabeth, (31 and employed by the Navy in San Diego, California, since graduating from Notre Dame followed by a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins) and John, (Now 30 and working for Empyrean in Century City (L.A.) California, since graduating from Duke and going on for an MBA from Kellogg School at Northwestern University). Both spent most of their childhood in Dhahran, and factor worldwide travel into their present lives, with Liz taking a leave of absence later this year with her fiancé Jeff Harris to return to Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and China. John, Richard and Ann will meet up with them in Bangkok for Christmas.
When Elizabeth and John come home for visits, they use a guest room that has all the familiar surroundings of their childhood home in Dhahran. The bedroom is a wonderful collection of Indian, Thai, Indonesian, and Arab artwork and furnishings.
Ann creatively attached this Indonesian Wayang Puppet to a lamp base, then swirled a Batik underneath for a most unique look.
A large collection of Buddhas, both antique and reproduction, live in harmony with colonial Madonnas from Peru, Islamic Calligraphy from the Middle East and bronze Hindu statues from India. Richard muses, “Wouldn’t it be nice if the world were that way?”
In addition to their ‘day jobs’ in Dhahran, Ann and Richard populated the Eastern Province with blonde cockers, red dachshunds, and stuffed camels (we love these creatively decorated dromedaries), and the proceeds for all went to support various charities. They continue their charitable donations to this day, and I am a fortunate recipient of stuffed camels for my annual holiday charity fair in Las Vegas.
Dining Area
The great expanse of windows from the cathedral ceiling in the living room allowed them to block off windows in other rooms to make way for larger pieces of furniture. The open plan arrangements allow the sunlight to enter many other rooms in the house, and the view from these windows goes on forever.
View from the Deck
The Barr home not only holds memories of a lifetime of adventure and travel, but allows a bit of room in anticipation of souvenirs from wherever they are going next. Mexico, one of their new favorite travel destinations, just happens to be full of wonderful things to buy! So the Barr residence is continually a work in progress, a place to put new ‘must haves’ as they are found---such as on the sweeping deck area, Asian in feeling, that is now a depository for pottery and wrought iron from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. And it all works. The collections acquired while living in Saudi Arabia, however, still command pride of place in their home and in their hearts.
Deck Off the Kitchen
The deck, off the kitchen and casual room, makes it possible to live alfresco almost year round. Partial views (see photo above) give a glimpse of the great views over the live oaks and far horizon for which central Texas is famous. Cushions made from Iranian tablecloths share space with Richard’s boyhood saddle. On the other side of the bamboo seen behind the couch are three antique shuttered windows from Bahrain, which just happened to fit perfectly and open into the den. A bit of serendipity!
Prints of Egypt by David Roberts, chairs from Singapore, a Thai Spirit House, and stone Buddhas are warmed by an Oriental Carpet in the living room.
The mixture of time and place is evident throughout the house, as some of the furnishings are antiques from Richard’s parents or treasures carted around from almost 40 years of marriage. Elsewhere in the house, antique stained glass windows from Victorian homes in Minnesota hang randomly from the high ceilings and in front of windows.
Stained glass hangs over windows in the upper level study.
Being in central Texas allows them to personally keep up with the many ex-Aramcons who live within a two-hour radius and also to enjoy the numerous annuitant activities in the area. Living nearby are Kim and Sandra Mauldin, and just down the hill live Patsy and Tom Inglet. Ann and Richard consider the friendships made while they were with Aramco to be their most cherished and find it fun to get together no matter how long it has been.
Ann knows there will be another chapter developing in their future, most certainly something productive in terms of helping other people. But for now, they enjoy travel, plays, concerts, good books, family, cherished friends, and all that retirement has to offer ---and all without guilt. Richard comments that “It is wonderful to truly live in the present and let each day unfold, hopefully with something interesting and worthwhile…”
The Welcoming Path to the door of Ann and Richard Barr's home.
More far-flung journeys are certainly in the future for this youthful, energetic couple, in addition to their frequent border crossing trips north and south (Canada and Mexico). Richard makes a solo trip each year with GAP, a Canadian grassroots travel group that emphasizes adventurous forays to foreign destinations using local transport and accommodation. Ann often entertains her options to pass on these---knowing that there will be plenty of opportunities in the future to barr-gain and barr-ter.
Without a doubt, Richard and Ann have made travel, exotic shopping, and unbridled enthusiasm for new adventures into an art form.
I find it an adventure just to be with them.
You can contact the Barrs at their email address: barrrd98@yahoo.com.
Next up, the home of Tom and Patsy Inglet will soon be featured. If you would like your home to appear on the Aramco ExPats website please write to Nancy Ackerman at RNAckerman@aol.com.