Mi Casita. Su Casita...
Jim, a native Texan, is an entrepreneur with long-time experience as a real estate investor/developer. He has piloted multiple start-ups in the electrical services industries and in the telecommunications industry – most especially in property acquisition and the construction of telecommunications towers. He serves as a director on the board of a private non-profit foundation and on the board of directors of a cutting edge energy technology company.He is a Viet Nam Veteran where he served as an Army Pilot.
Toni, a native of Florida, is an award winning mixed media fiber artist who studied Professional Craft – Fiber Arts in the mountains of western North Carolina. Her working studio, Wildchild Studio and Designs, is located next door to the Casita. Additionally, she spent 30 years working in Human Services in Florida and New Mexico as a lobbyist and director of non-profit agencies who provided services to Adults with developmental disabilities and 10 years managing Internal Medicine out-patient and hospitalist practices.
Toni is the artist behind the eclectic look of Wildchild’s Casita. She is responsible
for all of the Interior Design work in the casita including refinishing and painting the coffee bar cabinetry, the dining table, the bathroom sink cabinet and both bedside washstands. The coffee bar, which used to be an old workbench in the garage, turned out to be rescued bowling alley flooring, the bucket which serves as a sink in the bathroom came from France and the sliding bathroom door on a track, came from an old stone home that was demolished in Comfort, Texas. She pulled everything together to complete the feel of old world Mexico with highly textured and wonderfully colored textiles, old iron fixtures, unique artwork from local artists and really fun Mexican rugs and a cowhide on the concrete floors.
Jim and Toni drew inspiration for the casita’s design and color scheme from her beloved New Mexico where she lived for 12 years. “Texas has her heart, but New Mexico has her soul” and you can feel that soul in Wildchild’s Casita. You’ll find old, bead-board ceilings in the kitchen and bathroom areas and hand placed cedar vigas and latilla in the living and bedroom areas of the casita. All are reminiscent of traditional adobe homes and casita’s found in the southwest and Mexico. The furniture and accessories were personally chosen from their favorite haunts in Texas and Florida and while some of the pieces came from Spain and France, many of them are original Mexican pieces and, as always, there are things uniquely shabby and repurposed.
