TEXAS-SIZE TIDINGS

A COUPLE CELEBRATE THE SEASON IN GRAND STYLE BY USHERING ABUNDANT CHARACTER AND CHEER INTO THEIR HOUSTON HOME

- JODY GARLOCK,JULIE SOEFER,JESSICA BRINKERT HOLTAM

Sharing and joy are fundamental to the holiday spirit, and Rob Caballero and Jake Franklin excel in both. The sharing starts early in the season with the couple divvying up the decorating. Rob takes the lead on the interior; Jake is in charge of the exterior. It’s a given that an 18-foot-tall tree will anchor the living room and that trees in front of the Houston home will be wrapped from trunk to tip in lights.

Then it’s time for the joy: hosting family and friends. Christmas music from the self-playing baby grand piano sets the ambience until eager kids start pounding on the keys.

Each sight and sound of the season—even the banging on the piano—is music to the couple’s ears.

When Rob and Jake purchased the home, built in 2001, they could sense its potential as a calming respite for them, as well as a place to bring family and friends together. They had looked at houses for about three years but kept coming up empty. Their wish list included specifics such as a strong European influence, symmetry and a curved drive on the exterior, lots of arches, a curved staircase, and an office with a fireplace.

I WANTED MY OFFICE TO BE MOODY BUT WELCOMING." -homeowner Rob Caballero

It was a Tuesday when Jake saw a listing pop up for a house that seemed to check all the boxes and that also happened to have an open house that day. His in-person first impression was prophetic. “I opened the front door, and the Realtor was coming down the staircase, and in my gut I knew this was going to be our house,” he says.