This Hill Country Home Is a Love Letter to the Southwest

Designed to honor the homeowners’ ties to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, Casa Zia is a study in authenticity. Interior designer Danyale Keim skillfully blended a reinterpretation of the traditional American Southwest into the rolling landscape of the Texas Hill Country.

Keim became involved during the architectural process, refining finishes and layering in architectural details that would shape the home’s final identity.

“The influence through the entire project was Santa Fe-inspired adobe,” Keim says. “They wanted everything authentically curated. All the vigas came from New Mexico, there are reclaimed doors from New Mexico, hand-painted tile — we pieced the puzzle together with both old and new.”

From the beginning, the home was driven by place rather than trend. From hand-troweled stucco walls, exposed vigas, clay tile roofing, graceful arches, knotty wood ceilings, adobe-style fireplaces and native landscaping, Keim and her team at Danyale Keim Design selected every material to celebrate the craftsmanship synonymous with Southwestern architecture.

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Reclaimed doors from New Mexico set the tone for Casa Zia’s front entrance. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

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A kilim-upholstered headboard brings Southwestern color and texture to the guest bedroom. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

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Built-in shelves filled with books and collected objects at Casa Zia. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

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A vintage rug and carved stone fireplace give Casa Zia’s movie room a relaxed place for family and friends to gather. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

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Hand-painted tile frames the bathtub beneath an arched window in the primary bathroom. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

A home that tells their story

Keim also focused on creating an emotional connection. “Their only description when we first met was, ‘We want to feel like we’re back to our roots,’” Keim recalls of the homeowners’ directive. “They wanted it to be warm and inviting and layered … authentic to their style without feeling kitschy.”

Instead of relying on familiar or overt motifs, the design layers textures, patina and craftsmanship. Rich leathers, copper accents, vintage Turkish rugs, Pendleton blankets, handcrafted equipale chairs, kilim upholstery and thoughtfully commissioned artwork create depth.

“I tried to find purpose in everything that we bought,” Keim says. “I wanted the home to tell a story. I wanted it to be elegant and elevated.”

Over six months, Keim sourced vintage pieces from Round Top, Texas, alongside artisan furnishings and architectural elements from Santa Fe and Taos. Estate-sale dining furniture, reclaimed doors, restored leather sofas, handcrafted Mexican seating, antique pottery and custom pieces were assembled not as individual statement pieces, but as a collection that feels as though it has evolved over generations.

“The leather sofas are vintage pieces that we brought back to life,” Keim says of these Round Top treasures. “You don’t see sofas made like that anymore. I wanted something that felt substantial.”

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Restored vintage leather sofas and collected pieces in the living room. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

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A sculpted adobe-style wall and collected furniture give Casa Zia’s dining room the feel of a home shaped over generations. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

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A carved wood sculpture and colorful portrait. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

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Hand-painted clay tile anchors the kitchen, where warm wood cabinetry and woven stools add to Casa Zia’s lived-in feel. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

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Patterned tile traces the hallway’s arches. (Photo by Brittany Dawn Photography)

The finishing touches

Additionally, the home’s hard finishes contribute to the overall design story. Keim developed the material palette in tandem with the furnishings, allowing every layer to feel cohesive. Hand-painted clay tile from Tiles of Ezra anchors the kitchen, while artisan-made selections from Austin-based Clay Imports and Reeso Tiles, Inc. in San Antonio introduce subtle moments of texture and color throughout the home. “I had to do the furnishings and the hard selections at the same time just to make sure everything flowed really well — it wasn’t overdone,” she says. “I wanted it to look like it had been there for a long time.”

“The house was already so beautiful that we didn’t have to go over the top,” Keim says. “We stuck with things like the chairs, the coppers, the leathers, the vintage rugs — things that felt lived in. Then we elevated it with custom art, custom lighting and just touches of those things throughout the house.”

Following a four-day installation, the finished reveal confirmed that the design had accomplished exactly what the homeowners had hoped.

“When they came in, just started crying,” Keim recalls, adding that some of their family members from New Mexico were present at the home’s reveal. “Listening to his parents walk through the house saying, ‘I haven’t seen one of these in forever,’ or ‘This feels like home’ — that was exactly what we wanted.”

More than an interpretation of Southwestern design, Casa Zia is a residence that feels curated, collected, timeless, personal and perfectly at home in the Texas Hill Country.

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