A Texas Hill Country home in the heart of Cumming

LeAnne Jackson Longo misses the vibrant color and abundant horizons of Texas.

So when she and her husband moved here from Dallas, they brought a little bit of the Lone Star State to Forsyth County. They chose Cumming because Bill Longo, a material scientist, works nearby.

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Sean Drakes/Special

LeAnne Jackson Longo’s strong voice and vivid ideas about how her home should be decorated are reflected in the game room.

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The couple persuaded the subdivision’s architectural committee to approve plans that included a non-traditional metal roof and a more open floor plan that allowed the home to mimic the styles of the Texas Hill Country, LeAnne Longo says.

“I like the footprint of a house; long and flat across the lot,” Longo said. The couple moved into their home in April 2007.

Decorating style: Longo calls her style eclectic.

She used designer Stacey Kirby of Seiber Design to pull together her look. Longo has a strong voice and vivid ideas about how her home should be decorated.

“I’m not afraid of color and she [Kirby] didn’t understand how unafraid of color,” Longo said laughing.

For example, her laundry room has terrazzo tile with apple green cabinets. The background colors easily melt with her whimsical, colorful and bold artwork collection that came with her from Texas.

The light blue backsplash in her kitchen just cheers her, even though some said it will hurt resale value. And she put her foot down when her builder tried to persuade her to add crown molding to make the home appealing to future buyers. She loves a cleaner, simpler look.

“We figured we’re here until our kids get out of school. We’re going to live in it for a very long time,” she said.

Most cherished item: Longo treasures the professionally photographed black and white baby photos of her children. And she loves her ceramic Chihuahuas wrapped in tortillas.

“It’s a Texas artist I just loved,” she said.

Future project: The couple recently bought a lake home, and Longo is now working to furnish and decorate it.

Coolest feature: Her apple green laundry room. “It’s big. I have space to fold clothes in the laundry room. It has a big ol’ sink and a TV for watching Oprah,” she said with a chuckle. She also adores her trough lavatory in the downstairs bath.

Heart of the home: The family room and master bedroom are where the family congregates most of the time. The family room flows from the kitchen and has a blue tile fireplace surround.

Tips for good living: “Our house is all our stuff. Your house has to be where you enjoy every single thing in it.”

She also wanted their home to be comfortable and inviting.

“I would not have a room where the kids couldn’t run around and get their feet on the furniture,” Longo added.