By Cindy Boykin

Marcia Simpson and Keith Gruenberg feel fortunate to have met and then married five years ago. And they feel especially lucky to have found this perfect house—twice—in which to share their lives.

Marcia explains, "We had seen this house before we were married. I had a house at Parker and Coit, Keith was living in Austin, but we decided not buy it yet...we'd wait awhile. Well, the house went off the market."

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But good things are meant to be. "Probably about 10 months later, we were ready to start looking again and voila, the house was on the market! I said, 'See, I knew this was my house.'"

Walking through Marcia and Keith's Plano home, you quickly get the sense that they truly enjoy residing here. Or as Marcia puts it, "We live in this house!"

Softly textured fabrics in Tuscan shades of earthy golds, mossy greens, and garnet reds grace formal areas. A big, cushy leather sofa and deep, melt-into chairs fill the more intimate den. Vibrant, colorful Fiesta dinnerware enlivens kitchen cabinets. In the master bath, resort-worthy swimsuits are close at hand for after-work relaxation in the bubbling pool spa.

Since Keith and Marcia both have demanding jobs requiring long hours, plus Keith travels extensively, they look forward to retreating to what Keith describes as their oasis. With their property backing up to a golf course, and having recently remodeled the patio, the backyard is their primary go-to spot for ultimate relaxation.

The house, built by Mike Kirlin in 1996, is rich in detail. Even if it were empty of furnishings, the house would be stunning with its ornate trim and elaborate architectural features.

But the house is far from empty. After they bought it in 2006, Marcia worked with Pamela Watkins Roberts of Pwr Designs and Elizabeth Stentenfeld of Interior Enhancements by Design to help her find just the right pieces that would accentuate the grandeur of the house while fostering a casual feel that suits this fun-loving couple.

Most of the furnishings are new because, as Marcia explains, "when you come from a smaller home with low ceilings to a house that is so different dimensionally, there's not a lot that works."

The formal rooms are elegant, with liberal use of rich silk fabric and fringe trim. Large paintings, stunning floral arrangements, and a grand piano fill the space with things that are pretty and meaningful. Marcia's son, who is away at college, is a good pianist; and maybe Keith's two grown children or perhaps future grandkids will be drawn to the ivory keys.

A gorgeous chandelier hangs above the dining room table; it belonged to previous owners. Did they have to negotiate the sparkling gem of a piece into the contract? Marcia smiles, "No, they were moving to Canada and didn't want to take things that would be hard to move. So we kept that, the pool table upstairs, and a few things like that."

The bold red and white dining room suite is every bit as eye-catching...and it, too, comes with a story.

Marcia reminisces, "The week we were moving in, my designer told me about an estate sale on her street. It was fabulous! Everything in the house was for sale. I went in and Poof!, I got myself a dining room."

In fact, she ended up buying five or six exquisite pieces at the estate sale, and everything blended perfectly. Since the house had been recently updated, it was move-in ready and the furniture settled right into place.

The living room walls are faux painted in sun-baked golden hues. The dark, hand-scraped wood floors and impressive cast stone fireplace create a casual elegance which is so closely associated with the Tuscan style.

"Every one of my houses has been slightly different," Marcia explains, "but when we moved in here, the house lent itself to that style, so we just went with it."

The den holds the first leather sofa Marcia has ever owned. "I fell in love with this," she happily reports. "I love the leather. It can be crushed and crinkled and it still looks good."

An ecru upholstered chair with wood trimmed arms is layered four-deep with pillows. The piece is tailored and well proportioned for the room. The coffee table is inlaid with leather, adding to the rustic feel conveyed masterfully by the Austin stone fireplace.

Tucked in the side of the room, almost unnoticed, is a window seat. It is charming and practical, as it stores things that are not used on a daily basis, like Christmas trinkets and snuggling blankets.

The kitchen is spicy with color. The soft green cabinets and smooth as river rock green-and-black granite are lovely touches. Glass cabinets allow a peek inside the personality of the homeowners themselves. It's Fiestaware—bright, cheerful, and fun! Keith had already mentioned what a great party house this is because of the design, but this touch of color indicates that it is the homeowners who make this an enjoyable and inviting house in which to gather.

Tall kitchen cabinets are topped with bold pieces of pottery, greenery and a framed painting. Over the stove is tiled artwork. "We were in the town of Positano, Italy, two years ago and we bought those tiles, picked the pattern, and then they put our name on it, fired it, and mailed it to us."

The finishing touch in the kitchen is the set of generously gathered plaid drapes falling to the ground near the handsome kitchen table. Privacy blinds or sheers are neither needed nor wanted since the house backs up to acres of rolling, manicured golf greens.

The patio spans the back of the house, and it is visible from the living room, kitchen and den. Stepping outside onto the expansive pavement of travertine stone placed in the Versailles pattern, we are greeted with the sound of tumbling water falls. The dark-bottom swimming pool has a natural look, which suits this outdoor paradise.

Other rooms in the home have their own personalities, too. The master suite is grand yet very comfortable and cozy—a requisite, we have discovered. Marcia's son lived in the home for a few years before leaving for college, and his room is still quite masculine. Wood and metal etchings are impressive statement pieces.

The upstairs game room has seating for everyone, including the family pets. Framed albums of jazz greats are a nod to the time Marcia spent in New Orleans. "I made some fabulously fun friends there—close friends. I loved it, but my son was young, he was 3 when we moved away; it's a tough place to bring up kids."

Marcia and Keith have made a lot of wonderful friends here, too. Keith, who was new to Plano when he moved here five years ago, said, "Luckily, Marcia had a lot of good friends, so that's been a great introduction to the community. And I had taken about 30 years off from the church, but Marcia introduced me to Prince of Peace over here, so now I have faith friends, her friends, and she has family in the area...it's been good." An oasis frequented by good friends and close family—sounds quite good, indeed.