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Even so, the vision is already clear and bright in Sara’s mind: Each villa will have a different theme. A few of the possible concepts are farmhouse and Mid-Century Modern, along with more adventurous aesthetics, such as cottage core and grand millennial styles. The different themes will allow Sara to stretch her creative muscles and work with a variety of looks.
Just as the visionary that she is, Sara is already excited for when the hotel will welcome its first guests. The project will take a year to complete. But when it opens, it’ll be right in the nick of time, because Minden is about to be in the spotlight. “HGTV is doing a series called ‘Small Town Kick Start,’ and Minden will be featured,” Sara explains.
Already known for its friendliness, charm and peaceful pace of life, this small town is ready for its “close-up,” and Sara knows viewers will fall in love with the town that already has her heart.
“I’m excited to be on the show; and, after it airs, it will bring a lot of visitors to our town. We’ll be ready to welcome them with open arms at The Villas at Spanish Court!” she exclaims.
|TOP, RIGHT| ABSOLUTE BLISS. Despite how brushy and weed-choked the grounds are, when
Sara walks them, she feels a sense of serene and calm from the trickling creek and verdant land. “Those are the emotions I want to imbue into the design, both for the exteriors and interiors,” she explains. She wants everyone who sets foot on the property to feel the same way.
Sara has renovated The Cottage on Fort, retaining much of its original
charm.
|RIGHT| ARC DE TRIOMPHE. A beguiling number of arches gives a dash of Spanish romance to the villas. The future of the current arches is precarious due to the ravages of mold and lead paint. Regardless, even if these arches must be removed, Sara says, “I absolutely will recreate them. I’m crossing my fingers that it won’t be necessary, but if it is, I’m committed to rebuilding the arches just as they were.”
|RIGHT| A GOOD SOAK. First, the villas’ bathrooms need to undergo complete demolition because of the toxic lead paint that was used. However, once the walls are rebuilt, Sara hopes to use the same tubs (although with shower features added). Some of the units have little makeup tables, and she also plans to preserve those so guests can start the day with their “best face forward”—just as residents did back in the 1930s.
|BELOW| REVITALIZATION RENOVATION. Sara sees this venture as an immense honor that will give back to the community that’s given her a home. “Beyond simply saving a historic site, I’m thrilled to be creating jobs for our town while also bringing a new revenue stream into our community,” she says. “It’s fun to think about tourists seeing Minden on HGTV and then coming to experience it for themselves. We know they won’t be disappointed!”
|ABOVE| SPANISH STYLE. The villas, with their stucco and adobe style, offer a distinct voice to the northwest Louisiana architectural “chorus.” “Typically, we have Southern-style architecture in this area,” Sara says. “You see a lot of big columns, clapboard siding and brick homes, but there aren’t any other pieces of architecture such as these anywhere around.”