Three-panel home collage showing white kitchen with island, stone exterior house with three-car garage, and double-vanity bathroom with dark cabinets.

Apr 17, 2026

The Palo Duro: A Waterfront Custom Home in Aransas County

Whether you want to build near the bustling cities or find your peace in the rural coastal areas, Tilson Homes is here to bring your vision to life. Today, we are thrilled to take you inside the Manlove family’s stunning waterfront retreat in Aransas County.

Building a custom home requires thoughtful planning, and the Manloves took full advantage of our flexible designs to create a space that perfectly fits their lifestyle. They started with our popular Palo Duro A floor plan and personalized it to maximize their gorgeous property, proving that with the right builder, your dream home is entirely within reach.

If you are looking for inspiration for your own Texas build, you will love the thoughtful architectural details, expanded storage solutions, and seamless indoor-outdoor living spaces this family incorporated. Sit back, relax, and take a guided walkthrough of this incredible coastal property.

First Impressions: A Stunning Exterior & Grand Entryway

When you pull up to the Manlove residence, it is immediately clear that this home was designed to impress while fitting naturally into its coastal surroundings.

The Perfect Blend of Exterior Materials

The family chose a beautiful combination of Oxford Place brick, Blanco Chop stone, and Hardie board siding painted Sherwin-Williams Jubilee. This multiple-surface look adds deep texture and curb appeal from every angle. To tie the coastal theme together, they selected a deep, rich blue accent color (Storm Cloud) for the trim and garage doors. It perfectly reflects the waterfront setting and creates a cohesive, welcoming exterior.

A Breathtaking Welcome

Stepping through the front door, you are greeted by an absolutely incredible view. One of the standout architectural details of this home is the giant wall of windows in the family room. When the Manloves first toured our model homes, they fell in love with these windows and knew they had to have them.

To make the space feel even more grand, they opted to carry the cathedral ceiling from the back porch directly into the living room. Paired with a light, airy wall color and beautiful Copano Oak vinyl plank flooring, the high ceilings open up the room and provide a spectacular, unobstructed view of the water the moment you walk inside.

The Heart of the Home: Open-Concept Kitchen & Living Area

A great custom home flows effortlessly from one room to the next. The Manloves kept the openness of the main living portion intact, allowing family and friends to converse easily whether they are cooking, eating, or relaxing.

Custom Kitchen Details

The kitchen is a true showstopper, balancing warm coastal vibes with clean, modern finishes. They designed the space with a stunning two-toned cabinet look, featuring Reclaimed Driftwood lowers and crisp Extra White uppers that stretch all the way to the ceiling. Extending the cabinets upward not only provides excellent storage but also draws the eye up, emphasizing the high ceilings.

For the counters, they selected Alpine Winter Quartz—a beautiful, sandy, beach-inspired color that ties back to their waterfront location. Silver plumbing fixtures, a silver range, and beautiful pendant lights over the island pull the entire room together in a cohesive, thoughtfully designed package.

The Ultimate Dream Pantry

If you love kitchen storage, you will be amazed by what the Manloves did next. By reallocating the original floor plan's home office space, they doubled the size of their walk-in pantry.

You enter this space through a beautiful, custom glass door etched with the word "Pantry." Inside, you will find custom built-in shelving, an extra refrigerator, an ice maker, and refrigerated drawers. It even features a hidden corner that serves as an appliance storage room. Because it connects directly to the massive garage, unloading groceries is as easy as walking through the door and putting things right on the shelves.

A Private Retreat: The Master Suite & Smart Layouts

Your master suite should be a sanctuary, and this home delivers exactly that. The Manloves kept the footprint of the original Palo Duro A bedroom but made a few highly specific tweaks to elevate their daily routine.

Waking Up to the Water

The primary bedroom is incredibly spacious, easily accommodating king-sized furniture. But the real magic lies in the window placement. During the design phase, the family worked with our team to ensure the main bedroom window was perfectly centered so that the first thing they see when they walk in—and when they wake up—is their private pier and the water.

A Symmetrical, Accessible Master Bath

In the master bathroom, symmetry and smart design take center stage. The Manloves flipped the layout of their Grey Wolf cabinetry to ensure the tall cabinets perfectly framed the shower. They also requested an extended vanity featuring a custom, hotel-style lighted makeup mirror.

For the flooring and shower, they chose large 24-inch Brilliant White tiles, running them vertically from the floor all the way to the ceiling. This unique choice draws the eye upward and gives the room a highly customized, luxurious feel. Finally, planning ahead for the future, they chose to leave the door off the bathroom entrance, ensuring the space remains easily accessible for walkers or wheelchairs down the road.

The Genius Master Closet to Laundry Room Connection

Perhaps one of the most clever customizations in the home is found at the back of the master closet. In the standard plan, the closet hits a solid wall. The Manloves asked us to extend the space and add a door, creating a direct pass-through from their closet straight into the laundry room! This saves them from having to carry laundry baskets around the kitchen and down the hallway.

The oversized laundry room is a dual-purpose space, serving both for chores and as a fantastic, organized storage room for their fishing tackle and poles.

Flexible Spaces for Family and Guests

Because they repurposed the original office into their mega-pantry, the family utilized our "Bedroom Four" custom option to create a new study. This room is wonderfully versatile, featuring a desk for work and a comfortable couch that pulls out into a queen-sized bed for visiting guests. The remaining secondary bedrooms were left true to the original plan, outfitted with soft Flax carpet to give family and friends a cozy place to rest.

Outdoor Living: Cathedral Porches & A 500-Foot Pier

When you build on the Texas coast, your outdoor living spaces are just as important as the indoors.

The Cathedral Back Porch & Sunken Hot Tub

Stepping out onto the back patio, the soaring cathedral ceilings provide ample shade while keeping the incredible views wide open. The family also added a sunken hot tub into the patio area, creating the perfect spot to relax and watch the boats go by.

Engineering the Perfect Waterfront Backyard

Building right on the water presents unique engineering challenges, such as changing water levels. To shore up the land, a bulkhead and a 5-foot retaining wall were installed. This created a beautiful, tiered backyard. The lush, grassy top level extends out before gently sloping down toward the bulkhead. Stretching out from the shore is a magnificent 500-foot private pier, fully equipped for fishing, boating, and making memories.

Build Your Texas Dream Home Today

The Manlove family’s Palo Duro A home is a shining example of what is possible when you build on your land with a trusted partner. From the transparent pricing that keeps your budget on track to the flexible designs that let you create walk-through closets and massive custom pantries, we are here to support your journey from start to finish.

Are you ready to create a home that perfectly matches your lifestyle? We want to build your Texas dream home. We have plans for all kinds of homes, so you're sure to find the one that's right for you. Explore our customizable floor plans to find your perfect fit, or schedule an appointment with a Tilson Homes design expert today to get started.