Houston Lifestyles & Homes magazine Oct 2009: The Home of John and Cindy Hageman

It was the summer of 1997. John and Cindy Hageman and their three daughters were moving to the Houston area from Miami. School was about to start, and they were in need of a place to live. Plans to purchase a residence in the city were scratched upon discovering The Woodlands. But now they had only one day to find a house.

“We had to leave for a family reunion, and we weren’t going to be back until school started. So we had to know where we were going to live so we could get the kids enrolled, ” recalls Cindy.

Seems a daunting task, but for the Hagemans, not so much. There it was—a beautiful, nearly 6,000-square-foot, six-bedroom Jeff Paul custom home that would easily accommodate this busy family ’s needs.

The former showcase model quickly became a home; a gathering point for family and friends and a canvas for Cindy ’s keen decorating signature. She’s a professed, though modest, “do-it-yourselfer” whose hands-on design attitude results in a casual, eclectic style. If something needs a new look, she ’s on the job, repainting, sewing, reconfiguring, hanging and rearranging. And, Cindy ’s fun, sometimes-themed table settings are legend among friends who can’t wait to see what layered tablescaping works of art she’ll perform next.

The spunky homeowner’s knack for entertaining is as embedded in her genes as her eye color, in no small part due to her upbringing in Kansas.

“I grew up on a farm in Kansas, and my mom was always planning parties and entertaining, ” says Cindy who recalls a barn party in fourth grade. “I remember my mom and dad going to all this trouble to have ghosts coming out of the rafters in the barn. There were hayrides, I mean everything planned to the tiniest detail. Even to this day, my mom will call and say ‘I’m having 20 or so people over tonight.’ I grew up with it. It was wonderful.”

Cindy’s resourceful, down-to-earth décor is evident throughout: burlap curtains she made for $9 per panel in the breakfast room are the epitome of casual chic, topped with cabinet knobs. Need another pillow in the mix? She ’s just as tempted to make one as to buy it. A handcrafted roll pillow in a silver pattern fits right in with the others on her master bed.

It follows that her keen eye extends to unique collections. An assemblage of vintage Chinese calligraphy brushes in carved wood, jade and shagreen spill from a cabinet drawer like eye candy. Above the kitchen cabinets, an assortment of baskets in every conceivable shape jockey for space like a mural of jumbled, textured art.

“My house is a bit of a mix. A bit of this, a bit of that,” quips Cindy. “There’s a little bit of Kansas, a little bit of Miami with glass and seashells, a little bit of China and a bit of ‘I think I’ll make that myself.’ It’s just fun to mix it up.”

Sprinkled throughout are some furnishings with history as well. Take, for example, a piece in the front foyer. A large mirrored armoire —previously owned by the late actor Chuck Connors of the 1950s and 1960s western series, The Rifleman —greets visitors to the home. “His estate was being sold in Miami,” recalls Cindy. “I love it! It’s a large piece but we have a good spot for it now.” continued next page

The six-bedroom Hageman home was formerly a Woodlands Showcase model. ˚ John and Cindy Hageman at their Woodlands home. ˚ A Romeo and Juliet balcony overlooks a beautiful courtyard decked out with a shaggy palm tree and undergrowth of flowers. The two stone sculptures on either side of the pathway are from China. ˚ Tabletops are never dull at the Hageman home. Here, jade bowls, china from Z Gallery, alligator-embossed chargers in silver and mirrored placements create an eclectic and elegant dinner setting. The dining chairs, formerly owned by professional golfer, Ray Floyd, were purchased at a Miami shop. Originally in flowered upholstery, Cindy had them reupholstered in an alligator stamped leather.