< Previous90 COASTMONTHLY.COM / December 2015The interior of the travel trailer features paisley curtains, a hula girl and “A Christmas Story” leg lamp.FeaturesJohn Hamm is the police chief in Hitch-cock, and Jill Hamm is a lieutenant for Col-lege of the Mainland’s police force.The back window of the trailer is adorned with bumper stickers from trips the Hamms already have taken, and they hope to add more, they said.They have plans someday soon to take a trip to Garner State Park in Central Texas and eventually to the Grand Canyon. Florida and California also are possible destinations for the couple.Their travel trailer is nearly an exact repli-ca of the 1961 Shasta Airflyte, complete with the legendary Shasta silver wings.Its rounded aluminum shell exemplifies all that is sleek and sturdy about the iconic midcentury design.“It’s the perfect size for the three of us,” said Jill Hamm, who is referring to herself, John and their small Chihuahua/Yorkie-mix, Pepper, who often accompanies them on trips.And lucky for John Hamm, the travel trailer can accommodate his height. He’s just a little more than 6 feet tall.“When I first saw it, I said, ‘If I can fit in it, I’ll buy it,’” he said.The trailer is complete with one regular bed and a dinette, which has booth seats and a foldable table that converts into a bed.The floor even holds its midcentury, retro flair with a black-and-white checkered pattern.But what makes the trailer unique is the couple’s own special additions, which in-clude antique and thrift store finds to give it a personal touch.“I take everything but the kitchen sink,” Jill Hamm said as she worked to set up wick-er chairs, and a woven turquoise mat that looked as though it was made to match their trailer. “We throw whatever we can into the car and go when we take trips.”Some of the couple’s favorite décor additions include paisley curtains made for the trailer’s small windows, a vintage pink flamingo, a hula girl with swiveling hips and “A Christmas Story” leg lamp, which at times can be seen glowing from the trailer’s dinette table.“John says I can make a house out of a couple of parking spaces,” Jill Hamm said smiling.As the Hamms sat in their wicker chairs complete with sun hats and flip flops, they began brainstorming their next trip.“We can’t wait,” John Hamm said. “We’re excited for all of the time together and the memories.” COASTMONTHLY.COM / December 2015 91AndreaLost50Pounds!BeforeAfterIncludes:• Initial Medical Evaluation• Lab Work• 2 Fat Burning Injections• 2 weeks of prescribed appetite control medication. • One-on-One witha Medical Weight Loss Counselor(Restrictions Apply)LIFESTYLE CHANGE PROGRAM Lose 2-5 LBS Per Week$99This weight reduction treatment includes the use of HCG, a drug which has not been approved by the FDA as safe and effective in the treatment of obesity or weight control.There is no substantial evidence that HCG increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie restricted diets.Lose 1-2 Pounds Per Dayhealthyhabitswellness.netPharmaceutical HCG Injections Includes:• Complete Medical Evaluation• Lab Work• Medically Prescribed HCG Injections• Personal Weight Loss Coach(Restrictions Apply)FAST TRACK PROGRAM%OFF20Back to School • Back to You! MedicAl Weight loss Fast • effective • life-changing(409) 744-9355 • Galveston2724 61st Street #5 www.weightlossgalveston.comlocAtion92 COASTMONTHLY.COM / December 2015Story by Leslie Watts Photos by Jennifer Reynolds“Something different” could well be the motto for the person-al and professional lives of interior designers Kara and Eric Wuellner.Marriage in their early years after only a five-month whirlwind romance — followed by a snowstorm introduction to South Texas — has set the stage for a lifetime of adven-ture and innovation for the dynamic duo.“We have always looked for a better way of doing things even — or maybe especially — if it was a departure from the expected, and it has usually turned out pretty good,” said Kara Wuellner, as she explained how they came to build a two-houses-in-one vacation home on Galveston Island.As owners of The Design Firm based in nearby Stafford, and five-time winners of the American Society of Interior Designers’ Prism Award — including “Best House of the Year” — the Wuellners knew they wanted a location on the water to relax from their busy professional lives.“We had tried Fort Lauderdale at one point, but there were too many people from New York,” Kara Wuellner said with a wry smile.And although they knew that peace, privacy and a place to unwind was import-ant, they also wanted a second home that allowed them to spend family time with their four children and six grandchildren.The solution? A spacious structure that encompassed two, fully-equipped residenc-es with separate entrances, allowing for “togetherness” when desired, but also “time Double dutyDynamic designing duo creates two-houses-in-one vacation getawayHomeport(Above) Kara and Eric Wuellner were inspired by the tropical blue, green and deep rose tones of their home when it came to decorating for the holidays. Colors can transition easily from “homestyle” Christmas with the grandchildren to a more sophisticated New Year’s Eve celebration with friends. COASTMONTHLY.COM / December 2015 93(Right) The Wuellners’ West End home is mid-century modern with a base palette of black, white and gray with silver-toned accents and the generous sweeps of aqua, citron, amber, tangerine, lemon, fuchsia and cobalt blue contributed through furnishings, original art and accessories.94 COASTMONTHLY.COM / December 2015The Wuellners’ beach-front home features views of an ever-changing vista of sand, sky and surf.Homeport COASTMONTHLY.COM / December 2015 9596 COASTMONTHLY.COM / December 2015Homeportout” when needed for the grandparents.Galveston was a perfect choice for the location as it was only slightly more than an hour from their permanent home. Their search took place not too long after Hurri-cane Ike struck in 2008, and coming up with a piece of land that could accommodate their unusual idea wasn’t easy.“We were actually looking at the lot next door when the one we eventually settled on caught our eye,” Kara Wuellner said. “Even though it was still storm ravaged and slightly irregular — and not even for sale — we felt it had possibilities.”Amazingly, the Wuellners were able to ne-gotiate its purchase. But then they couldn’t quite figure out how to make it work with the type of house they wanted.“Then, one night, it was one of those things where God wakes you up at 3 a.m. and shows you what could be,” she said.Working with local architect Michael Gaertner, the plan began to evolve, and today a multi-level main house and adjoining guest cottage offer some 6,000 square feet of living and entertaining space all under one roof. A ground level palapa area further expands the possibilities for relaxation with porch-style swings, hammocks and piles of colorful pillows.To complement the beach-front loca-tion, the Wuellners chose gray shake-style shingles trimmed in crisp white for the front, north-facing exterior of the home, and the back exposure features a window wall that reveals an ever-changing vista of sand, sky and surf.Kara Wuellner describes the interior design as being in the style of mid-century modern with a base palette of black, white and gray executed in a variety of materials and textures. Sparkle and spice are add-ed through silver-toned accents and the generous sweeps of aqua, citron, amber, tangerine, lemon, fuchsia and cobalt blue contributed through furnishings, original art and accessories.“These could be called seaside colors with an attitude, and because they are essentially the colors of nature, they work for all seasons or occasions,” Eric Wuellner said.For double-duty December decorating, the Wuellners eschewed traditional holi-day hues and put together a plan inspired by the tropical blue, green and deep rose tones of their home, a combination that can transition easily from “homestyle” Christmas with the grandchildren to a more sophis-ticated New Year’s Eve celebration with friends.Once Santa has left, a fresh look for the New Year can be achieved with a mini-mum of expense and effort by suspending glittering spirals to cascade from the ceiling, hanging a “Happy New Year” banner over a window, draping shimmering streamers on the Christmas tree, and replacing reindeer figures, cookie plates and greenery with gleaming Champagne buckets, sparkling crystal and polished silver serving trays filled with grown-up food. “These could be called seaside colors with an attitude, and because they are essentially the colors of nature, they work for all seasons or occasions.” – Eric Wuellner(Above and left) The decorations in the kitchen and dining area can easily transition from Christmas to New Year’s entertaining. 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GalVesTon, TX 77550 roberT@VacaTiononcanVas.com 409-974-406698 COASTMONTHLY.COM / December 2015Christen Walcher, from left, her husband, Ben, and their friends Joe Cerdas and Travis Dhonau enjoying taking out the outrigger canoes they built in the Walchers’ garage. COASTMONTHLY.COM / December 2015 99Stem to SternStory by David Canright | Photos by Jennifer ReynoldsBuilding on an old traditionA four-man outrigger surfs in GalvestonNext >