Notes from the job site and the slab yard.

What I’m learning about color, materials, and getting a home right — written the way I’d tell you in person.

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Istarted writing these because the same questions kept coming up — in showrooms, at slab yards, standing in half-built rooms. They’re good questions, and they deserve better than the rushed answer you get while somebody is waiting on a decision.

So this is where I answer them properly. Mostly color and materials, a fair amount of process, and a good deal about what the light out here does to a room. I’d rather tell you why I chose something than just show you that I did.

I’d rather tell you why I chose something than just show you that I did.

Color & Materials · June 2, 2026

Getting the tile and the countertop to agree

Why two materials you both love can still refuse to sit together — and the one thing I check before anything else.

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Color & Materials · July 2026

Why I take clients to the slab yard

A slab is a piece of the earth, and no two are alike. There are things a photograph simply cannot tell you.

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The Process · June 2026

What actually happens at a first selections meeting

What to bring, what we decide, and why you’ll leave with fewer decisions on your plate than you walked in with.

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Lake & Region · June 2026

Designing a home that lives around the water

Screened porches, outdoor kitchens, and a palette that has to carry from the great room all the way out to the dock.

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The Process · June 2026

Where to spend, and where to simplify

Not every surface deserves the same budget. Here’s how I work out which ones earn it and which ones quietly don’t.

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Behind the Scenes · May 2026

What my art background taught me about color

Printmaking taught me to build a color in layers, one pigment over another. I still choose paint the same way.

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Who’s writing

I’m Heather. I choose the colors, materials, and finishes for the custom homes Ceci Bates builds around Lake Texoma — inside and out. I write here about how those decisions actually get made.

Say hello

Working through selections, or just stuck on one decision? Send me a note — I read these myself.

Rather just ask me directly?

If you’re in the middle of a decision and none of this quite covers it, write to me. I’d rather answer your actual question than have you piece it together from six posts. No pressure, just a conversation.

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