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I nspirational designer Michele Marano was seeking a home close to Lake Conroe when she happened upon a charming house in a gated community 10 miles from the lake's wooded shores. "I immediately fell in love with it," she says. "I knew I could make it my dream home." She transformed the property into a sanctuary, deeply inspired by Mexico Point, her family's legacy property on Lake Ontario in New York, which was sold to the state in the 1980s; the propert y is now a state park and the subject of an upcoming d o c u m e n t a r y and soon-to-be published book by Marano. Of the Lake Conroe house, she says, "I wanted this home to be elegantly rustic with a mixture of new and old style, serene and peaceful. Most people look for things to do away from home, whereas a country home is about enjoying being at home." The heart of the house is a well-equipped kitchen, where she works between two pantries. "I cook every day, because cooking is creating," Marano says. There are two primary suites at the east and west wings, as well as two libraries; Marano uses one to instruct meditation learned through Deepak Chopra, the Chopra Center. She created a series of comfortable, u s a b l e ro o m s and an inviting, resort-like out door space. Country living is a lifestyle, not just a location, for Marano, who spends most of her time working, r e l a x i n g , a n d c o o k i n g a t home. There is a meditation/ art studio inside the house, where she creates her designs and practices meditation techniques learned as a Chopra-certified instructor. "I gained a deeper meaning to life at the Center, but it was through inspiration that I received clarity, says Marano, who finds empowerment through creating. "I'm at a point in my life where I reflect on decade-old memories to create. My design business, Michele Marano & Associates, is about designing through inspiration. Places I love, childhood memories and growing up in the New York countryside collide with a passion for creativity, which became my purpose after a career on Wall Street." After years of furnishing, decorating, and enjoying the house, Marano has decided the time has come to move on. The house will be sold fully furnished, including architectural pieces incorporated into the design that were inspired by Mexico Point. Marano has carefully chosen each detail and will sell the custom home for a new family to enjoy. Michele Marano & Associates 713.899.8420 michele.marano@mac.com michelemarano.com Turnkey Solution A ROUND TOP SPONSORED PARTNER INSIDE VIEW to Country Living Near Lake Conroe Designer home hits the real estate market. Michele Marano Most people look for things to do away from home, whereas a country home is about enjoying being at home. — Michele Marano 125