Landscape Designer and Marfa, TX Insider Robert Bellamy Takes Us Through The Stunning Features of His Airbnb

Homeworthy sat down to hear from Robert Bellamy, a distinguished landscape designer based in Dallas, TX, who has spent the last forty years perfecting his craft. During our chat, he shares insights into his journey of transforming a long-abandoned house in Marfa, TX into two stunning Airbnb properties, The Hill House and The Canteen. He discusses the architectural styles, extensive renovations, and unique design elements that define these spaces. Marfa has become a hot spot for art and culture enthusiasts, food lovers, and design junkies, and Robert’s experiences offer a fascinating glimpse into the heart of this vibrant town. As a bonus, he also gave us his guide to Marfa shopping, eating, and exploring, revealing his favorite haunts for a drink or burger, and his go-to galleries.

HOMEWORTHY: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

ROBERT BELLAMY: I live in Dallas, TX and I am a landscape designer who has run my own design and installation business for the last forty years. I started as a glorified yard man and gardener and was able to buy a large piece of property with a tiny house at the end of it, which taught me all about enclosing myself in a green world and planting different plants on my property as its grown in size.

HOMEWORTHY: Where is your Airbnb, and how did you find it?

ROBERT BELLAMY: Right as you drive into Marfa, TX from the city of Alpine and you slowly come down a hill to pass over a bridge on the arroyo, it is on that hill just at the left. This house had been abandoned since the early fifties, set up on the hill like a spookhouse and you drive by it every time you go into town. A friend of mine suggested we buy it and teasingly call it “Fort Bellamy.” After two to three years, we did buy it and I eventually bought him out and kept the property.

HOMEWORTHY: What is the architectural style of your Airbnb?

ROBERT BELLAMY: There are two Airbnbs: The Hill House and The Canteen. The Hill House is an early 1900’s two bedroom, one living room ranch style stucco house which we put a metal roof on. 

Below, I built another building I call The Canteen made out of terra cotta cinderblock brick. It’s more of an angled loft building with sliding windows, fireplace, full kitchenette and comfortable furnishings.

HOMEWORTHY: Did you have to renovate your Airbnb? If so, what were some of the changes and updates you made?

ROBERT BELLAMY: It was a complete renovation. Hadn’t been lived in since the fifties. We took the whole roof off, opened up rooms and doors, tore off the back kitchen and turned it into the bathroom because it was falling in, replastered the inside and totally re-stuccoed the outside.

HOMEWORTHY: Give us an idea of the square feet, the amount of bedrooms and any amenities it features.

ROBERT BELLAMY: Technically three bedrooms: a queen bed, another room with two full beds, and a downstairs “cave room” with two twin bunks. The upstairs bedrooms share a large bathroom (with shower; there is also an outside shower on the back of the house). The downstairs cave room features a toilet and sink but not a shower/tub. The kitchen is fully stocked with high end appliances. An Isokern fireplace.

The Canteen sleeps two on a nice fold out couch. Rolling metal casement windows with colored glass, allows guests to adjust the windows and doors to privatize their stay to their liking. No internal shower or tub but there is an incredible outdoor shower with a partial stucco wall and the back side privatized by tail blades of windmills.

HOMEWORTHY: What was your approach to designing your Airbnb?

ROBERT BELLAMY: I’m a big scrap collector, so I built the terracing of the raised beds and the walls that held up the hill and the steps that came down to the lower area because the Canteen sits at grade level which is a good forty feet lower than the height of the house. All the beds were made of old limestone material, broken concrete and architectural remnants to create a relatively extensive garden. We also planted evergreens around the property to keep it privatized.

HOMEWORTHY: What are some of your favorite spaces in your Airbnb?

ROBERT BELLAMY: Everyone loves the top patio of the house because it faces west and gives you about an 80 mile depth of view of the city beyond and the mountains and the best sunsets in town. Off of the Canteen there’s a curved stucco banquette with a back and a large tile table I made for sitting and lounging and dinner parties. This area is surrounded by pinion pines and has an arbor with a wooden lathe on the top.

HOMEWORTHY: Do you have any tips for decorating/designing rental spaces?

ROBERT BELLAMY: Use your imagination and let the architecture dictate the style.

HOMEWORTHY: What do you want guests to feel when they come to your Airbnb?

ROBERT BELLAMY: Relaxed and comfortable. I tend to create casual environments with mixed styles of furniture and interesting, diverse art.

HOMEWORTHY: What does the word “home” mean to you?

ROBERT BELLAMY: Home means the minute you open the door you find welcoming, comfortable chairs with pillows, tables, places where you can drop a small suitcase or your groceries and flow in and out with plenty of views of the outside surroundings. And plenty of edgy art, as always.

Looking for more Texas homes to inspire your wanderlust soul? Tour lifestyle blogger Katey McFarlan’s ranch-style Fort Worth gem!