As you enter Kara Hembree’s home,

it takes all of about a second to realize that this dwelling is special. The photo here of the front entryway reveals a glimpse of both the

elegance and expanse of the house. As soon as visitors set foot in the door, they are greeted by a stately, winding staircase, ceilings that reach to the sky and a sitting area that offers an exquisite view of the backyard.

And that’s just the appetizer.

Elsewhere, they’ll ultimately discover 7,200 square feet of similar beauty and grandeur inside anchoring a 1.7-acre lot outside. And they will realize, as Hembree did three years ago when she purchased the home located where Arlington’s southwest section converges with Fort Worth’s southeast edge, that you rarely say no to the notion of living in a dream home.

“I liked the size and the location,” Hembree says, recalling her own first impression of the home. “I liked the open space indoors. I liked the neighborhood – it’s so peaceful. It just seemed like a great place to raise my kids.”

Consequently, daughter Savannah (12) and son Colton (8) soon had a new place to live, and Kara, a stay-at-home mom, had an ideal venue from which to host the children-related gatherings that became the norm shortly after the Hembrees’ arrival to the neighborhood. For the offspring, the home had plenty of room to romp indoors and ample opportunities for adventure once they stepped outside. Colton plays football, baseball, basketball, golf and takes taekwondo. Savannah is a golfer, a basketball player, a volleyball player and an honor student. Both have lots of friends. “And they come over quite a bit,” Kara says. “This house is always full of kids.”

Among Kara’s favorite retreats

is her library, one of two in the five-bedroom, six-bath home. It is pictured on the preceding page, marked by favorite pieces of art and accessories. “It’s very feminine, kind of ‘girly,'” she says. “There are places for my books and a seating area – the normal things you find in a study. But I like it a lot.”

The master bedroom also holds plenty of charm. Kara says she loves its size and storage space. “There’s a fireplace in there,” she says. “And the windows face the backyard to give a great view.”

All the family members are partial to the living area, depicted in the large picture to the right on the preceding page. “It’s warm and comforting,” Kara says. “It’s just off the kitchen and, like the kitchen, is a very good place for entertaining.”

Speaking of the kitchen, it’s another of her favorite parts of the house, even though she claims not to be a cooking enthusiast. “It’s so open with a huge island that makes it great for entertaining,” she says.

It has a dining area to complement the larger, formal dining room, which like the sitting room you could see from the entryway, offers an ideal view of the backyard.

If there seems to be a recurring theme here, it’s that so much of the house has a great view of that backyard. Four of the pictures on this page tell a good portion of the story about it.

Kara says the pool was already built before she purchased the home, and it has become a favorite gathering spot for her kids and their friends when they come over.

“There’s also a large patio with a TV, outdoor kitchen, so it’s a really good spot for entertaining. The kids, of course, like the backyard. There’s a trampoline for them to jump on and a play park and lots of yard for them to run around in. I’m really involved with my kids, and this has been the perfect house for raising a family. We have really enjoyed it.”