Serana, 197 Orts Lane, Paige, TX (2026)

04/06/2026

The year was 2020.

Before there were cabins, there were tents. Before the tents, there were teepees. We built one ourselves 🙃 then quickly decided not to go that direction. Found a woman on Craigslist to buy them all for 50% of what we paid (*lights money on fire*). She was amazing and we were so glad they went to a good home!!

Year one of Serana was three Kampinas and five canvas glamping tents. All off-grid. Tents with wood-burning stoves. Beautiful for about five months a year. The rest of the time? Texas weather. Freezing nights in winter, unbearable by June. We quickly added electricity to the Kampinas but kept the tents off-grid.

And when it rained, like really rained, we’d be out there in the mornings bailing water out of the stoves with buckets. The ceilings leaked around the stovepipe holes. We tried everything. Nothing worked. Miraculously it never once rained this hard when it was cold enough to need the stoves, but still such a grind.

And if there was any bad weather (rain, cold, hot, hail, lightening, etc.), neither of us slept. We’d lie awake refreshing Airbnb, hoping guests were okay. We never got a single complaint (again, miracle. And a testament to our amazing guests!) But that didn’t stop the anxiety.

One night there was a proper Texas deluge. Again, barely slept. Saw the guests the next morning, bracing for the worst. They said: “THAT WAS AWESOME. It felt like sleeping inside a thundercloud.” And were cracking up about it.

Great guests. Still absurd.

We’re past the tent phase now. But we’re glad we did it. The slow, phased approach taught us how people actually use the space. And some things carried forward: every cabin door still faces east, just like the tents did. And old camping tradition. Wake up with the sunrise.

We don’t miss the buckets. But from time to time we do miss the tents 💘

03/22/2026

Most often, people ask how we designed Serana. The true answer is it that it was one decision at a time, usually figuring it out as we went. All over the course of 5 years. (It was originally an old cattle ranch with only a few pole barns).

Some of those decisions felt small in the moment. Building the communal kitchen first - before we even had cabins. Enclosing the Spa House instead of leaving it open-air. Drying flowers and framing them instead of buying art. But those little choices ended up shaping everything. What help make our space feel so intentional.

The communal kitchen and amenities became our differentiators as hubs that makes Serana work for retreats. The Spa House evolved into a Japanese-inspired sanctuary we’re so glad we invested in. The art, the vintage furniture, the objects we actually love. These are why guests say it feels like staying in someone’s home instead of a basic short-term rental.

We agonized over a lot. Sauna size, materials, the view out the window. Pathways and fencing. Where to create privacy and where to preserve the view. Really none of it was in the original plan. Most of it we figured out along the way, usually just the two of us.

Turns out that’s how it works.

02/26/2026

Morning light at Serana. That’s it. That’s the post.

02/23/2026

Six years in and we’re still learning.

We’ve made a lot of decisions we’re proud of. Most of them. And a few we’d do differently. Not because they were wrong! But because we know more now.

Someone asked us recently what we’d change if we started over. And while we carry a mental list of things that are definitely too specific 🤪 we’ve distilled it down to a few themes that we thought would resonate.

And we’d do it all over again. No amount of research replaces the education of actually doing the thing. But hopefully this helps someone along the way!

02/17/2026

Long weekends at Serana ❋❋

One of our favorite recent guest reviews. Grateful for each one everytime!

“Serana is a special place, imagined, created, and shared by special people — Zach and Carlyle. In concert with the land, Serana’s cabins, meeting spaces, and sauna reflected the essence of our gracious hosts in vision, connection to nature, autenticity, humility, and attention to detail. From simplicity to luxury, all is approached with consideration and purpose. An experience that continues as a conversation — and a feeling that will travel with you — until your next visit.”

Join us www.seranatx.com

01/12/2026

Six years ago, we left the Bay Area to build a life and hospitality business in the middle of nowhere in Texas. We moved an hour from the nearest city, 45 minutes from the nearest airport, and 25 minutes from the nearest grocery store and coffee shop.

We had no construction experience. No country-living background. And absolutely no idea what we were doing.

But what we did have was a shared pull toward something slower and more grounded.

Since then, we’ve built a wellness retreat we never could have imagined when we started. And along the way, we’ve learned a lot — mostly by doing things the hard way.

We get asked all the time what moving to the country is actually like, so we put our biggest lessons here.

For us, none of this would have been possible without the opportunity for remote work. And now with Starlink, working in rural areas is much more possible. You don’t have to burn it all down and quit your job to do this. Use your day job to support your daydream.

What we didn’t fully understand at the time was how much of that “slower life” would actually come from learning new skills, making hard decisions, and sitting in discomfort longer than we were used to. The lack of “convenience.” The lack of “efficiency.” There were seasons that felt isolating and overwhelming and made us question every single life decision that got us here. 😅 But then others that made it all click at once.

If you’re thinking about making a similar leap, ask us anything! Let us know where you want a reality check 🤠

12/31/2025

How to condense a year into 20 photos?

This year felt impossibly fast and also painstakingly slow. The constant impatience to just be done with construction, paired with those moments where we’d stop, look around, and realize just how much we and our epic construction team had pulled off in just a couple of weeks.

In January, we had just finished painting the interiors of the Post Oak cabins. The Lodge, Spa House, and Gym were nothing more than concrete pads.

By February, we were shooting the first cabin. By May, all the cabins were open (complete, of course, with our very ceremonial peeling of the plastic).

Somewhere in between, we hauled dozens of vintage furniture pieces from all over Texas back to Serana, and built countless bed frames, chairs, squat racks, and whatever else.

By spring, construction officially kicked off on the Lodge, Gym, and Spa House. The original plan for the Spa House was simply a concrete pad with a roof—until it wasn’t. That ended up being the biggest pivot of the year, and one we’re endlessly grateful we made.

Come August and September, we shifted our focus to the land itself, planting hundreds and hundreds of native grasses and species to amplify the natural beauty of Central Texas.

In November, after 14+ months of nonstop construction, we finally opened all of our remaining amenities 🎉

And most importantly, we welcomed hundreds of guests to Serana for getaways, celebrations, retreats, and everything in between. Reading your guest book notes are the highlights of each week, and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to create this space for rest and reconnection.

Excited for all that 2026 will bring and connecting with more and more of you. See you out here soon! 🤠

Carlyle & Zach

12/15/2025

The second-hand treasure hunt is the fun part for us, even if it sometimes takes forever. (Nothing is ever done 😅)

The secret isn’t money (we furnished the whole Lodge for less than $7k!) — the secret is time + patience + a little faith that all the pieces will fit together to make something truly unique and special.

Plus living 30 mins from Round Top also doesn’t hurt :)

Example: we bought the green chairs over a year ago and they sat patiently waiting in storage until we were ready. We knew we had to have them.

(I also joke that I am generally willing to pay a premium on vintage furniture if I have to if it means I can skip all the styrofoam and packaging that comes with new furniture. TIL that almost 30% of US garbage is packaging material !!!)

The hunt and the curation is what’s core to Serana, and we love sharing it with you.

Scroll through for a little backstory on some of our favorite pieces.

12/08/2025

The truth is, we built this for ourselves. But “building it” meant traveling the world - from Japan to the Dolomites - over the last 5 years to understand the science and art of restorative heat. It’s about loyly, the feeling of heat above your feet, and ventilation that lets you truly breathe. It’s about the minerals in the cold plunge water and the alchemy of the cedar. We obsessed over these details so you could have the most rejuvenating experience.

We love the social sauna culture and a good Aufguss session just as much as the next person, but some days we just want total quiet. A completely immersive, private experience to think and to clear, which is why we’ve chosen to make the Spa House available by private session only.

Welcome to the Serana Spa House. Now, we’re inviting you to experience the ritual.

The Serana Spa Pass is your full-day access to our pools, gym, lodge, and the perfect sauna/plunge cycle. DM for details or check out the 🔗🔗🔗

PS - Interested in these amenities for your next retreat? Get in touch to learn more about our full property rentals.

12/04/2025

November had it all.

Grand Opening! Texas Northern Lights! Sauna! Retreats! (in no particular order)

Drone footage! (Last image) thanks to

We’re so proud of the space we’ve built and to see your responses to our new spaces is incredibly meaningful. To see the lodge filled with guests around the table, the Spa House providing a meaningful respite, and our very first (new) pool goers makes us feel like we’ve come a very long way from sketches on graph paper!

We still have holes to dig and trees to plant, but November was the month where it all came together.

If you stayed with us, hosted here, or even just cheered us on from afar, thank you. Every like, comment, and share we see and are so grateful for. And feel very grateful to be able to share this journey with you!

Serana

04/06/2026

03/22/2026

02/26/2026

02/23/2026

02/17/2026

01/12/2026

12/31/2025

12/15/2025

12/08/2025

12/04/2025

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