Peek Inside a Custom Home That Elegantly Mixes Old and New
Watch and read how a designer played with traditional and contemporary looks to create a casual yet sophisticated home
Mitchell Parker
June 7, 2022
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
When a California couple needed help finishing the interiors of their new-build home in Austin, Texas, they hired designer Sara Barney of Bandd Design Interiors to tease out a style that married one’s love of traditional with the other’s preference for something more contemporary. And with three young kids and a dog, they needed it to be livable and durable.
Barney worked with the couple mostly remotely, using Houzz Pro software to manage the project. In a great room, she played with subdued color palettes and patterns for a traditional look, then mixed traditional furniture shapes with a few modern pieces, like a pair of white plaster coffee tables, to create a sophisticated transitional style.
In the kitchen, elegant quartzite countertops and slab backsplash join light wood upper cabinets and wall sconces for a traditional feel, while blue lower cabinets deliver a more playful vibe. The primary bedroom features a traditional canopy-style bed, but contemporary lines give it an updated appearance. The bathroom leans traditional with lots of white oak, marble and a beaded crystal chandelier. And a large family room gives everyone a modern-day spot to play and watch movies together.
Barney worked with the couple mostly remotely, using Houzz Pro software to manage the project. In a great room, she played with subdued color palettes and patterns for a traditional look, then mixed traditional furniture shapes with a few modern pieces, like a pair of white plaster coffee tables, to create a sophisticated transitional style.
In the kitchen, elegant quartzite countertops and slab backsplash join light wood upper cabinets and wall sconces for a traditional feel, while blue lower cabinets deliver a more playful vibe. The primary bedroom features a traditional canopy-style bed, but contemporary lines give it an updated appearance. The bathroom leans traditional with lots of white oak, marble and a beaded crystal chandelier. And a large family room gives everyone a modern-day spot to play and watch movies together.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three young kids and a dog
Location: Austin, Texas
Designer: Sara Barney of Bandd Design Interiors
Builder: Nalle Custom Homes
In the living area of the great room, Barney embraced soft colors and subtle pattern to create a casual but elegant style that leans traditional. “We love to play with pattern, we love to play with texture, we love color,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be bold, bright, crazy color.”
White plaster coffee tables and a slim-profile bench bring contemporary details.
Layers of lighting, large windows and warm white walls (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) give the space a welcoming atmosphere.
Watch now: Step inside this elegant transitional-style home on Houzz TV
Who lives here: A couple with three young kids and a dog
Location: Austin, Texas
Designer: Sara Barney of Bandd Design Interiors
Builder: Nalle Custom Homes
In the living area of the great room, Barney embraced soft colors and subtle pattern to create a casual but elegant style that leans traditional. “We love to play with pattern, we love to play with texture, we love color,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be bold, bright, crazy color.”
White plaster coffee tables and a slim-profile bench bring contemporary details.
Layers of lighting, large windows and warm white walls (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) give the space a welcoming atmosphere.
Watch now: Step inside this elegant transitional-style home on Houzz TV
Herringbone flooring and arched doorways add traditional style.
Barney went back and forth with the homeowners on whether to install window treatments. Privacy wasn’t a concern, but in the end Barney was worried about acoustics in such a large, open space. “For us it was a sound thing,” she says. “It was going to absorb some of the sound. Also, the ceilings are incredibly high and other than the light fixtures we had nothing else taking the eye up. So I felt like bringing in some really gentle, light, sheer window coverings was a nice way to soften the space, bring in a slight nod to traditional and heighten the room a little bit.”
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Barney went back and forth with the homeowners on whether to install window treatments. Privacy wasn’t a concern, but in the end Barney was worried about acoustics in such a large, open space. “For us it was a sound thing,” she says. “It was going to absorb some of the sound. Also, the ceilings are incredibly high and other than the light fixtures we had nothing else taking the eye up. So I felt like bringing in some really gentle, light, sheer window coverings was a nice way to soften the space, bring in a slight nod to traditional and heighten the room a little bit.”
Find interior designers and decorators near you
The kitchen combines light wood upper cabinets and refrigerator paneling with blue lower cabinets (Inchyra Blue by Farrow & Ball).
Watch now: Tour more of this home in the latest episode of Houzz TV
Watch now: Tour more of this home in the latest episode of Houzz TV
Barney paired the timeless wood cabinets with quartzite countertops and slab backsplash for a traditional feel. “Playfulness and youthfulness comes through the blue cabinetry,” she says.
While the cabinets had already been partially designed when Barney came on board the project, she worked with the clients to tweak some of the functionality. “That’s what’s really helpful about having a good team — your architect, your builder, your designer — is that we’re each able to look at it from a different point of view,” she says. “So we came in and verified some functionality issues and made sure they were going to make sense for the client, specifically, and their needs.”
8 Blue Paint Colors to Consider for a Kitchen Island
While the cabinets had already been partially designed when Barney came on board the project, she worked with the clients to tweak some of the functionality. “That’s what’s really helpful about having a good team — your architect, your builder, your designer — is that we’re each able to look at it from a different point of view,” she says. “So we came in and verified some functionality issues and made sure they were going to make sense for the client, specifically, and their needs.”
8 Blue Paint Colors to Consider for a Kitchen Island
At the front entry to the home, the dining area is on prominent display, so Barney wanted the light fixture to be simple but special.
Browse a curated collection of stylish home decor products
Browse a curated collection of stylish home decor products
The light features a traditional-style oversize drum shade with a more contemporary brass arch around it. “I knew it sort of needed to be grand, but I didn’t want it to be too detailed, too over the top,” Barney says.
Woven chairs with black frames nod to the owners’ casual California roots. A large white dining table creates contrast. To the left stands a custom built-in bar area.
Watch now: See designer Sara Barney share more details about this home
Woven chairs with black frames nod to the owners’ casual California roots. A large white dining table creates contrast. To the left stands a custom built-in bar area.
Watch now: See designer Sara Barney share more details about this home
Antiqued mirror backsplash tile reflects light and “helps it from becoming a cavernous cutout,” Barney says.
Black soapstone countertops bring a touch of drama. “For a bar I felt like it was very handsome and elegant without being pretentious,” she says.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Black soapstone countertops bring a touch of drama. “For a bar I felt like it was very handsome and elegant without being pretentious,” she says.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Barney says the primary bathroom is probably the most traditional room in the home. “There’s lots of marble and white oak, and it’s very clean and crisp,” she says.
The tile is set in a herringbone pattern, creating a cohesive design element with the herringbone wood flooring in the great room. A beaded crystal chandelier hangs over a freestanding tub that sits beneath large black-frame windows. “I wanted it to feel like an elevated hotel spa bathroom,” Barney says.
The tile is set in a herringbone pattern, creating a cohesive design element with the herringbone wood flooring in the great room. A beaded crystal chandelier hangs over a freestanding tub that sits beneath large black-frame windows. “I wanted it to feel like an elevated hotel spa bathroom,” Barney says.
Barney wanted the primary bedroom to have a similar vibe. “I wanted it to feel like an upscale beachside spa hotel, a place where they could really retreat,” she says.
The canopy bed satisfies traditional tastes while its slim profile gives it a contemporary edge.
The canopy bed satisfies traditional tastes while its slim profile gives it a contemporary edge.
The homeowners originally intended this large space to be a bedroom. But since they didn’t need an additional bedroom, Barney suggested they turn it into a family room with play space for the kids.
A custom console behind the large sectional hides a projector for showing movies. “It really is a space that can change and grow with them over time,” Barney says.
Watch now: See more of this family-friendly home on Houzz TV
Shop now: Browse a curated collection of stylish home decor products
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A custom console behind the large sectional hides a projector for showing movies. “It really is a space that can change and grow with them over time,” Barney says.
Watch now: See more of this family-friendly home on Houzz TV
Shop now: Browse a curated collection of stylish home decor products
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
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What a beautiful home. I love the mix of styles and the use of subtle colours.
Where are the kitchen light from. Gorge!!!!
Can you share where the canopy bed in Master is from?