My Houzz: A Dream Home Grows From an Empty Austin Lot
A spacious courtyard, a great art collection and a family-friendly layout mark a Texas family's expansive new home
Kara Mosher
September 9, 2012
Austin based home tour contributor for Houzz; freelance photographer.
Jeremy and Amber Scardino lived for 11 years across the street from the spot where they eventually built their dream house. "We loved the area we lived in so much that when we saw a for-sale sign appear in the empty lot across the street one day, we thought it just made sense to build there," says Jeremy. "The timing was great." The couple decided to take advantage of the space's huge (9,000-square-foot) lot, building a sleek and contemporary home with plenty of outdoor space for themselves and their three kids.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jeremy and Amber Scardino, daughter Madison, sons Baron and Rider, dogs Gumbo and Emmylou, and cats Sebastian and Munchkin
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 3,000 square feet plus 600-square-foot detached garage, on 9,000-square-foot lot; 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jeremy and Amber Scardino, daughter Madison, sons Baron and Rider, dogs Gumbo and Emmylou, and cats Sebastian and Munchkin
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 3,000 square feet plus 600-square-foot detached garage, on 9,000-square-foot lot; 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths
The couple was determined to get the most out of the huge lot, so they built just a couple square feet under the maximum floor-to-area ratio allowed by Austin's McMansion Ordinance.
"It's very difficult to ever have a perfectly timeless design, and by no means could we ever assume our design is actually timeless. We tried to design the house in such a way that in 20 years from now it would be hard to tell it was constructed in 2012," Jeremy says. "We wanted to try for something that could be interesting to look at but neutral enough to work next to other designs in the future."
"It's very difficult to ever have a perfectly timeless design, and by no means could we ever assume our design is actually timeless. We tried to design the house in such a way that in 20 years from now it would be hard to tell it was constructed in 2012," Jeremy says. "We wanted to try for something that could be interesting to look at but neutral enough to work next to other designs in the future."
The family loves living so close to downtown, but they pay the price with more traffic and less privacy. "With our narrow yet deep lot, we faced a challenge that proved to be a blessing in disguise," says Jeremy. A large open courtyard between the garage and the home helped solve their privacy concerns and made for a unique landscape design.
"We have always loved color on our walls in the past, but in this house we went with white walls to help feature our art collection," Jeremy says.
The couple made it a goal to hang every piece of art they own and have art on every wall throughout the house. "We went for an open and clean layout, balanced with a mix of vintage and new decor, adding splashes of color by way of art," he adds.
The couple made it a goal to hang every piece of art they own and have art on every wall throughout the house. "We went for an open and clean layout, balanced with a mix of vintage and new decor, adding splashes of color by way of art," he adds.
The yellow and green painting in the hallway was purchased in Poland by one of Jeremy's friends, who later sold it to him.
The stairs showcase a collection of family photographs new and old, with a few Kate Breakey photograms mixed in. The couple left a few frames empty to fill in with future photos of their kids.
"The staircase project was something I started working on when I was pregnant and nesting, but the house was still being built," Amber says. To keep with a vintage feel, only black and white and sepia photos were used.
"The staircase project was something I started working on when I was pregnant and nesting, but the house was still being built," Amber says. To keep with a vintage feel, only black and white and sepia photos were used.
The open living room connects to the kitchen with a comfortable and family-friendly kitchen table. "In the kitchen, we went with a light celery-green glass tile as a backsplash, which we feel adds a hard-to-miss splash of color but does so in a comforting, appetizing kind of way," says Amber.
Range/oven: Viking; Copenhagen dining table and Dixon dining chairs: Four Hands Home
Range/oven: Viking; Copenhagen dining table and Dixon dining chairs: Four Hands Home
Stainless steel appliances reflect the same timeless and clean lines seen throughout the home.
Brown tufted leather furniture helps create the living room's inviting feel. Dark wood cabinetry and Santos mahogany floors create warmth that's balanced with clean white countertops and hardware in the living room.
A large gas fireplace, one of the family's favorite items, sits in the center of the living room. Built-in wooden shelves match the kitchen cabinets.
The bold blue paint color on the walls in the downstairs bathroom inspired a vintage pendant light with blue glass. A Moroccan-style glass tile fills the back accent wall with five different shades of blue.
Wall lights: Purist Collection, Kohler: vintage chandelier: Room Service; mirror: Goodwill
Wall lights: Purist Collection, Kohler: vintage chandelier: Room Service; mirror: Goodwill
"When designing each room, we tried to be very careful not to have any one viewpoint go without at least a little color and something interesting to the eye," says Amber.
An antique workbench in the corner of the dining room serves as a buffet. Amber bought it in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Chandelier: Edison, Pottery Barn; dining table: Four Hands Home
An antique workbench in the corner of the dining room serves as a buffet. Amber bought it in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Chandelier: Edison, Pottery Barn; dining table: Four Hands Home
Daughter Madison picked the paint color (Wisteria, Benjamin Moore) and the wallpaper in her bedroom.
The family found the glass armoire at the Salvation Army, but it's sold at Pier 1.
Headboard: Urban Outfitters; wallpaper: Monchique, Osborne & Little
The family found the glass armoire at the Salvation Army, but it's sold at Pier 1.
Headboard: Urban Outfitters; wallpaper: Monchique, Osborne & Little
Amber and Jeremy detached their garage, which allowed them to build a large porch and oversize glass doors on the front of the house where the garage would have been. "Instead of a traditional backyard, we ended up with a large (by city standards) private courtyard in the front of the house that our open floor plan virtually spills into," says Jeremy. The open layout allows the entire family to enjoy indoor and outdoor living spaces, all within view of one another.
The biggest dilemma the family faced when building their home was the McMansion Ordinance. "The ordinance caused a lot of little headaches. One of the biggest was having to drop the back half of the house down 1 foot to make it fit within the invisible tent outlined in the ordinance," Jeremy says.
"Our neighborhood is known for having its own flavor — the atmosphere is festive and inspires creativity," says Jeremy, shown here with Amber, Rider (on lap) and Baron. "Some of the best restaurants in Austin are less than 3 miles from our house, not to mention Alamo Drafthouse and Barton Springs. I can't think of many things we enjoy about Austin that aren't a bike ride or short cab ride away."
Houzz call: Do you live in a creative, modern home? Share it with us!
Houzz call: Do you live in a creative, modern home? Share it with us!
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Very nice home. I like the matching leather milo chairs and picture frame stairway.
And such a beautiful green lawn for here, I am envious.