My Houzz: Modern Industrial Style for a DIY Update in Austin

A Texas couple banishes purple, then gets to work on handmade art and shelving, and a backyard fit for entertaining

Heather Banks November 21, 2015

Houzz Contributor. I’m absolutely obsessed with interior design and architecture. My favorite past time to do is gawk at other people’s homes. I always look forward to attending the home tours that frequently come through Austin, even if it means attaching my one year old crying baby to me to be able to do it. I’m a photographer by trade - www.eclecticimagesphotography.com but I've also recently been dabbling in interior decorating (as I work towards a certificate degree in Interior Design from The New York Institute of Art and Design). I've also flipped a few houses! You can see some of my design work and homes I've flipped on my Facebook page @CaryPaulStudios as well as on my Instagram @heathercbanks. I think people’s living spaces are the closest reflections of their true selves....

Houzz Contributor. I’m absolutely obsessed with interior design and architecture.... More

Comment14

Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.

Eggplant-colored floor tile, lavender-hued carpeting and numeral-inspired wallpaper were just some of the dated interior details in the house that Jason Kays and Bill Symon bought in Austin, Texas. Built in 1967 and subsequently rented by four college guys, it needed major cosmetic upgrades. Symon, who works in sales, and Kays, an account manager, took a hands-on approach but worked with a local designer and contractor toward their goal of removing a load-bearing wall and opening up the living area. Today, the home reflects their industrial boutique-hotel style and enjoys a functional flow.

Heather Banks

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Bill Symon and Jason Kays with their dogs, Jack and Charlie
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 1,157 square feet (107 square meters); three bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms
Year built: 1967
Designer: The homeowners in consultation with Becca Stephens

The backyard had an aboveground pool when Symon and Kays moved in. It was fun for a while, but it eventually started to leak. They replaced it with a bench-height deck and a low-maintenance xeriscape landscape.

The homeowners did a lot of the rock and granite installation themselves to save money, then left the steel edging, deck and plantings to the landscaper. The total cost, including removal of the leaking pool, was about $15,000.

Symon and Kays love to entertain and spend a lot of time outside hosting friends. They even set up a vintage projection screen for outdoor movie nights.

Heather Banks

The homeowners describe their design influences as modern industrial with a touch of warmth. A favorite detail in their home is the reclaimed fish-catcher lighting fixture that hangs over the dining table, which was custom-fabricated.

Heather Banks

Symon and Kays also got a lot of inspiration from local boutique hotels and mixed in the vibe of an industrial city loft when coming up with a design plan for their open-concept kitchen, dining and living area.

Bar stools: Overstock.com; countertop: Caesarstone in Organic White; appliances: KitchenAid Architect line; backsplash: Acme thinBRIK; barn door hardware: Tractor Supply Co.

Heather Banks

A focal point in the home office is a world map art piece Kays created and painted. Avid travelers, the two homeowners plan to mark the places they visit together with pins and stickers.

Red drawer units: Helmer, Ikea

Heather Banks

The art above their sectional is called A Quilt for Louis, and it’s the couple’s favorite piece in their home. They bought it in New Orleans from a street vendor whose house was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The artist has been using the remnants of his home to make his pieces. This one has bits of siding, hardware from old shutters and windowsills, and obscure images of Louis Armstrong painted within the design.

Heather Banks

Kays is especially proud of his pipe shelving project in the guest bedroom, which displays his collection of horror movies and memorabilia.

More: Make an Industrial-Style Shelving Unit

Heather Banks

The bamboo floors in the bedrooms are new, and the interior paints are low-VOC from Sherwin-Williams.

Bed: Four Hands; end tables and swag lamp: Cost Plus World Market; photograph above bed: Ashley Garmon

Heather Banks

Before the remodel, the bathroom had a dated yellow and purple palette, including purple walls. The couple went in the opposite direction with beige Daltile subway tiles and dark grout for the tub surround, along with a textured-glass door to bring in much-needed natural light.

Heather Banks

The porch was an add-on that originally had carpet, windows and a window air-conditioning unit. The previous renters used it as a recreation room, Symon says. “We tore up the carpet, cleaned up the concrete slab, replaced the windows with screens, and use it for outdoor entertaining and parties.”

Heather Banks

The home’s exterior features a brick facade and the original windows.

Heather Banks

Kays, left, and Symon relax in their backyard with their two dogs. Symon describes a typical fall Saturday afternoon: “Windows and French doors to the screened porch open, the dogs playing out back and music playing on the Sonos whole-house sound system. We’d probably be getting ready to host a group of people for dinner and an evening by the fire pit out back.”

See more photos of this home

My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.

Browse more homes by style:
Small Homes | Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes