My Houzz: Sweet Pink Touches and Colorful Boho Style in Austin
Wood and white tones mix with pretty and practical boho decor in this Texas family home
Heather Banks
September 7, 2018
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
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Melody and Patrick Birdsong; their daughters, Jean, 4, and 3-month-old twins Birdie and Goldie; beagle-basset hound mix Do; and cats Boogie, Buddy and Oliver
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 1,211 square feet (113 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1980
Who lives here: Melody and Patrick Birdsong; their daughters, Jean, 4, and 3-month-old twins Birdie and Goldie; beagle-basset hound mix Do; and cats Boogie, Buddy and Oliver
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 1,211 square feet (113 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1980
Melody and Patrick Birdsong, pictured here with daughter Jean, bought their 1980s fixer-upper in Austin, Texas, at the end of 2016.
The couple are owners of Birdhome Real Estate, a real estate and staging company. “I have the blessing of seeing hundreds of homes each year,” Melody says. A lot of the couple’s inspiration in renovating their home was pulled from the various projects they’ve worked on over the years.
The couple are owners of Birdhome Real Estate, a real estate and staging company. “I have the blessing of seeing hundreds of homes each year,” Melody says. A lot of the couple’s inspiration in renovating their home was pulled from the various projects they’ve worked on over the years.
The couple wanted to decorate their interior in a style that was pretty yet neutral and practical for their three young daughters and four pets. They settled on a mostly black-and-white color scheme warmed up by wood and touches of soft pink. All the interior walls are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White.
Here, the family’s beagle-basset hound mix, Do, gets cozy in his indigo-colored dog bed.
“Work Hard” print: Schoolhouse Electric; Agave Print No. 14: Loft Creative; saddle leather round chair: Garza Marfa; The Writer Oak letter board: Letterfolk
Here, the family’s beagle-basset hound mix, Do, gets cozy in his indigo-colored dog bed.
“Work Hard” print: Schoolhouse Electric; Agave Print No. 14: Loft Creative; saddle leather round chair: Garza Marfa; The Writer Oak letter board: Letterfolk
The couple’s previous home was 2,300 square feet and this one is just 1,211. Most of their old furniture was too large for the new space, which also has smaller rooms. “The right furniture was key since we could put so little into the house, and size was the No. 1 factor,” Melody says of their furnishing choices.
The couple frequently make trips to the West Elm outlet outside Austin to buy furnishings for their staging business, and there they also found some pieces for their living room, including the chesterfield-style sofa, coffee table and accessories.
Modern chesterfield leather sofa, Mira coffee table in Storm Pink, Mid-Century turned-leg standing planter: all West Elm; rug: Kaya Kilims; pouf and mudcloth pillow: Apt F
Find poufs and floor cushions
The couple frequently make trips to the West Elm outlet outside Austin to buy furnishings for their staging business, and there they also found some pieces for their living room, including the chesterfield-style sofa, coffee table and accessories.
Modern chesterfield leather sofa, Mira coffee table in Storm Pink, Mid-Century turned-leg standing planter: all West Elm; rug: Kaya Kilims; pouf and mudcloth pillow: Apt F
Find poufs and floor cushions
“My personal design philosophy is if there’s a fireplace, the room should be centered around it — not the TV,” Melody says. In their case, the living room was small and there wasn’t a place for the television, so the family opted to live without one. The couple painted the existing fireplace stone white and installed a new mantel for an updated look.
Metal beveled leaner mirror: RH; rustic fireplace mantel shelf: Dogberry Collections
Metal beveled leaner mirror: RH; rustic fireplace mantel shelf: Dogberry Collections
The couple removed a wall between the kitchen and living room to significantly open up the main living space. They also removed the outdated popcorn ceilings and installed new flooring.
St. Martin dining counter stools: Williams-Sonoma Home
St. Martin dining counter stools: Williams-Sonoma Home
The newly open space allows for easy flow between the dining area and the compact kitchen.
The black cabinets and oak countertops are from Ikea and worked well for the small kitchen. The couple bought them on sale at a 20 percent discount so they could stick to their remodeling budget. They went with open shelves instead of upper cabinets to make dishes and cups easily accessible.
The Pros and Cons of Upper Kitchen Cabinets and Open Shelves
The Pros and Cons of Upper Kitchen Cabinets and Open Shelves
The Birdsongs installed a budget-friendly white tile backsplash for less than $200.
Tile: Floor & Decor
Tile: Floor & Decor
The couple spent a total of $50,000 on their remodel, including materials. A few of their splurges included replacing the windows, an Elfa shelving system for the closets and a new pink retro-style refrigerator.
Slim Fridge in Pink Lemonade: Big Chill
Slim Fridge in Pink Lemonade: Big Chill
“We had to focus on smaller pieces and really maximize space,” Melody says. “For example, Jean’s playroom and toy cabinet was condensed into the white buffet in the living room that serves as an entry table, toy cabinet and catchall.”
Gray throw: Ara Collective
Gray throw: Ara Collective
A black accent wall in the living room adds contrast to the primarily white space.
Wall paint: Onyx, Benjamin Moore; entry runner: VanderHelm Interiors; “Prada Marfa” art: Gray Malin; metal-framed oversize round mirror, Audrey buffet: West Elm
Browse modern buffets and sideboards
Wall paint: Onyx, Benjamin Moore; entry runner: VanderHelm Interiors; “Prada Marfa” art: Gray Malin; metal-framed oversize round mirror, Audrey buffet: West Elm
Browse modern buffets and sideboards
In furnishing and decorating, Melody often takes her cues from the rugs in each space. She selected these navy blue nightstands to coordinate with the blues in the rug.
Faux shagreen side tables in navy: Sterling; bedding: Parachute; campaign-style dresser, curved rattan bed: Anthropologie
See more tropical-style beds
Faux shagreen side tables in navy: Sterling; bedding: Parachute; campaign-style dresser, curved rattan bed: Anthropologie
See more tropical-style beds
The homeowners went with smaller beds to fit with the smaller bedrooms in this house. “The bedrooms got full-size beds and we downsized to a queen in the master,” Melody says.
Upholstered headboard in Swaying Palm Loran print: World Market; framed art: Gray Malin; saddle leather round chair: Garza Marfa; wall hanging: Copper Dot Weaving
Upholstered headboard in Swaying Palm Loran print: World Market; framed art: Gray Malin; saddle leather round chair: Garza Marfa; wall hanging: Copper Dot Weaving
The master bathroom features a mostly black-and-white palette.
“Despite having very small bathrooms, we wanted to have functional bathtubs,” Melody says. “Sourcing them was a challenge on its own. Neither contractor measured the space properly so we had to sell one tub that was too large and return another before we got it right. The juice was worth the squeeze — both bathrooms now have oversize soaking tubs that get used daily for mom baths and kid baths.”
Metal-framed round mirror: West Elm; vanity: Home Decorator’s Collection; Trinsic faucet in bronze: Delta
“Despite having very small bathrooms, we wanted to have functional bathtubs,” Melody says. “Sourcing them was a challenge on its own. Neither contractor measured the space properly so we had to sell one tub that was too large and return another before we got it right. The juice was worth the squeeze — both bathrooms now have oversize soaking tubs that get used daily for mom baths and kid baths.”
Metal-framed round mirror: West Elm; vanity: Home Decorator’s Collection; Trinsic faucet in bronze: Delta
The second bathroom features the same color scheme as the master bath, with a black vanity, marble countertop and round mirror.
Daughter Jean’s bedroom features pink bedding and other boho-style textiles. The colors in the framed photograph — a portrait of a rug dealer in Turkey — inspired the room’s palette.
Jenny Lind bed in white: Land of Nod
Jenny Lind bed in white: Land of Nod
A neon pink kid-size Acapulco chair in the corner serves as a reading nook.
Junior Acapulco rocker chair: Innit Designs
Junior Acapulco rocker chair: Innit Designs
The couple found their front door at their local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and painted it pink on Jean’s suggestion. The parents were happy to include their daughter in a visit to the paint store to select the perfect shade. “We complemented it with a pineapple pendant, succulent wreath and a pineapple welcome mat,” Melody says.
The couple worked with Blue Renovation & Landscape to redo their front yard and walkway. “The landscaping really pulled the whole thing together,” Melody says. “I’m so glad we decided to hire a professional. I gave the designer full creative control, after lists of please dos and please don’ts.”
Door paint: Rose Bisque, Benjamin Moore; Kyra outdoor sconce: Beachcrest Home; faux succulent and moss wreath: Pottery Barn
The couple worked with Blue Renovation & Landscape to redo their front yard and walkway. “The landscaping really pulled the whole thing together,” Melody says. “I’m so glad we decided to hire a professional. I gave the designer full creative control, after lists of please dos and please don’ts.”
Door paint: Rose Bisque, Benjamin Moore; Kyra outdoor sconce: Beachcrest Home; faux succulent and moss wreath: Pottery Barn
The backyard has a pool and a play structure on a grassy area that the family enjoys using in the summertime.
Inflatable swimming pool pineapple float lounger: Unido Box
See more 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.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Inflatable swimming pool pineapple float lounger: Unido Box
See more 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.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
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Fabulous infusion of personality!
Great design decision to ditch the TV! Lovely family home. Thanks for giving us a peek.
I have seen hundreds of rooms already. This home has more character, art, and love than most that I have seen. When I see living plants thriving indoors, that is a sign that the people in it really care for life.