Houzz Tour: A Traditional-Modern Mix for a Texas Family
An architect looks to the New Urbanism movement for inspiration in an older neighborhood of Austin
Becky Harris
October 21, 2017
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Photos by Fine Focus Photography
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple with two sons and a dog
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: Five bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms (including a pool cabana)
Designers: Architect Hugh Jefferson Randolph, interior designer Page Gandy and builder Joseph Fowler Homes
The challenge: This family in central Austin needed a home that would not only fit into the 1940s neighborhood they loved, but also suit their modern lifestyle. Design challenges included dealing with tricky sloped topography; abiding by regulations regarding height, garage placement and a 45 percent limit on impermeable surfaces; and saving existing trees. Working together closely, the team of architect Hugh Jefferson Randolph, interior designer Page Gandy and builder Joseph Fowler crafted a beautiful home that has proper massing and setbacks.
The solutions: “The question was how to create an urban-compound feeling on a long, narrow lot,” Randolph says. He wanted to do a complete site plan that included a usable backyard with pool and pool house that had a cohesive feeling as a whole. At the same time, he needed to get the scale and massing right.
The in-town neighborhood’s lots are somewhere between those of freestanding suburban houses, with their large, wide lots, and denser urban lots with rowhouses. So he looked to areas with more density such as Georgetown in Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; and Rosemary Beach, Florida, for inspiration. “The density in this older neighborhood will inevitably get higher, so I took principles of New Urbanism and applied them here,” Randolph says.
The front exterior: “The neighborhood is an eclectic mix of old and new, which gave us more freedom with the style,” Randolph says. The facade is a mix of brick, steel, glass and wood, with a tile roof.
“The variety of materials is a balance. You don’t want it to be monolithic but you also don’t want it to be too busy,” Randolph says. “Using stucco would have been too monolithic. By painting the brick we were able to make it more homogenous in color, but we were able to add detail via different patterns.”
He added an arch to the front entryway to counterbalance the strong grid of the sunroom’s bay. He set the garage back to meet the requirements for front-facing garages in the neighborhood. (The lot was too narrow to put it on the side or out back.) A wooden overhang adds another interesting detail to the facade.
Exterior brick paint: Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore; exterior trim and fascia: Iron Mountain, Benjamin Moore
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple with two sons and a dog
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: Five bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms (including a pool cabana)
Designers: Architect Hugh Jefferson Randolph, interior designer Page Gandy and builder Joseph Fowler Homes
The challenge: This family in central Austin needed a home that would not only fit into the 1940s neighborhood they loved, but also suit their modern lifestyle. Design challenges included dealing with tricky sloped topography; abiding by regulations regarding height, garage placement and a 45 percent limit on impermeable surfaces; and saving existing trees. Working together closely, the team of architect Hugh Jefferson Randolph, interior designer Page Gandy and builder Joseph Fowler crafted a beautiful home that has proper massing and setbacks.
The solutions: “The question was how to create an urban-compound feeling on a long, narrow lot,” Randolph says. He wanted to do a complete site plan that included a usable backyard with pool and pool house that had a cohesive feeling as a whole. At the same time, he needed to get the scale and massing right.
The in-town neighborhood’s lots are somewhere between those of freestanding suburban houses, with their large, wide lots, and denser urban lots with rowhouses. So he looked to areas with more density such as Georgetown in Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; and Rosemary Beach, Florida, for inspiration. “The density in this older neighborhood will inevitably get higher, so I took principles of New Urbanism and applied them here,” Randolph says.
The front exterior: “The neighborhood is an eclectic mix of old and new, which gave us more freedom with the style,” Randolph says. The facade is a mix of brick, steel, glass and wood, with a tile roof.
“The variety of materials is a balance. You don’t want it to be monolithic but you also don’t want it to be too busy,” Randolph says. “Using stucco would have been too monolithic. By painting the brick we were able to make it more homogenous in color, but we were able to add detail via different patterns.”
He added an arch to the front entryway to counterbalance the strong grid of the sunroom’s bay. He set the garage back to meet the requirements for front-facing garages in the neighborhood. (The lot was too narrow to put it on the side or out back.) A wooden overhang adds another interesting detail to the facade.
Exterior brick paint: Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore; exterior trim and fascia: Iron Mountain, Benjamin Moore
The entry: This is the front entry hall. “The client has excellent taste and had some great initial ideas and already had a lot of the furniture,” Gandy says. “She was not afraid to go bold in some places but wanted an overall calm vibe that wasn’t boring. She already had the giant gold mirror, and I think it fits in perfectly.”
Daisy and her pal: Meet Daisy, the family dog. You may have spotted her in the previous photo looking out the window. The other animal to her right in that photo is a stuffed sheep that one of the homeowners’ kids won at a fair. “It’s really funny, they move the sheep around and she and Daisy sit in that sunroom and look outside together,” says Fowler, who got a kick out of the on-the-move stuffed animal.
All windows and doors: Portella Steel Doors & Windows; wall and ceiling paint throughout the house: Intense White, Benjamin Moore
Daisy and her pal: Meet Daisy, the family dog. You may have spotted her in the previous photo looking out the window. The other animal to her right in that photo is a stuffed sheep that one of the homeowners’ kids won at a fair. “It’s really funny, they move the sheep around and she and Daisy sit in that sunroom and look outside together,” says Fowler, who got a kick out of the on-the-move stuffed animal.
All windows and doors: Portella Steel Doors & Windows; wall and ceiling paint throughout the house: Intense White, Benjamin Moore
Sunroom: Here’s a view of the sunroom from the inside, sans Daisy and her sheep friend. The floor is cement tile, which continues outside to the front entry. The large windows, brick columns flanking this entry and the tile create strong indoor-outdoor connections.
Floor tile: Arto; light fixture: Etsy
Floor tile: Arto; light fixture: Etsy
The layout: “We wanted to create a sense of discovery as you walk through the house,” Randolph says. For the plan, he used a strategy similar to having a courtyard between two main structures, which you can see here in the one-story dining room. (Look to the two brick walls on either side of the window. They mark the pair of two-story structures that this space connects.)
Dining room: The dining room’s windows weighed in at about a ton and were quite a challenge to install. Fowler and his team had to cut a hole in the roof, build an A-frame overhead and attach a lift to put them in place. If you look closely, you can see the hardware on each side that marks two doors that lead out to the courtyard. The courtyard wall provides privacy from the house next door.
Lighting: “We wanted something a little more sophisticated to elevate the space and saw these lucite and metal lights, which we loved with the more rustic table and metal window,” Gandy says.
Staircase: The staircase is composed of 5-inch-wide white oak hardwood and a simple solid railing that was fabricated on site.
Dining room: The dining room’s windows weighed in at about a ton and were quite a challenge to install. Fowler and his team had to cut a hole in the roof, build an A-frame overhead and attach a lift to put them in place. If you look closely, you can see the hardware on each side that marks two doors that lead out to the courtyard. The courtyard wall provides privacy from the house next door.
Lighting: “We wanted something a little more sophisticated to elevate the space and saw these lucite and metal lights, which we loved with the more rustic table and metal window,” Gandy says.
Staircase: The staircase is composed of 5-inch-wide white oak hardwood and a simple solid railing that was fabricated on site.
Living room: Continuing on the path of discovery, we’ve now entered the back portion of the house, which is two stories. Here you can see the relationship between the living room and the kitchen. The arch leads out to the pool. The windows are double low-E insulated glass that helps keep the home cool. So do the floors, which are polished cement. The beams are rough-sawn Douglas fir that Fowler’s team antiqued on site.
Fireplace: The cold-rolled steel fireplace chimney is directly across from the kitchen’s vent hood and echoes its style. The bottom is hand-troweled, hand-rubbed plaster. The floating shelves and cabinets are the same stained alder wood used in the kitchen, creating a cohesive flow between the two spaces.
Kitchen: Bentwood counter stools and a V-groove painted pine ceiling bring traditional touches to the space. The ceiling creates a rhythm and a more human scale in the large, wide-open area.
At the right is a bay that serves as an office alcove and looks out over the pool. File cabinets are tucked away to the side.
French cafe stools: Restoration Hardware
At the right is a bay that serves as an office alcove and looks out over the pool. File cabinets are tucked away to the side.
French cafe stools: Restoration Hardware
The backsplash and vent hood steal the show in the kitchen. The backsplash is a hand-painted terra-cotta tile. The painter finished the alder wood cabinets with a semiclear stain with a little white glaze mixed in. The result is a gray wash that shows off the wood grain.
One thing that lets the backsplash stand out is the lack of upper cabinets. The lower cabinets are outfitted with smart storage solutions, and to the left you can catch a glimpse of the mudroom-pantry, which has floor-to-to ceiling cabinets and lockers. “They have more cabinets than they can fill in here,” Fowler says.
Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
One thing that lets the backsplash stand out is the lack of upper cabinets. The lower cabinets are outfitted with smart storage solutions, and to the left you can catch a glimpse of the mudroom-pantry, which has floor-to-to ceiling cabinets and lockers. “They have more cabinets than they can fill in here,” Fowler says.
Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
A few floating shelves, also in alder wood, are stained to match the cabinetry.
Cabinets: Michael Edwards Custom Cabinetry and Millwork; countertops: Organic White, Caesarstone; backsplash tile: Duquesa Fatima decorative field tile, 4⅝ by 4⅝ inches in Mezzanotte, Walker Zanger; hardware: Apollo pulls, Ashley Norton
Cabinets: Michael Edwards Custom Cabinetry and Millwork; countertops: Organic White, Caesarstone; backsplash tile: Duquesa Fatima decorative field tile, 4⅝ by 4⅝ inches in Mezzanotte, Walker Zanger; hardware: Apollo pulls, Ashley Norton
The cold-rolled raw steel vent hood was made on site by Austin Iron. “It has been finished with a clear matte steel sealer to maintain the patina,” Fowler says.
Sink: stainless steel Vault undermount, Kohler; faucet: Tara Ultra single-handle mixer, Dornbracht; range: Wolf
Sink: stainless steel Vault undermount, Kohler; faucet: Tara Ultra single-handle mixer, Dornbracht; range: Wolf
Home bar: This bar is directly across from the dining room’s large window. It includes a small sink, an ice maker and a wine fridge. There are LED tape lights underneath the shelves. “We were able to hide the transformers up in the shelves,” Fowler says.
Tile: Texture A W8, Pratt & Larson; sink: Ferguson; faucet: Newport Brass
Tile: Texture A W8, Pratt & Larson; sink: Ferguson; faucet: Newport Brass
Powder room: A Moroccan mirror adds the texture of bone inlay and an interesting silhouette.
Faucets: Newport Brass
Faucets: Newport Brass
Backyard: Here’s an exterior view of the living room’s arch. For inspiration, Randolph studied how denser urban rowhouses and townhouses utilized their small yards.
Exterior: This portion of the house mixes painted wood siding in a shiplap pattern and a standing-seam metal roof into the exterior materials palette. The railings are steel. The coping and deck material is native Texas Lueders stone.
You can see the kitchen’s office alcove on the right. When we head upstairs, you’ll notice the large window above it is behind the tub, and the doors with the railing on the left are in the master bedroom.
Exterior: This portion of the house mixes painted wood siding in a shiplap pattern and a standing-seam metal roof into the exterior materials palette. The railings are steel. The coping and deck material is native Texas Lueders stone.
You can see the kitchen’s office alcove on the right. When we head upstairs, you’ll notice the large window above it is behind the tub, and the doors with the railing on the left are in the master bedroom.
Cabana: Before, the yard had an awkward slope that made most of it unusable. It was graded to make it level, and part of the cabana design incorporates a large retaining wall. The cabana has a lounge area complete with a fireplace below and, above, a small apartment the couple use as a home office. The brick pattern on the cabana echoes the pattern over the garage on the front of the house.
Cabana bathroom: Gandy brought in the blue of the pool via the patterned tile in here. “The pool cabana was a fun space and we saw this tile and thought it fit the bill perfectly,” she says.
Tile: Eastern Promise collection, Marrakesh in Baltic, Ann Sacks; tub: Sitka, Mirabelle via Ferguson; vanity: large square lavatory and console, Mirabelle via Ferguson
Tile: Eastern Promise collection, Marrakesh in Baltic, Ann Sacks; tub: Sitka, Mirabelle via Ferguson; vanity: large square lavatory and console, Mirabelle via Ferguson
Master suite: Upstairs, this long hallway to the master suite connects the front of the house to the back. “It’s full of Hugh’s fine details,” Fowler says, including white oak floors, wainscoting and another V-groove ceiling. A level 5 smooth-finish drywall was used. “It’s a slick finish,” Fowler says.
The master bedroom has a lofty vaulted ceiling, plus doors that open to look out over the pool.
Scraffito tile from Pratt & Larson adds pattern to the master bathroom in a subtle color palette. There are two sinks in the floating alder wood vanity.
Faucets: Newport Brass; sinks: Duravit
Faucets: Newport Brass; sinks: Duravit
The freestanding bathtub adds a sculptural silhouette in front of the large window. To the left is a large shower stall. The floor tiles are 12-by-24-inch tiles that were cut in half and laid out in a herringbone pattern.
Floor tile: Manhattan Grey, L Nova, Artistic Tile; tub: Barcelona bath, Victoria & Albert
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Floor tile: Manhattan Grey, L Nova, Artistic Tile; tub: Barcelona bath, Victoria & Albert
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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For those who are grumpy about people having pools in hot climates. If you lived in S Texas you would love one as well. And as someone else pointed out it ensures that you spend more time outside and perhaps turn the air conditioner off for a bit. I have a pool in Oklahoma and I do turn off the a.c. when I go out to the pool because it is not pleasant to come out of a pool, all wet, and walk into a 75 degree house. When people are over I announce " Since we are all out here I am turning off the a.c." I see this as provoking a good discussion. I'll never forget hearing this at a very patrician Dallas complex " Well, the elderly, country raised yard man once said to me : ' City folks sure are strange. They go to the bathroom in the house and eat dinner outside'.". At any rate Texas is unique and so are the houses. I think this is a good one with many nice features. I'd fence the pool though for the sake of small children. I loved the exterior front elevation. And it is quite challenging to work around those tree preservation rules in Austin for those who think that no environmental awareness is shown.
mmmm...privacy.....is the window where the tub is facing the front of the neighbor's house......and a big front window facing the awful turquoise house across the street....besides these two unconfirmed observations the house is just gorgeous.
Love so many things about this home. The textures, the light, and architectural details. However, I just can't understand what is appealing about exposed bathroom plumbing. It always reminds me of public restrooms. Even in an otherwise perfect bathroom it is distracting.