Rotan Drive
This client came to us a couple of years ago to renovate their well-appointed home in Southwest Austin. They had spent many years here, raising their family and adding on over time. As their needs had changed they had worked with an interior designer to establish a highly curated look. However, they felt that look was past its prime and no longer reflected the taste of the family. When the couple determined it was time for a full revamp it was clear they were keenly aware of their strengths and knew the project called for bringing in the professional.
We began by completely re-envisioning the way the space functioned. The hallway/entry was not defined and did not provide solid wayfinding for visitors to move through the space. So we closed in the dining room passage off the entry by narrowing the opening. We also narrowed the opening to the music room/library off the entry and added pocket doors with obscured glass to allow in light while creating a sense of privacy. In the music room we elected to use a Morris and Company wallpaper, a new lighting layout, a new paint scheme for the existing library shelves and we added cork floors to the room for comfort and sound absorption. In the dining room we designed a custom dining table and a custom area rug with new dining chairs for comfortable family gatherings. Shutters were changed out and a new light fixture and Noguchi light sculpture were added to fill the room in a soft and glowing light.
With the interior entry openings to the left and right adjusted, we moved on to creating a more integrated passage down the bedroom hallway. The opening to the living room and kitchen spaces were arched and closed-in. Once the openings off the entry hall were narrowed we were left with a full entry room that created a welcoming and bright space to greet folks. We clad the walls and ceiling of that entry room in poplar and painted it a pale green, which became the neutral color for all the trim in the secondary areas of the home, as well.
Moving into the family room we added a new custom built-in wall for the family to store games, puzzles and books that they frequently enjoy together. We clad the walls in stained oak paneling, added new sconces, a new tile and soapstone fireplace surround and completely redesigned the adjacent kitchen and breakfast areas.
This client has a love for wood, and when we chose the finish for the cabinets we wanted a contrasting wood-stained cabinet to set itself off the stained paneling in a meaningful way. An elaborate coffee station was created for the clients placed in their full-height cabinets in the kitchen corner. A wine fridge under the island was added, as was an induction cooktop for a clean and efficient cooking solution.
The island features a custom design-and-build butcher block top that marries and attaches onto the soapstone slab, surrounding the cooktop. This provides a comfortable eating surface for the kitchen island service plus an integrated custom banquette seating arrangement on the breakfast side. This faces a pair of custom swivel chairs and looks out onto the lovely backyard and pool area which has a lush view of a greenbelt behind.Much of the furniture was sourced during the Covid-19 pandemic, so we had to be resourceful to get what we needed since supply chains were compromised. So we rebuilt and reconfigured vintage pieces–including a sofa with a chrome base, and relied on some local resources who were able to provide us with “in stock” furniture items to suit the space.
