If you get my newsletter, you know that last week we sat down with our architect Bercy Chen and took a first peek at the renderings and floor plans for our new house. I'm going to dig into them in a second, but I wanted to give you a little bit of history as to how we got to where we are.
When we first met with Thomas Bercy, we had a decent sized list of requirements for our house. It must have a main house between. . .
Read MoreAs you may know by now, my wife and I are venturing down the path of building a new home. It's been a dream of mine for a long time now to design and build a home custom tailored to my life. Of course a big part of achieving that goal includes finding the right architect.
When choosing an architect the question isn't "Who is the best architect in Austin", rather it should be "Who is the best architect in Austin for me?". Sure, on the most fundamental level you need to find someone with talent, who has a aesthetic that is similar to yours. I've compiled a short list of some of the most talented (in my opinion) modern architects in Austin that you can check out here.
Read MoreThe already good selection of modern home interior stores in Austin just got a little bit better with the addition of Blu Dot. Last night was their big grand opening party, but before the crowd arrived I had a chance to take a tour of the space and chat with founder John Christakos about Blu Dot and the store.
First, it should be noted that Blu Dot is different from West Elm or CB2 and other modern design stores in one very specific way. Everything at Blu Dot is designed in house and manufactured by Blu Dot. John, and co founder Maurice Blanks first formed the company in 1997 because they could see the need for good affordable modern furniture.
Read MoreAfter a few weeks of lingering projects, we've finally managed to wrap up most of the big things on our house. During the last week we made a big push and got some floating shelving with lighting installed in the kitchen, as well as some hanging Plumen lights for general lighting. I took a few minutes yesterday to take some photos of the (almost) finished project, and I thought it was a good time to share some before and after photos.
Read MoreEveryone needs a vacation, and I'm always looking for places that are reasonably easy to get to from Austin (bonus points for short direct flights) and won't break the bank. My most recent escape was last week where I snuck away to Cabo for a few days. Before I lose your attention, let me just say that this was not the Cabo you normally think of. There was no all inclusive resort and no fish bowl sized slushy margaritas, just clean rustic modern architecture, empty beaches, and lots of delicious food thanks to Stu at the Drift San Jose Hotel.
Read MoreOne of the things that I love about Austin is what a tight knit community it is. Generally speaking people look out for each other, and genuinely want to see other succeed. This couldn't be truer when it comes to small business owners. In fact that is exactly how Sunroom came into existence. Lucy Jolis and her fiancé had moved back to Austin after a stint in NYC. Lucy was running a successful Etsy shop full of vintage wear, but it had been her dream for years to have a brick and mortar store. That's when she got the message from a friend and client that runs Headdress. There was a small space opening up next door, and she thought it would be perfect for Lucy.
Read MoreI like water. A lot. When I was a kid I could spend an entire summer day splashing around in a pool, and things haven't changed much. So when it comes to my house, I've always wanted a pool. Of course with the current temporary project, there is no way we could justify the cost of a real pool, unless said pool was a 30" deep 10' wide kiddie pool that we picked up on clearance last year for $35. That is totally justifiable. Combine that with the large pile of sand that was mysteriously sitting in the middle of our back yard, and our outdoor game has totally stepped up a level.
Turns out when it comes to doing childish things like cannonballs and handstands, 30" is all you need. Swim party anyone?
Read MoreI don't know if I have mentioned it before, but in a former life, I used to build custom modern kitchens (check out Modern Union to see some of my past work, and the amazing work my old partner continues to do). Unfortunately after a stint of that, I became a certifiable kitchen snob. So when it came to a kitchen in my new house, I couldn't stand the idea of doing something bland or typical, even if I do plan on tearing the house down in a year. In order to try and balance cost and style, I decided to go with Ikea Akurum cabinets with custom walnut doors and drawers. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.
Read MoreThings have progressed quickly at our house project in the past few weeks. The kitchen is mostly installed, we have modern day conveniences like hot water and air conditioning, and out roof only leaks a little during heavy rain storms (ou vey!). This last week we started moving over some of our art, and a bit of furniture. The wall unit shown above is a piece I designed and built with my wife a few years ago. It's modeled after the classic Danish modular wall units, but I built it with supporting feet so it could be used free standing instead of attached to the wall. Something that was important as we moved from rental to rental.
Read MoreDeeyn Rhodes describes her store as "A vibe that's modern but a little more whimsical and playful". Thinking about that description it suddenly occurs to me that her ability to describe the spirit of Nannie Inez is just as bang-on as her ability to pick out good design.
In an internet driven world with Pinterest and Tumblr and blogs, everyone can curate their idea of good design. Having a store however, takes that to a whole new level. From the first time I walked into Nannie Inez I was impressed with her collection of goods. What is most impressive about it to me, is Deeyn doesn't just follow the popular blogs to put together her purchasing list, she actually gets out there and finds the good stuff. You know, like in the real world. Not online.
Read MoreIt's been a few weeks since I've given any updates on our house remodel, but it's not because nothing has been happening. In fact a lot has been happening over there, and I'm finally ready to share a bit of the progress I've made. Before I do that, let's do a quick recap. Basically, I bought a house that I can remodel, live in for a year, and tear down. For the full details, check out my last post.
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Bucket list item #1. Build a new home.
It's been on my list for a long time now, and I'm finally one step closer. Building a new home is a bit like eating an elephant. It's a seemingly impossible task, from finding where you want to live, understanding the ins and outs of the various different financing options, finding an architect, designing building and on and on and on. While it seems overwhelming, especially if finances are limited, where there is a will there is a way. The path I'm leveraging is all about baby steps.
First, I knew I wanted to live in East Austin, so the next big issue is where I can actually afford to build. High home prices in Austin make finding affordable lots nearly impossible. On top of that financing a lot is quite a bit more difficult than financing a home, you typically need 20% - 30% down. My solution was to buy a house. More specifically the cheapest, must undesirable house I could find. An that's exactly what I did.
Read MoreA few days ago I was at a Tiki Party at Olive, and I picked up this East Austin Map. It says it's "A locals's guide to east side favorites", and I've got to say it's pretty bang on. As an East Austin homeowner, it's the wonderful stores, restaurants and bars that made me want to live here, and this one list pretty much sums up all my favorite stores. If you haven't already checked them all out, do yourself a favor and drop in to say "hi". If you live in East Austin, support your (hyper) local business, and lets keep these great business owners going strong. Links below...
Read MoreWhen it comes to houses and talking about good "design" I'm totally in my element. I'm happy to chat with anyone for hours about baseboard details, honest use of materials, and the golden union of form and function. When it comes to fashion though I'm not nearly as comfortable. Over the years my wife has been slowly shepherding me from a cargo short wearing Utahn, to someone you wouldn't be totally embarrassed to stand next to at a fashion event.
Read MoreHey there procrastinators. Christmas is next week (eek!) and you are still looking for ideas for gifts, don't worry. We've got your back.
The bad news is that it's almost getting too late to be doing shopping online, the good news is that you shouldn't be shopping online, you should be shopping local. I've put together 5 local gift guides that should have you covered for any special guy or gal in your life.
Read MoreMy name is Creede Fitch, and I'm an addict. A bottle opener addict. For some reason, I'm inexplicably drawn to them and when I see a good one, I'm powerless. I must buy it. Generally this isn't a problem, because when I say a "good one" I mean a really incredible one. If it's brass, even better. Unfortunately for me, Spartan has an amazing line up of gorgeous brass bottle openers, over half of which I already own. As you can imagine going there can be a dangerous endeavor for me. Luckily there are plenty of other amazing goods in the store to distract me.
Read MoreWhen you name a store Stag, you better have some quality manliness to back it up. Stag does. Everything from pocket knives and handkerchiefs to selvedge denim, all of it beautifully curated and displayed.
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