Blog — Designer >>---> Austin, TX <---<< Realtor

A.D. Stenger

A.D. Stenger

I've been thinking a lot about A.D. Stenger recently. He built over 100 homes here in Austin, and I always wonder how many of them are still around. So I started making a list. A lot of them are pretty easy to find, many were built in 3 main neighborhoods, but some are a bit trickier. So far a have just over 50 documented, and hope to be adding more soon. I've also added a little A.D. Stenger section to my modern resources section of my website, and started up an A.D. Stenger group on Facebook for Stenger owners and fans. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you check out the website Riley Triggs has on Stenger as well. Great information there.

HomesCreede FitchJuly 3, 2014A.D. StengerComment

Drift San Jose

Drift San Jose

Everyone 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.

DesignCreede FitchJune 27, 2014Travel Comments

Nile Delta DJ Set

Nile Delta DJ Set

Have I mentioned yet how much I'm in love with Friends & Neighbors? No, well it's about time I did. This East Austin shop has a little bit of everything, from clothing (boys, girls and kids. Oh and lingerie) to coffee. They are my go to for some stump town beans, and a refreshing sangria or shrub on the porch. Look for a full write up on them in the future.

In the mean time get your calendar out and pencil in for a little back yard DJ set tomorrow. Before Nile Delta plays a show with Cut Copy at Stubbs, he'll be doing a free DJ set at Friends & Neighbors. It's the perfect opportunity to see just why I love the place so much. Make sure you come say hey to me too.

See you there!

EventsCreede FitchJune 20, 2014East Austin, MusicComment

Sunroom

Sunroom

One 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.

DesignCreede FitchJune 13, 2014Fashion, Menswear, 78704 Comment

Blackshear Project: Pool Time!

Blackshear Project: Pool Time!

I 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?

DesignCreede FitchJune 12, 2014East Austin, Casa MarrakechComment

Northern Grade

Northern Grade

Conveniently timed over Fathers day weekend comes the grandaddy of all men's fashion pop ups, Northern Grade. Even if you haven't heard of any of the brands that will be there (and I seriously hope you have) you know it's going to be good based solely on the sponsor (Stag) and the food / drink lineup (Bulleit Bourbon neat anyone?). For two days only this international roving market of USA made goods and gear will be setting up shop at the Fair Market, 1100 East 5th Street. If there is a dad in your life, you pretty much can't go wrong picking up a little gift here. In case you don't believe me, I've conveniently linked to all the goodness below. Start clicking, and see you this weekend.

EventsCreede FitchJune 10, 2014Fashion, Menswear, Americana, 78701Comment

Lady Bird Board Walk opening

Lady Bird Board Walk opening

Living on the East Side I've spent a decent amount of mornings jogging along Lady Bird Lake. I've been anxiously watching for the last year or so as across the lake they have been slowly building a long network of boardwalks along the shore.

Finally the board walk is ready to be unveiled. Today is the grand opening and the first opportunity the public has to check it out.

Check out The Trail Foundation for more information about the Lady Bird Board Walk and the opening event.

EventsCreede FitchJune 7, 2014Lady Bird Lake, East RiversideComment

Ikea gets a facelift

Ikea gets a facelift

I 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.

DesignCreede FitchMay 30, 2014Kitchen, Casa Marrakech Comments

5433 Agatha : Bright and Beautiful Modern

5433 Agatha : Bright and Beautiful Modern

Today I'm sharing a sneak peek of my new listing that is dropping tomorrow. Hopefully by now you know how much I love the Agave Neighborhood, so I'm delighted to be listing this amazing 3 bedroom 2 bathroom home designed by Emily Little.

This little gem has a little bit of everything you need. The ground floor features a open floor plan kitchen and living room that opens up to an amazing outdoor patio. The main floor bedroom would work equally well for either an office or bedroom. The living room space is flooded with light from all the windows in the double height room. Upstairs features two extra bedroom, one with en suite bathroom. The catwalk that wraps around two sides of the living room space ensure that each bedroom feels separate and private.

HomesCreede FitchMay 23, 2014Agave, ListingsComment

Blackshear Project : Moving time

Blackshear Project : Moving time

Things 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.

DesignCreede FitchMay 16, 2014Mid Century Modern, East Austin, Furniture, Casa MarrakechComment

West Austin Studio Tour

West Austin Studio Tour

While I tend to be full of east side pride, I admit that there is plenty of great talent lurking out there east of I35. Thankfully the team at Big Medium is putting on their third annual West Austin Studio Tour this and next weekend. If you haven't heard of West, the idea is similar to the East Austin Studio Tour, it is a free self guided tour featuring all sorts of amazing designers, artists and all around creative people. While the roster is fairly long and impressive, here are a few picks that I am looking forward to checking out.

EventsCreede FitchMay 9, 2014Furniture, Art, Studio TourComment

Nannie Inez : Modern, whimsical, playful.

Nannie Inez : Modern, whimsical, playful.

Deeyn 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.

DesignCreede FitchMay 2, 201478704, Shopping Comment

J & J Spirits : Know your neighborhood liquor store

J & J Spirits : Know your neighborhood liquor store

So much about East Austin is changing these days, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. I still miss the mustard green fried rice from ESK at Shangri La, but I'm happy to see new food trailers like Kyoten on sixth. One thing that long time East Austin residents probably never thought would change was J&J Drug on 11th street. From 1968 to 2013 Harold and Howard ran the store. The shotgun behind showed that they weren't there to take any shit, but the zip lock bag of free samples they gave to locals who shopped there revealed their true friendly spirit.

FoodCreede FitchApril 25, 2014East Austin Comment

1400 Garden : SOLD!

1400 Garden : SOLD!

I'm happy to report that my listing on 1400 Garden street in East Austin sold last week for above asking price. It was in the top 5 of highest priced homes sold in the area in the last year. Among that list were two other beautiful homes a few blocks away that were also updated and from the early 1900's. To me that is a good sign that people value the history of East Austin. While not all the houses here are historically significant, it is important to save and restore the good ones.

With that I give a HUGE congratulations to my seller, and a warm welcome to the neighborhood to the new owner.

If you live in the neighborhood and wonder what your home is worth, let's chat. :)

HomesCreede FitchApril 24, 2014East Austin, SoldComment

Blackshear Project: A (nearly) blank slate

Blackshear Project: A (nearly) blank slate

It'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.

DesignCreede FitchApril 17, 2014East Austin, Casa Marrakech Comment

Agave Modern : Neighborhood guide

Agave Modern : Neighborhood guide

This week I feature a home in Agave on my Austin Modern Homes blog. The pictures were honestly pretty lousy, and it was hard to even get a feeling for the layout of the house, but you know what? I know it's a cool house. Why? Because pretty much all the houses out there are cool. Sure there are some that are better than others, but all of them are solid. Thinking about this got me motivated to add my second neighborhood guide, Agave. While the heyday for Agave was a few years ago when development and press was still going strong, great things are coming in the future. Additional lots that have been bank owned have now been sold to a developer, and I've go fingers crossed for lots of great new houses being built out there.

HomesCreede FitchApril 11, 2014AgaveComment

5102 Ridge Oak Drive : Arthur Fehr

5102 Ridge Oak Drive : Arthur Fehr

This week I thought I'd give you a sneak peek of the home I'll be at tomorrow for the Mid Century Modern homes tour "Austin 1964!".

5102 Ridge Oak Drive was built in 1949 for Arthur Fehr and his family by Fehr & Granger. He lived in the home until his death in 1969, and his wife would remain in the home until the 1990’s. The home is an excellent example of mid century modern architecture with it’s use of expansive sections of glass connecting the inside with the out, and the minimal ornamentation. The recent home owners purchased the home 2010 and are the 4th owners. Once moved in, they waited 3 years before undertaking a minimal remodel so that they would be able to become better acquainted with the home.

HomesCreede FitchApril 4, 2014MCM Homes, Home Tour, Highland HillsComment

Mid Century Modern Homes Tour : Austin 1964

Mid Century Modern Homes Tour : Austin 1964

Next week is Preservation Austin's annual homes tour, and I'm super excited that this years theme is mid century modern homes in Austin. There is a surprisingly rich culture of mid century modern architecture in Austin, with some of the early local architects having studied under or worked with greats like Neutra, Saarinen and Gropius. The result was some very progressive mid century homes that were adapted to meet the climate and vernacular of Texas hill country. This year the tour will feature 5 homes, two of which were the personal homes of the architects that designed them.

EventsCreede FitchMarch 28, 2014MCM Homes, Highland Hills, BalconesComment

Blackshear Project : The begining

Blackshear Project : The begining

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.

DesignCreede FitchMarch 21, 2014East Austin, Casa Marrakech Comments

East Austin Map

East Austin Map

A 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...

DesignCreede FitchMarch 14, 2014East AustinComment