Ever wish you could wander through some of the houses I post? First off, you can, just call me. It may cost you a beer if you are just a Looky Lou, but you know I'm down. Second, next weekend is your chance to get through the doors of a few I've featured. It's the 2018 Austin Modern Home Tour, and below are my top three favorites (in no particular order) that I think you need to see.
Read MoreAustin may be known as the live music capital of the world, but it has an equally robust art scene. If you've ever attended the East Austin Studio Tour you have an idea of just how immense the art community is here. You may also have noticed that it's hard to wade through the huge amount of art out there to find something that really speaks to you. For those looking to drill down to the good stuff I have two recommendations. First, Instagram is your friend. Some of my favorite artists in town I first discovered via Instagram. Second, keep an eye on well know galleries for rotating exhibitions.
Read MoreWhile there is no shortage of homes tours in Austin, the AIA Homes Tour is always my favorite. The quality of the homes is always amazing, and there is usually a little something for everyone. This year is no exception. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this may be the strongest group of houses in a long time.
With that I have a confession to make. I just don't usually have it in me to go and look at a bunch of houses on my day off, so I whittle it down to two or three homes that can't be missed. This year however I may just need to suck it up. There are just two many good homes. So in no particular order here are a few that I'm excited about and why.
Read MoreIt's time for the 9th annual Austin Modern Home tour. It happens next weekend and it's one of my favorites (second to the AIA Home tour) because it focuses solely on modern homes. This year Bercy Chen Studio has not one, but two homes on the tour, their Tetra house pictured above and the home located on San Juan dr. There are some other great houses on the tour as well that are definitely worth checking out, but I'm especially excited about the Tetra house. You can get a sneak peek of it below...
Read MoreTis the season of music festivals and art shows! Really this is one of my favorite times of year in Austin. East Austin Studio tour is always a highlight and I'm excited to check out all the great talent in this city. This year I'll be kicking things off attending ARTBASH. Never heard of it? We'll it's about time. This is the second annual event and it looks like it's going to be a good one. I'm particularly excited about the venue as well.
Keep your eye on my instagram for a chance to win two tickets or buy your own here.
Read MoreEvery year some of the best of the best new homes are opened up for the public to appreciate, and every year I try and pick a few favorites to add to my "must see" list. It's a bit of an overwhelming challenge when there are so many good homes to pick from. I haven't been through any of these homes yet, but based on the fantastic photos by Leonard Furmansky below are my top picks for the 2016 AIA Austin Homes Tour in no particular order.
Read MoreIt can be a bit exhausting keeping up with all the home tours in Austin, but the Modern Home Tour this weekend is one that you don't want to miss. Unfortunately I won't be there this year because of a wedding in Mexico, but luckily I've already been through almost half of the homes. I'm actually really excited about this year's tour because a lot of my architect friends have homes featured. It's always great when you see good people, doing great projects get the attention they deserve.
Read MoreThis Oct 10th is the National Tour day for Docomomo. Local conservation group Mid Tex Mod has help put together a home tour this year featuring the homes of A.D. Stenger. In addition there will be a lecture by local architect and Stenger historian Riley Triggs. Definitely a not-to-be-missed event for any Stenger fan. More details and info after the jump.
Read MoreIf you have never been to a Rooftop Architecture and Design (RAD) film at the Contemporary Austin, you are missing out. Lucky for you there is still time to catch a few more this year. Next Wednesday & Thursday they will be airing The Competition which is an intriguing look into the offices of 5 "Starchitects" who are all competing for a commission. A usual, it is a great BYOB picnic opportunity. Bring some treats, enjoy the cooler evening air and stimulate your brain a bit. Trailer below. See you out there!
Read MoreIn case you missed it in my newsletter last week, tomorrow, May 2nd, is Preservation Austin's annual home tour. The theme is Austin through the age's and there will be home feature from the 1870's to the 1960's. Of particular interest is the Butterfly House designed by A. D. Stenger and featured in Dwell magazine. That one house itself is worth the price of entry ($25-$35).
I'll also be collecting tickets in front of another 1960's home on River Road for a few hours. Make sure you come say hi.
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Nope, that's not a typo. South by San Jose (SXSJ) is the annual music festival put on by the fine folks at Hotel San Jose. I'm typically not to excited to jump into the SX madness, but I find SXSJ to be just the right amount of crazy for me. While the idea of heading to South Congress during SX seems like a bad idea, rolling up to Hotel San Jose on a bike actually makes for a pretty stress free experience. Sure you'll probably have to lock up a block or so away, but then it's just an easy stroll over to the parking lot for some free music, cold beer and of course, a little people watching. The full lineup for this years festival can be seen on the Facebook event page. While I haven't heard of a bunch of the musicians, I can say that the Golden Dawn Arkestra usually puts on a show not to be missed.
Read MoreI can't believe another year has slipped by and the modern home tour is upon us again. Tickets are on sale today for $30, or they can be purchased tomorrow for $40 at any house. While the lineup is as impressive as always there are a few that I am particularly excited about. Here are my top 4 picks in no particular order:
Read MoreWell, just like that another year has slipped by and E.A.S.T. (East Austin Studio Tour) is here again. Like usual the sheer amount of artists and venues to visit can be a little overwhelming. All the official information can be found at Big Medium, and I definitely recommend picking up a catalogue or flipping through the online version to pick out what sounds interesting to you. If that sounds entirely too daunting, the good folks at Austin360 have done a nice job of breaking it out into more manageable chunks with their online map and synopsis. Lastly, if you are just looking for a top 10 list, check out Citygram's recommendations here.
Read MoreJust in case you didn't get my newsletter, I thought I would share with you this great opportunity to check out some homes for sale in Agave.
Ok, it's not really a home tour per say, but there will be at least two open houses on Saturday, and three on Sunday. That means it's a great time to come look at some modern homes.
5413 Agatha Cir : Sat 1-3, Sun 11-2
7305 Ava : Sat 2-4, Sun 1-5
5344 Sendero Hils : Sun 1-4
It's been such a crazy busy summer between work and travel that, despite best intentions, it's been a long, long time since we threw a Sunday Sips party at my place.
That's about to change.
Details are still working themselves out, but I can tell you three important things.
If there is one thing Austin loves, it's a good homes tour, and while it's hard to believe a year has gone by already, the AIA Austin homes tour is back. As always the AIA manages to round up an impressive list of local starchitects, and this year you'll be able to gawk at works by Dick Clark and Michael Hsu among others. While I'm sure all of them are worth checking out, here is a preview of the homes I'm most interested in seeing.
Read MoreEvery year Docomomo (Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the Modern Movement) has a national tour day. Our local chapter Mid Tex Mod is in charge of ours and tomorrow they are having a tour based around Modern Texas architect Milton Ryan. The tour is going to be in San Antonio where Ryan did the majority of his work, and will feature 3 of his commissions. It's a great opportunity to get out of town and skip the ACL madness and learn a little more about the rich architectural history Texas has.
More info, from Mid Tex Mod:
Read MoreAustin has a lot of great things going for it. It's an amazing town for music, it's making it's mark in the film world and it consistently gets recognition in the culinary world. One area where we are still working to gain a reputation is our art scene. The museums here, while good, pale in comparison to other cities our size.
Pop Austin is looking to change that though, and they are doing a damn good job at it. They have rounded up a list of Internationally renowned contemporary artists (seriously, check out this list), and they are bringing them to town.
Read MoreHere's another little grand opening party that you're not going to want to miss, and this time you can't say I didn't warn you. Next Saturday August 23rd WORK will be celebrating their recent opening, and they want you to be there. So, what is WORK? Straight from the horses mouth:
WORK is a multi-disciplinary community designed to bring Austin a place where one can drink coffee, shop til your hearts content, participate in creative workshops, and get anything you can imagine designed as well as all of your digital needs met. WORK is Noah Marion Quality Goods, Hoiden Supply Company, WORK Coffee Co. and GOLDEN EAGLE CREATIVE.
Yep, that's a pretty solid line up that you aren't going to want to miss. You can check out their FB page for all the nitty gritty.
WORK : The Grand Opening event on Facebook.
Read MoreIf you haven't ever visited Canopy in East Austin, this is your chance to redeem yourself. For those not familiar with Canopy, it's an old warehouse that got a thorough Michael Hsu makeover so it could become a creative art space. The first weekend of every month they have a free open house and studio tour called OPEN Canopy. This months OPEN Canopy is tonight August 1st from 6-9 and tomorrow August 2nd from 12-6. While there are loads of talented artists out there, my top picks to check out are below.
OPEN Canopy
August 1st 6-9 & August 2nd 12-6.
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