Austin Weird Homes Tour 2014
Austin Weird Homes Tour 2014

Ahh the good ol' homes tour. People love nothing more than being able to pry into the secret lives of others and see how they live. There are modern home tours, traditional home tours, but one group has been sadly left out, until now. The weirdos. 

The 2014 Austin Weird Homes Tour will give you a chance to sneak a peek into some of Austin's weirder homes, from dumpster homes to container homes to homes made of earthbags (whatever that is). Ohh, and you'll be giving to charity too, because 20% of all ticket sales goes to Caritas, and that's not weird at all. 

Austin Weird Homes Tour 2014

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HomesCreede FitchComment
Welcome to the Neighborhood Cuvée
Welcome to the Neighborhood Cuvée

It's hard to keep up with all the new coffee shops, restaurants and bars opening up on the east side. Luckily that's a problem I don't mind having. This weeks opening was Cuvée coffee on 6th.

I had Cuvée coffee on my first visit to Austin, and it's seen regular rotation in my house ever since. With that in mind I'm quite excited for them to have a great space in East Austin. The space itself has quite masculine build out with lots of dark steel in the space. It's capped of by a few rows of Tom Dixon inspired hammered pendants. Speaking of hammered, like any good coffee shop in Austin, they've applied for an an alcohol permit and will have a nice row of beers on tap too. 

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FoodCreede FitchEast Austin, CoffeeComment
4th Friday, Meatballs and more
4th Friday, Meatballs and more

Ok, let me just get this out there, Bill Murray is the best. Ever.

Also, I like meatballs. So you can imagine that when one of my favorite local BBQ joints has a screening of Bill Murray's 1979 classic Meatballs and an epic dinner that includes; Gouda Stuffed Smoked Meatballs, chili-garlic rapini, with roasted tomato vodka cream sauce and rigatoni for $12, I'll be there. The party starts at 8:30, and to make things even sweeter it's 4th Friday today and there happen to be a slew of other great things to do in the neighborhood before the show. 

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FoodCreede FitchEast Austin, ShoppingComment
WORK : The Grand Opening
WORK : The Grand Opening

Here'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.

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EventsCreede FitchShopping, Fashion, 78704Comment
Blu Dot Austin
Blu Dot Austin

The 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.

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DesignCreede FitchFurniture, Downtown, Shopping, Blu DotComment
OPEN Canopy
OPEN Canopy

If 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.

More details on Facebook

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EventsCreede FitchEast Austin, Art, Michael HsuComment
East Side King @ Cheer Up Charlies
East Side King @ Cheer Up Charlies

One of the first food trailer experiences I had in Austin was eating at East Side King at the Shangri-La. It was love at first bite. Since then East Austin has dropped from 3 East Side King trailers to just two. There was even a horrible moment where the trailer at the Liberty was the only one. Luckily shortly after Thai Kun opened up at the old Cheer Up Charlies location. When I heard that ESK was opening a trailer at the new Cheer Up Charlies location I was excited. Sure it's not the East side any more, but it's still walking distance. 

 

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FoodCreede FitchEast Austin, ESK, DowntownComment
Vintage Bazaar
Vintage Bazaar

Looking for something to do this weekend? This Saturday my favorite neighborhood coffee shop / store Friends & Neighbors is having a Vintage Bazaar featuring clothes by Atelier Thibault and others. Between the already excellently curated shop inside and all the vendors for the pop up you are sure to find something amazing. 

Not into shopping? No prob, just grab the latest issue of Frankie or Monocle and hang out in the shade sipping your drink of choice. What's not to love?

More info about the event on Facebook. 

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EventsCreede FitchEast Austin, FashionComment
Blackshear Project : Before & After
Blackshear Project : Before & After

After 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.

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DesignCreede FitchInterior Design, East Austin, Casa MarrakechComment
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.

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HomesCreede FitchA.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.

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DesignCreede FitchTravel 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!

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EventsCreede FitchEast 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.

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DesignCreede FitchFashion, 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?

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DesignCreede FitchEast 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. 

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EventsCreede FitchFashion, 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.

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EventsCreede FitchLady 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.

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DesignCreede FitchKitchen, 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. 

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HomesCreede FitchAgave, 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.

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DesignCreede FitchMid 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. 

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EventsCreede FitchFurniture, Art, Studio TourComment