As good as these photos are, they just don't do justice to how good our newest listing at Skout really is. Alterstudio is one of my favorite architects in Austin and the level of detail on this project is next level. First off I'm a complete sucker for any house with a courtyard and the U shape of this layout does a perfect job of splitting the private and public spaces up and connecting the whole house to the outdoors.
Read MoreHopefully by now you have already heard of Starlight Village. It's a new development of 30 affordable mid century modern inspired homes that is being built in Austin. Err, well, not exactly in Austin. The development is really 30 min from down town (if the traffic gods are being kind) in Leander. They've been on my radar for a long time now so I decided to make the trek north to see just how things are coming along. Here's the good news and the bad.
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 MoreWhen it comes to barbecue Texas takes itself very seriously. Here barbecue is all about beef brisket and when it comes to brisket Franklins is king. I'm not here to dispute any of that, what I am here to do is to make a confession. I love ribs. Delicious, falling off the bone, smothered in barbecue sauce ribs. I'm not alone obviously and most of the well known barbecue places in town offer ribs as well, but if you are looking to avoid the lines and get some finger licking delicious smoked meats, there are some new kids in town to help you out. Meet J. Leonardi's Barbeque.
Read More2016 was a doozy of a year with plenty of ups and downs. Despite the bitter taste that certain political events had left in our mouths, my wife and I were intent on starting 2017 off on the right foot. When a few friends from Salt Lake City asked if we wanted to head to Panama for the new year we were all in. Beyond a few random facts about the Panama Canal, I knew almost nothing about the country. We ended up spending 7 days in Casco Viejo, the historic section of the city and 3 days drifting around the Pearl Islands. Here's a little recap for anyone curious or heading down that way.
Read MoreI know a lot of you have been patiently waiting for photos of my house finished. There are a few tiny projects I'm finishing up still and then I promised I'll share. In the meantime we are finally at a good stopping point were I think it would be fun to stop and look at how far we've come. The two biggest questions I get about my house are how long did it take, and how much did it cost. So let's start with the first. I've broken down a rough timeline below of major milestones and noted where we could have moved faster. Cliff notes: it takes a long time to build a house.
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 MoreAustin may be well known for its music scene, but it also has a flourishing art scene that deserves attention. Despite having lots of legitimate local talent I've always felt like the city has been lacking a bit in exhibitions with well known national and international artists. Don't get me wrong, The Contemporary does a decent job but I'm super excited about the good work that POP Austin has been doing in the contemporary art scene here in Austin. That's why I'm super excited to be giving away 10 weekend passes to this year's show. So let's get to the details:
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 MoreLast week I gave a little teaser of my latest listing. The "Butterfly House" designed by A. D. Stenger is sincerely one of my favorite homes in Austin. and here's why. First off, I'm going to assume you are already familiar with Arthur Dallas Stenger. He was a bit of a radical and a visionary and he built a lot of beautiful homes in Austin in the 50's and 60's. This particular one stands out however thanks to its unique roof line. I've heard the inspiration came from a similar roof on the old Austin airport which was designed by another notable firm Fehr and Granger.
Read MoreAustin has more than it's fair share of amazing architecture both modern and mid century modern. Of those however there are a small handful that I consider to be truly unique and architecturally significant. The "Butterfly house" above designed and built by local legend A. D. Stenger is one of those, and it's for sale.
Read MoreMy latest listing on 2708 Pither Ln is pretty much a no brainer. You get all of the good parts of the condo life like a community pool, dog park and yard maintenance without any of the downsides like shared walls and noisy neighbors. It's a freestanding house with a garage at a entry price that is as close as you can get to affordable in Austin these days. Besides the aforementioned pool and dog park, there's a lot to love about the little Edgewick community that it's located in. East Riverside is definitely on the upswing and with all the new projects planned for the area it's only a matter of time before it catches up with it's neighbors in 78704 and East Austin.
Read MoreIt's crazy to think the last update was all the way back in February. Since then a lot has changed. It's still not much to look at from the street, between the dumpster, the fence and all the scaffolding. We're just waiting for the rain to pass so we can do our last coat of stucco. It's a white stucco with integral color, when finished it almost looks just like white concrete. With that and some metal screens that we have planned over the windows it should be looking lots better soon. You can see now that thanks to it being set below grade it doesn't look too imposing, despite being two stories. I parked my classic Range Rover there to help you with scale. :)
Read MoreReady for another home tour? Sure you are. This one is for all of you fans of everything mid century. This weekend Preservation Austin is exploring the post war boom and the neighborhoods of Crestview, Brentwood and Allandale. The huge demand for affordable housing in the late 40's was a big part of the success of modernist architects of the time.
Read MoreThis week marks the beginning of SXSW 2016, also know to locals as "everybody please get the fuck out of my town". About this time every year I start to see a bunch of top 10 lists pop up about where to eat and drink in Austin. Most of them are pretty solid, and they definitely cover the basics but the reality is they barely scratch the surface of what Austin has to offer. This year I wanted to take a different approach and talk about some of my favorite places to eat and drink in east Austin that you will probably never find on a top 10 list, but absolutely deserve to be.
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 MoreI just looked back at my post from a month ago when our house had just gotten framed up, and I'm surprised at how much progress we've made. It's that awkward time where almost every day something new happens, but it doesn't feel like we are making any real progress. The reality is things are moving right along. All the rough plumbing is done, as is all the rough HVAC. Three of our sliding glass doors have been installed and the big pocket sliding door should go in next week. The roof is done, and the walls have been sheathed and waterproofed. When I list it all out like that it seems like a lot has happened. Most exciting though is the fact that the house and the spaces inside are starting to take shape. Let me give you a little tour.
Read MoreThe fact that east Austin is quickly changing is not news to anyone. People want to live here, lots of people. And for good reason too. I myself wouldn't want to live anywhere else. We have amazing restaurants and bars, amazing parks and public spaces, and adorable walkable neighborhoods. Unfortunately that demand for housing is slowly changing the face of east Austin. It's inevitable, and I get that, but it does my heart good to see remodels like 1313 Comal that stay true to the funky east Austin vibe while at the same time creating a beautiful eclectic modern space.
Read MoreThis week the lovely Andrea Calo shot professional photos of my latest listing. This house is pretty special, and it takes someone of her caliber to really do it justice. With that caveat I did want to share a couple shots I took while she was working her magic. The house has so much personality, both in the architectural elements and in the interior design I could go around shooting vignettes in there all day long.
Read MoreIt's that time of the year again, time for Tribeza's Interiors Tour. They've rounded up 7 great interior designers and are giving you a chance to see some of their latest work next Saturday the 23rd. The thing that strikes me the most about this years line up is the use of bold design across the board. Bold wallpaper has been on the comeback for awhile now, and this years interiors have no shortage of it. If you are the type that loves bold colors and pattern, you are sure to find some inspiration here.
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