From gabled Victorian-era estates with balustrades and wrap-around porches to modern sculptural abodes equipped with state-of-the-art features, Austin’s metropolitan area is home to some stellar properties. In the Clarksville neighborhood, a craftsman bungalow renovation merges an original 1920s facade with a contemporary interior aesthetic to create a serene suburban oasis with historic touches and an unparalleled view of the Austin cityscape. Check it out!
From the street, this craftsman bungalow appears to maintain its original 1920s aesthetic. But the backside of the house tells a different story.
Perched atop a small (but mighty beautiful) lot that’s approximately 70 feet wide by 120 feet deep, this 1920s bungalow is so much more than meets the eye. While its curb appeal may be the charming front entryway, dormer, lush landscaping by David Wilson Garden Design, and magnificent panoramic view, its interior aesthetic offers an entirely different yet equally eye-catching wow factor.
“I’ll give you a little history,” says lead architect James LaRue of Austin-based LaRue Architects, who worked on the project with Emily Haydon. “When it was built in the ’20s, the house was maybe 1,000 square feet. In this part of Austin, we have a historic commission, so we had to keep the original structure (or at least its front facade) and restore the building to its original look. In the back, we were able to add on whatever we wanted.” And by “add on whatever we wanted,” he’s referring to the addition of contemporary features such as floor-to-ceiling glass windows and an infinity pool that offers swimming with a spectacular view. But wait, there’s more.
Though James’s clients may have been relatively conservative regarding requests, one thing was clear: they wanted to maximize the site they purchased. “They weren’t very specific about the look or feel,” James LaRue of LaRue Architects relays. “They just said, ‘We love this site; give us as much house as we can get.’” James knew right away he wanted to do white for the exterior. “We did this whole white-on-white thing,” he tells us. “The roof is the only other color that gives it some contrast. On the far left, there’s a little hint that something different might be going on because you can see the modern glass railing.”
Remodeling the home from its smaller footprint to 3,800 square feet with three bedrooms and three baths, James and his team took a bit of creative license — particularly when it came to the home’s interior transitions. “We knew we didn’t want to do a recreation of some historic house where we were just copying styles from the past,” James says. “We really wanted the house to be modern because we wanted it to feel more like Austin. So, you’re in this old neighborhood of little bungalows, but when you’re sitting on the site and looking out toward the city, which is changing daily, we wanted the house to be more of an architectural response to the city.” This concept translates to merging architectural periods and styles, which James somehow managed to do seamlessly. “It’s a unique property in that we had to blend these two pieces of architecture that are 100 years apart,” he says. “It makes for a very different project, but it just works.”
The home showcases several historic nods, including an original fireplace mantel from Austin’s famous hotel, The Driskill (which was repurposed as a powder room vanity). Still, the office is where the home begins to transition from the 1920s to the present day. One window boasts a period design with weathered glass, while the other is large and modern. The homeowners’ affinity for art also elevates the interior aesthetic, juxtaposing Austin’s iconic Umlauf sculptures with contemporary works such as George Rodrigue’s ‘Blue Dog’ paintings.
The front entryway showcases gorgeous original windows. “Aren’t they beautiful?” James gushes. “That’s all restored. The only new thing is the door itself; the rest of it was a restoration project from the original design.”
‘Blue Dog’ overlooks a pretty foyer vignette featuring flowers and books on modern artists.
The home’s transition is perhaps most apparent in the office, where a 1920s window and Umlauf sculpture give way to more modern amenities.
Tailor-made for cooking and entertaining, the home’s kitchen boasts an open floor plan to capitalize on the vista. James and his team cut down on distractions by relocating all of the smaller appliances elsewhere to allow for an even more unobstructed view. “All the appliances are paneled and concealed,” he tells us. “The small appliances like toasters, coffee makers, those sorts of things, are kicked out of the main kitchen. They live off to the right in the caterer’s kitchen, which keeps the central kitchen beautiful and tidy.”
Gorgeous, not to mention durable, mesquite flooring runs throughout the home’s interior, including the kitchen, where a uniquely designed backsplash picks up the color. “The backsplash was done by the interior designer, Love County Design,” James says. “They did a mosaic of five or six different granite pieces, and then there’s a simple white countertop to contrast that more aggressive backsplash.” Cabinetry built by local Austin makers Precision Woodworks adds yet another layer of depth.
Another painting by artist George Rodrigue keeps vigil over the kitchen, where mesquite floors abound. Sky Gold Quartzite countertops from Architectural Tile and Stone add contrast.
“The first part of the caterer’s kitchen acts as the bar,” explains James. “Deeper in, there’s coffee, blenders, toasters, that sort of thing. The pantry is also in this space.”
The sloping lot posed some obvious building challenges for the architects and the building team from Foursquare Builders, but construction took an interesting turn when James and his team discovered some old, pre-existing fire damage. Once they remedied that, they found they needed to remove the roof. “We kept two walls; everything else had to be removed,” James tells us. He salvaged the hardwood flooring and interior pine shiplap, which was sold off for use on other projects. “There was some great lumber, so we repurposed those pieces,” he says, “everything else we built with the latest modern technology — the latest in building science.” It was a labor of love. The team rebuilt the entire structure and floor system, set the walls back down, recreated the roof, and put on an addition. “It was a very staged and very sophisticated construction!” James admits. “The whole house is built with orientation to the downtown view, so you can sit on the porch overlooking the pool and see the Capitol. It’s just a beautiful sight. But it was also very challenging because it was sloping. The soils are no good, and by the time we got this thing pulled apart, we had two walls floating in mid-air.”
It was worth the painstaking efforts; the house speaks for itself. “Once you step past the foyer, the house transforms,” James tells us. “You’re stepping into a 14-foot ceiling, super modern, floor-to-ceiling glass, open living/dining/kitchen space with a beautiful wine cellar that conceals a stairwell going down to the garage. An exercise area is underneath the master suite. There’s a little courtyard and a pool. From the master bedroom, if you’re lying in bed, you’re looking down the pool and straight at the Capitol and the University of Texas Tower.”
“We worked with Loewen (from Canada) on these doors,” explains James. “This is the first house in Texas that has this door system. It was specifically designed for this project.”
What a view!
The living room plays host to a simple, modern fireplace design with a hearth of Yorkshire Stone. “The walls are plaster, so it’s plaster above a cantilevered hearth,” says James. “To make it more modern, we didn’t put a mantel on it. It’s just a long, linear gas fireplace.” Another Umlauf sculpture is on display at the end of the hearth, while an “art television” above it offers something prettier to look at while no one is watching any programming.
The living room also features spectacular design details such as Murano glass lighting, a wine vignette — which also acts as a dividing wall — and notable Life magazine covers-turned-art. “All those magazines were in the basement in boxes,” explains James. “When the client bought the house, they found them. So, they went through hundreds of these magazines and found what they thought were the most meaningful covers — at least to them — and then they had them scanned and printed on glass. If you look closely, you can even see the mailing label sticker still on the magazine.”
A Murano glass fixture over the dining room table lends a touch of modern elegance.
“There are some really famous covers there,” James tells us of the living room’s Life magazines-turned-art installation. “It’s not just a mundane little stairwell leading down. It becomes a space. It’s a cool little detail.”
Mesquite floors complement the clear Western Red Cedar ceilings, while lighting from Bocci helps to fill the space. “That artwork is actually a piece the homeowner did with her kids when they were very young,” says James of the vibrant piece at the stairwell landing. “It has been in their family for 20 or 30 years. In this particular part of the house, the gallery has a bit more family history.”
Subtle gray tones in the primary bedroom allow the panoramic view to be the star of the show. “The center of the bed is lined up right to the middle of the spa,” says James, “so it’s a beautiful view down the pool. You can see the capital of the state of Texas in the background.”
Textured gunmetal gray walls add depth.
While the master bathroom may be somewhat small for a home of its size, James is quick to say that the shower is very generous. “We have some high windows bringing in light from above but maintaining privacy,” he says, “and there’s a nice blend of natural stone materials.”
James created a cantilevered stainless steel cabinet surround for the built-in outdoor grill using metal roofing panels on the exterior wall. Additionally, the porch possesses screens that come down and slide open, nearly doubling the living space.
A beautiful pool with two infinity sides delivers a wow factor to the home’s rear.
All photography by Casey Dunn.
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