HOME CELEBRATING INSPIRATIONAL DESIGN AND PERSONAL STYLE
Inspiring Design For Every Room Who is Clara Driscoll? Fortuny Fabric
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From the Editors The variety of design styles in this issue may not seem to have a common thread. They are described in many ways, from elegant vintage to contemporary to European country, but their commonality lies in the methods in which they were created. Each project included teams who fulfilled the desires and tastes of their clients and respected the existing property with which they had to work. Our cover home is a case in point. This beautiful, restful retreat near Wimberley is the culmination of talented professionals and a homeowner who knew exactly what she wanted. Far from standard in Hill Country homes are fanciful, floral window treatments, however, they are perfect in this casually elegant country getaway designed by architect Rick Burleson and built by Schmidt Custom Homes. Another extraordinarily talented team who love what they do is Katie and Jeff Bullard of Avenue B Development. The Bullards, who have over recent years garnered much praise for their historic restorations, are able to see beyond the ruin of a once loved but now forgotten home to create stunning transformations. The latest renovation of a Texas Queen Anne Victorian in the Robertson Hill neighborhood of Austin is the perfect combination of original character and modern day livability. In San Antonio’s Olmos Park, architect Lyndsay Thorn of Thorn Graves and designer Mary McNelis transformed a 1932 home by reconfiguring rooms and adding beautiful finishes inspired by the colors of European country estates but with clean and classic lines. The result is a more efficient home for a family of five. In Wimberley, a state-of-the-art recording studio is disguised as a beautiful Hill Country estate and provides an inspirational setting for recording artists and the public during monthly concerts. Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio is the result of combined talents. Architect Lou Kimball, builder Grady Burnette, and owners Billy and Dodee Crockett, whose lifelong experiences in the music industry and love of this particular magical piece of land, have created a musical haven for all to experience. At El Monumento in Georgetown, you might forget you aren’t in a quaint, colonial Mexican town enjoying simple dishes made from the freshest ingredients, and that’s the point. The architecture, landscaping and menu were all inspired by the remote ranches and haciendas of South Texas and Mexico, and follow the locally sourced principles as the restaurateurs’ other establishments, Monument Café and Monument Market. Two turn-of-the-century women of the same name made lasting impressions — one in Texas history and the other in the exquisite artistry of Tiffany lamps. Both Clara Driscolls were ahead of their time and marched bravely into areas that, at the time, were defined as a man’s territory. Another pair of pioneers, this time in the food industry, are Central Texas chefs David Garrido of Garrido’s Restaurant and Bar in Austin and Jesse T. Perez of Arcade Midtown Kitchen in San Antonio. Both, having attained great success in well-known, high-end establishments, chose to venture out on their own and create their own signature restaurants. Texas has a long history of tall tales and many of them include a dearly departed who refuses to depart. There are numerous opportunities statewide to investigate the paranormal or to just enjoy a really good history lesson. We hope you find design inspiration, room by room.
Trisha Doucette & Leslie Woods, editors P.S. Find us on Facebook at: facebook.com/urbanhomemags
On The Cover: An otherwise masculine house, with local stone, rough sawn beams and reclaimed pieces of wood, is balanced with the homeowner’s selection of vintage fabrics and collectibles, and a love of romantic, English cottage-style décor. Page 22 Scan to view more features of this home.
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2013 | VOL. 8 | NO. 5 Publisher Louis Doucette Editors Trisha Doucette and Leslie Woods Contributing Editors Cathy Coneway – ABOR Catrina Kendrick – Catrina’s Ranch Interiors John Martin – Austin NARI Justin Bravo – NARI San Antonio Contributing Writers Claudia Alarcon, Jackie Benton, Michelle Burgess, Julie Catalano, Mauri Elbel, Ashley Festa, Ellen Millard, Dana W. Todd Strategic Media Placement Diane Purcell Advertising Sales Sandy Weatherford Gerry Lair Photography Lindsay Cavanaugh, Leigh Christian, Christopher Davison, Tre Dunham, Ryann Ford, Casey Fry, Sunni Hammer, Thomas McConnell, Tristan Rhodes, Trish McCabe Rawls, Billy Spencer Design and Production Tim Shaw – The Shaw Creative Printing and Direct Mail SmithPrint Phone 512.385.4663, Austin - 210.410.0014, San Antonio Fax 830.981.8887 Business Office 4714 Cambridge / Sugar Land, Texas 77479 Sales Office 10036 Saxet Drive / Boerne, Texas 78006 Email louisd@urbanhomemagazine.com Website www.urbanhomemagazine.com Urban Home Magazine Austin-San Antonio is published by Big City Magazines of Austin, LLC. Advertising rates available upon request. All rights reserved by copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent from publisher. Every effort is made to assure accuracy of the information contained herein. However, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Advertising is subject to errors, omissions and or other changes without notice. Mention of any product or service does not constitute endorsement from Urban Home Magazine. The information contained in this publication is deemed reliable from third party sources, but not guaranteed. Urban Home Magazine does not act as an agent for any of the advertisers in this publication. It is recommended that you choose a qualified remodeling, home furnishings or home improvement firm based on your own selection criteria. Urban Home Magazine, does not act as an agent for any of the realtors or builders in this publication. It is recommended that you choose a qualified realtor to assist you in your new home purchase. Urban Home Magazine will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that is a violation of the Fair Housing Act. All real estate advertising in Urban Home Magazine, is subject to the Fair Housing Act that states “We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.”
© Copyright 2013 by Urban Home Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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October / November 2013
Contents cover 22 Romantic Country Dream Photography by Casey Fry
featured homes 30 Special Addition Photography by Casey Fry 36 Rearranging Spaces Photography by Trish McCabe Rawls
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highlights 46 48 50 72
Feathering That First Nest The Timeless Shutter The New Market 25 Designer Tips
departments Design Trends 42 Room for Music Commercial Design 52 Escape to El Monumento
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Great Design 56 The Two Claras Elements 60 Fortuny Fabric Why This Space Works 68 Designer Spotlight: Robin Colton Food Design 74 Well Seasoned, On Their Own Fabulous Finds 78 Haunted Tours of Texas
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Essentials 62 New Products: Fabrics 66 New Products: Black & White Contributing Editors 63 Cathy Coneway, ABOR 64 John Martin, Austin NARI & Justin Bravo, NARI San Antonio 82 Advertiser Index
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Selected as the site for the 2014 HBA Parade of Homes, Tierra Vista is nestled within the beautiful 688 acre Luck Ranch, home to Texas music icon Willie Nelson. Tierra Vista is a living paradise that is easily accessible, yet pleasantly secluded. Located off Pace Bend Road, just 11 miles west of Lakeway and the Hill Country Galleria, Tierra Vista residents enjoy: • 1+ acre estate-sized home sites • EVERY lot has a view • Private, gated community • Low HOA $500/year • Low tax rate • City water • Award-winning Lake Travis ISD schools • Home sites priced from $159,000
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Romantic
Country Dream By Mauri Elbel
|
Photography by Casey Fry
Every time Brenda Adams walks through the door, she enters her dream home. 22
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S
ituated on 12 acres of rolling Hill Country property overlooking the Wimberley Valley and Blanco River just a few miles outside of town, the Adams got exactly what they wanted — a home designed to grow with them through the years. “This is our dream home,” says Adams of their 2-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom, 2,800-square-foot home. “We put a lot of 24
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planning into it. And I wouldn’t change a thing.” For Adams, who has a background in interiors and had gone through the home building process before, playing an integral part in the design was a labor of love. This time around, she knew their new home needed to suit them for the present and future —they wanted a place to enjoy with their grown children and young grandchildren now as well as urbanhomemagazine.com
a home that would accommodate them well into their later years. Throughout the home, Adams’ feminine touches can be seen in the otherwise masculine space. “I wanted something a little romantic and something a little country,” she says. Her romantic style peeks through the country home with floral fabric patterns dating back to the 1940’s, needlepoint rugs urbanhomemagazine.com
and French lace draperies. While white limestone typifies Hill Country-style homes, Adams wanted their home to blend into the natural surroundings and loved the look of the old Englishstyle greystone cottages. Charcoal gray limestone that matches the rock ledges found on the property came directly from a quarry in Lueders, Texas, which comprise the interior and exterior Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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stone along with a blend of Oklahoma sandstone. The stones and wooden beams found throughout the house anchor the strength and boldness of the design, but it is the details — like the century-old mantle above the fireplace that came from the Mississippi docks and another mantle cut from an old pecan tree on their family ranch in Texas — which really sets the home apart. “For just under 2,800 square feet, there is an enormous amount of detail throughout the home that comes together to make it look as picture perfect as it turned out,” says builder Cody Schmidt of Schmidt Custom Homes. “The Adams did a wonderful job with the interior design and we took great pride 26
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in making certain that each and every detail was perfected to meet the dream they had in mind.” Rough sawn, gray-stained Douglas fir beams drape the kitchen and living room ceilings. In the master suite, the ceiling is reclaimed barn wood from the Adams’ family ranch and the walls have 1x10 vertical planking, striking a balance in the space with the use of soft colors and a shabby chic decor. The master bath is a peaceful retreat featuring a pedestal bathtub and Bianco Antico granite countertops. Venus white granite countertops grace the kitchen, where paneled appliances and open glass cabinets display Adams’ vintage teacup and Depression-era glass collection. Above the urbanhomemagazine.com
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range, hand-painted tiles from London are displayed revealing Adams’ favorite ingredients — milk, flour, eggs, salt, pepper, sugar and butter. The various selections merge together to compliment the home’s romantic country charm. Stained concrete floors are found throughout the house, a suiting look achieved by wet sanding the concrete with bonded diamond abrasives then chemically hardening them with silica floor hardener before applying a penetrating sealer and burnishing the surface with colored beeswax and buffing it. “Concrete flooring is always a smart choice, as it is a sustainable material with very little maintenance,” says Schmidt. “These concrete floors were designed to look elegant, yet somewhat raw in nature, and it certainly adds to the beauty of the home.” Hill Country vistas filter through walls of Andersen® sliding glass doors and windows in the living area and master suite, bringing the outside in. “When you stand in the living space, you don’t feel like you are in a box,” says Schmidt. “The kitchen, living and dining room feel like one large great room, opening up to the outdoor living space and the magnificent views.” And it’s these stellar views that are undoubtedly the most phenomenal aspect of the Adams’ home. The successful design is owed to Rick Burleson, a Wimberley architect who specializes in orienting homes based on his analysis of a site’s topography, sunlight and breezes in order to maximize the views. “The core of our design approach is based on designing to the site forces,” says Burleson. “What I have learned over the many years of doing this is that the more you will allow the site forces to shape the design, the better the house will turn out. If you respond to the elements in a profound way, the house ends up being really enjoyable — all the rooms have 28
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a view because it was designed to fit the topography just right.” In this instance, Burleson designed the house to be elongated on a hillside to maximize the views. There were challenges brought forth by the substantial slope which caused the foundation to range from 1 to 14 feet in certain areas to maximize the views. The linear home is divided into three primary components — the master suite on the east end, the living/kitchen/ dining area in the center and a guest bedroom and study on the west end — detachments driven by the site layout with accessibility provided by linking breezeways and a large outdoor living area and kitchen. Looking from any room in the Adams’ home yields stunning views of all the beauty nature has to offer. “The view is so spectacular,” says Adams. “We have an outdoor living area with a kitchen, fireplace, TV and porch bed. Out here in the Hill Country, with the southern breeze, we can just curl up in the outdoors.” The Adams got everything they desired in their dream home. With one level and three separate living areas, the design provides privacy for their growing family and guests. The master suite has a stackable washer and dryer and small kitchen concealed behind the wall of gray cabinets, allowing the space to serve as a single stand-alone living area in their later years. “Everyone wants a dream home and some place they can live in for the rest of their years and this is ours,” says Adams. v BUILDER Schmidt Custom Homes 512.964.1402 | Schmidtcustomhomestx.com ARCHITECT Burleson Design Group 512.842.1308 | Burlesondesigngroup.com urbanhomemagazine.com
AWARD-WINNING INTERIOR DESIGN custom homes • lofts spec homes • commercial Stephanie J. Villavicencio, ASID Texas Registered Interior Designer
512.443.3200 www.bellavillads.com
Special Addition By Julie Catalano | Photography by Casey Fry
Some houses, like people and animals, are destined to be saved. Nothing about the tiny, charming but dilapidated Texas Queen Anne Victorian house in the Robertson Hill area of East Austin would have made anyone stop and say, “This one is extra special.” Except for the people who knew that it was — and did something about it. 30
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I love the process of creating beauty where others might not see it. For me, every single house has a unique story and unique personality. – Katie Bullard
K
atie Bullard and husband Jeff Bullard are managing partners of Avenue B Development, LLC, an Austin-based company they founded in 2009 to indulge their passion for restoration and renovation, particularly of historic homes in historic neighborhoods. He’s the principal contractor; she’s the principal designer. In four short years, their projects in Hyde Park and Judges Hill, among others, have brought them awards and recognition for their outstanding work in historic preservation. The Robertson Hill property was the Peterson House — named for its first owner, Swedish merchant George A. Peterson — and it had been through the good, bad and ugly times since its construction in 1901. Passed from owner to owner, plumbing and electrical wiring deteriorating over time, it was getting older but definitely not better. Somewhere around the 1940s, a makeshift 500-square-foot addition of scrap materials and shoddy construction had been slapped on the original 1,200 square feet. By the 1980s, it landed in the hands of Dagmar Grieder, a retired banker who bought it only as a rental investment, but realized the house needed help when she saw that a tenant “had stuffed an athletic sock” into the hole of the leaky ceiling. “The first thing I did was put a solid roof ” on the old addition, she recalls, but knew the house needed much more. Grieder, a seasoned property owner, loved the house, but
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as time went by the reality of a massive makeover hit hard. “I had to decide whether to do it myself or let somebody else do it.” Reluctantly, in 2010 Grieder put up a “For Sale by Owner” sign in the front yard — at the same time the Bullards’ real estate agent Lindsay K. Harris was driving by. When Katie Bullard got the call about “a really great property,” she wasn’t surprised. “She loves the [Robertson Hill] neighborhood. The houses that come up for sale there are few and far between, so she was always proactively monitoring the area.” Harris’s enthusiasm for this diamond in the rough was matched by the Bullard’s the minute they saw it. According to Bullard, the house had everything they wanted in a historic property. “We look for a lot of its original characteristics, regardless of the state it’s in.” And it was in a state. Still, Bullard could see beyond the disrepair to the house’s true treasures: “Beautiful 11-foot high ceilings. Glass transoms in all of the doorways. Beautiful bay windows.” Not to mention original floors, doors, hardware and lots of windows. The icing on the cake was the level of Victorian details on the front of the wing-and-gable house with its rafters and turrets, as well as the detail inside — well-preserved trim throughout and original beadboard wainscoting in the center hall. “We knew we could work with all of those really well, and that when we restored it they would add to its charm.” Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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The first thing to go was the old slapdash addition, to be replaced with a carefully planned and suitable expansion in keeping with the house’s original style and to make it infinitely more appealing — and marketable — to a growing family or young urban professionals who wanted to be close to downtown or the university. Plans were drawn up for a 3-bedroom, 2.5bath. At just under a total of 2,400 square feet, says Bullard, “we basically doubled the size of the original property.” The house also needed rewiring and replumbing. Because the house had been designated an Austin City Landmark, the rules were clear: “The front of the house, the facade, could not change,” explains Bullard. The goal was “to design an addition that looked like it had always been there. With the number of gables this house had, that was a bit tricky.” The roof over the new section “could not look like it had been plopped onto the back of the house.” The trim also had to match from the front to the back. The roof on the addition was metal, just like the original. Inside, another challenge awaited: The original flooring was a striking feature of the house, but how to match it to the new section? “We had to find reclaimed heart pine flooring,” says 32
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Bullard, which they did, at a reclaimed flooring vender in Austin. But pine flooring gets redder over time. “The difference between old floor and new is depth of the color. So it was important to get flooring that was about the same age as the original.” After all of the floors were sanded and restained, “they all looked like they had all been there forever.” The kitchen “didn’t change dramatically,” says Bullard. “It got a little bit longer, but the width was the same.” New Frigidaire® appliances, glass-front cabinets, and Santa Cecilia Classico granite counters with a beadboard backsplash brought the room into the 21st century while staying true to the vintage feel. Same for the baths, bath fixtures by Vintage Tub and Bath blend perfectly with a period claw foot tub, reclaimed and refinished. As for the addition itself, it starts next to the kitchen with the family room, with its fireplace, half-bath and French doors opening to the flagstone patio, and continues to two bedrooms including the master suite and bath. The entire yard was landscaped, including new sod, beds, driveway and fence. The house was repainted inside and out, using colors from the Benjamin Moore Historic line. The exterior is Saybrook Sage, and the interior is predominantly Litchfield Gray. urbanhomemagazine.com
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The finished product was stunning in its seamlessness from old to new — exactly the outcome Bullard had wanted, and one that in 2011 netted Avenue B Development a prestigious CotY (Contractor of the Year) award by NARI for historic preservation. The house was also on the NARI Tour of Remodeled Homes the same year. “We constantly get comments that you couldn’t tell there was an addition to the house,” says Bullard. “That’s what we had hoped for.” Previous owner Dagmar Grieder says simply, “I was blown away. I could not possibly have dreamed of the transformation that occurred. It was wonderfully modern, yet kept the character of the house alive.” Even more special was the bundle of old records that Grieder possessed: the original title book to the property, going back to the abstract when it was just a lot, then later titles and deeds, all handwritten with personal notations throughout the years — which she then gave to the Bullards who in turn gave it to the new owners who bought the house in 2010. Katie Bullard loves the sense of continuity with the past, but always has an eye toward the future. “Once we’re able in some sense to bring a property back to life and pass it on, we’re ready to find the next house that needs saving.” v DESIGN/BUILD Avenue B Development, LLC 512.638.1514 | Avenuebdev.com 34
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REARRANGING SPACES
By MAURI ELBEL | Photography by TRISH MCCABE RAWLS
A thoughtful reconfiguration of existing spaces has given new life to a 1932 house nestled in the heart of San Antonio’s historic Olmos Park neighborhood. Previously choppy and cramped, a cohesiveness now flows brilliantly from one room to the next, providing greater functionality and livability for the modern-day family of five who calls it home.
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riginally a duplex with two separate flats, this 80-year-old home was converted into a single family residence in the 1950s. Architect and general contractor Lyndsay Thorn says one of his strongest convictions about the design from the very beginning was that the home was ostensibly large enough, sitting at 3,100 square feet. But the existing rooms were not functioning well for the young professional homeowners –– a doctor, lawyer and their three children. “The kitchen was not in right place, the living room didn’t work well and there was a lovely side yard on the east side of the home that just didn’t jive with how the family lived or entertained,” recalls Thorn. “What we did was a bit of a tricky task. We didn’t need to add more space, but we needed to reconfigure the spaces to work for their family.”
The renovation and redesign orchestrated by a talented design duo, Thorn and interior designer Mary McNelis, exemplifies what can be done with a home that has decent dimensions but lacks modern-day functionality. “I come from Europe and I’ve noticed the tendency we have here, especially in Texas, to make everything bigger,” Thorn says. “But one thing our firm has been ahead of the curve on for years is trying to figure out how people can utilize their existing square footage in a more efficient manner.” A modest 120-square-foot addition to the rear of the residence was the only expansion needed to add more than 40 percent functionality to the home. The reorientation of the rooms’ functions and focus allowed for a complete re-use of the space as well as greater accessibility between rooms. The reorganization doubled the size of the utility and family rooms and created a larger second
floor entertainment room, gun room and more spacious master suite. The four-bedroom, three-bath home was reconfigured into a five-bedroom, four-and-one-half bathroom home. “This enabled each of the children to have their own separate bedrooms and a defined space for themselves, and it created a kids’ media room upstairs that has become a great second gathering space for the family,” Thorn says. “This brought a traditional home into the 21st century to really work for a young professional family. It gave a whole new lease on life to the home.” Thorn says rarely does he have the opportunity to design a modern style into a home with such a typically traditional vernacular. But McNelis, also a childhood friend of the homeowner, knew this family’s style well. “They can’t invest a lot of time in decorating the house so we wanted to help them develop a taste and a style that worked well for the house –– very clean and modern but with a soft, comfortable edge,” she says. “Like most modern families, this family is very busy. They are going in different directions at all times. I wanted to give them an oasis where they could come together in the evenings –– where there is individual space for everyone but great family space, too.” Creamy white walls are accessorized with a few accented ones wrapped in embellished metallic paper. Traditional two-andone-quarter inch oak wood floors were sanded and bleached, adding to the home’s sophisticated palette and leaving room for bold contrasts with new selections like the traditional and hardy European flooring in dark grey slate in the kitchen and baths. 38
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We’ve got great glass
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“I wanted to create more of a modern European countryhouse look, but without the antiques,” McNelis says. “The husband is a wine connoisseur and a bit of a Francophile so I took inspiration from a lot of Belgian and French country estates –– lots of muted neutrals, bleached woods and moody grays.” McNelis selected classic and clean materials like stainless steel, Caesarstone® and gleaming white subway tiles in the kitchen, and she took a slight departure in the formal dining room by adding a little bling with the metallic Kenneth James wallpaper and distressed Italian mirrors. “It’s very different from what you traditionally see in South Texas, but it really works with our casual lifestyle,” she says. Vintage jar pendants loom over white quartz countertops in the revamped kitchen where state of the art appliances, including a bright red FiveStar range that adds a classic pop of color to an otherwise neutral palette, were added. Sleek fittings and fixtures were installed with clean, uncomplicated lines to all woodwork and cabinetry. New steel casement windows and doors added throughout the first floor provide continuation between the interior and exterior landscaping while complementing the existing original steel windows –– replacements that boast new insulated technology, remain classic in design and fit into the home’s more modern aesthetic. The house remains elegant and beautiful, but its transformation has made it a more open, spacious and functional family home. “Before we started, this home was very chopped up; very disjointed,” Thorn says. “The house now flows in the places it didn’t before –– everyone and everything has their own space and no one feels cramped.” v 40
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ARCHITECT Thorn Graves 210.222.0194 | Thorngraves.com INTERIOR DESIGNER Mary McNelis Interiors 210.215.1815 | Marymcnelisinteriors.com LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Matt W. Stevens, RLA 210.320.1266 | Mwsla.com urbanhomemagazine.com
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design n trends
Room fOr Music By Dana W. Todd
|
Photography by Tristan Rhodes
To Billy and Dodee Crockett, music is as much a part of their lives as the blood that runs through their veins. Billy, a recording and touring musician, dreamed of a creative sanctuary where he could settle down to produce and write songs after 25 years of concert touring. Lifelong friends and sweethearts, the Crocketts stumbled upon their 20 acres in the Texas Hill Country more than a decade ago on a fateful motorcycle trip. From there, they began to design a plan to showcase the music they loved to others in Texas and beyond. Thus, the almost 9,000-square-foot Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio in Wimberley was born out of a collaboration of the owners with a professional team including an architect, builder and Nashville sound engineers. 42
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hat makes Blue Rock Studio so special, besides the famous musicians it attracts such as Lyle Lovett to record songs, is the ageless mystique of the entire complex that connects the land with the Crocketts’ deep Texas roots. Billy and Dodee, as relatives of Alamo heroes Davy Crockett and James Bonham, respectively, built Blue Rock to look as though it has always been there, or at least since the early 1800s. A Touch of Nature “As a designer, the idea there had been a garrison there in the 1800s, an historic structure in disrepair, gave me something to play off of. Varying the materials — limestone, cedar siding and wood floors that irregularly end and begin again with stone — makes Blue Rock seem as if it has always been there and suggests additions over time,” says project architect Lou Kimball, AIA. To design a suitable home and studio for the Crocketts, Kimball took time to ask questions like, “What books do you read? What music do you listen to?” “The more I know about what makes a person tick, the better the house will be for them,” Kimball says. Nestling the buildings into the land away from the edge of the bluff, Kimball designed the main house to take advantage of views of Lone Man Creek, which flows into the Blanco River, and from which a large limestone boulder — a “blue rock” — provides the studio’s name. More than one blue rock, however, plays a part in the master design. In a unique and time-consuming process, stone mason Pat Cope handpicked each piece of limestone — 500 tons of it — from local ranches, hauling it back to the land to build Blue Rock Studio’s interior and exterior walls and six massive fireplaces. It is this thoughtfulness and patience throughout the process that pervades both the design aesthetic and the hospitality extended to visiting musicians and the public. A Heaping Spoonful of Music If you haven’t attended one of the monthly community music events at Blue Rock Studio, you’re missing a night of wonderful music, friendship and good food. Each month, the Crocketts open the doors to Blue Rock Studio for 100 visitors to hear live music, with hundreds of others around the globe tuning in to the live online performances. Although
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the Crocketts have their private quarters, they are connected to the concert room, dining room, kitchen, library and other rooms open to the public and used by staff. The main building has an attached stone tower whose distinguishing feature is an observation deck providing water and hill views. A band house with bedrooms and a rehearsal space connects to the main house via a breezeway. A separate producer house and Billy’s office building complete the master plan. Rooms are comfortable for overnight musician guests working on projects in the studios, providing bedrooms and kitchenettes, and access to audio equipment and instruments such as a concert grand piano. What’s surprising about Blue Rock Studio is its high-tech recording capability and professionally engineered acoustics wrapped in a homey and welcoming environment.
Photo by Tre Dunham
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“It’s a laid back atmosphere,” says Billy. “It’s sturdy, not precious, but beautiful. We have 13 miles of cable under the slab foundation. You can plug in a microphone anywhere and be ready to record.” “That was the most nervous day of my life,” says Kimball, speaking of the day Blue Rock’s foundational slab was poured. The process that placed pipes and cables to carry sound throughout the building required precision. “Once it’s poured, it’s over,” he says. The ability for quick and easy impromptu performances belies the world-class recording technology designed and overseen by both Billy — with his lifelong experience in the music industry — and studio consultant Michael Cronin. Cronin helped bridge the gap between the musical design considerations and the construction team overseen by Grady Burnette of Grady Burnette Builders. With both analog and digital recording capabilities, Blue Rock reaches audio excellence through installation of a console designed by famed British audio designer Rupert Neve. Most recording studios do not have the soaring ceilings and rock walls that define Blue Rock’s five live recording studios, but Billy ensured they are all designed for quiet and a beautiful sonic signature. “Larger rooms all have a ‘signature’ that can be a very compelling element in the recording process,” he says. “We listened to the rock very carefully before deciding to use it in the Garrison Room.” Billy, along with his expert sound engineers, worked with the stone mason to use a dry stackstone technique for the walls and fireplaces that results in a great ratio of absorption and reflection of sound. Moveable walnut panels backed with cloth-covered fiberboard, portable baffles, and big drapes assist with reflection control, depending upon a musician’s recording needs. “Dodee and I wanted the building to sound as beautiful as its visual spaces,” Billy says. “I love the fact that Blue Rock feels simple — it’s stone and wood and not techy. It feels like the space to ‘be’ and have great conversations and when you’re ready, you can plug in and record. “When Blue Rock is connecting with an artist, she gets to turn off the noise — life, the city, routines and numbing rituals — and be free to remember what she loves. She can really connect with the song and 44
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deliver her very best,” Billy continues. “Blue Rock is a dedicated place in the world with all the tools, staff and inspiration for creating music at the highest level. The architectural design is such an important catalyst for the flow of ideas, for breathing deep and dreaming big. “I love the kind of energy that makes sacred spaces alive, where artists come in to play or sing and feel the energy from previous musicians,” he says. The Final Recipe The Crocketts first felt that energy when they visited the land, even before they conceived Blue Rock Studio, according to Billy.
Photo by Tre Dunham
urbanhomemagazine.com
Allocating Space for a Music Room By Dana W. Todd
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Photography by Thomas McConnell
Historic homes often dedicated one room to pleasurable pursuits. A formal parlor for entertaining, a library or a music room provided homeowners and their guests with a space to create and have fun. Somewhere along the way, these rooms disappeared, but it’s high time for a reemergence of the music room. How do you decide where to fit music into your home? The location depends on how you use and enjoy music every day. Are you a professional musician or a hobbyist? Are perfect acoustics important or will this be a live space to jam with friends? Need seating for a crowd or space for one to record songs?
“We felt the energy and a certain belonging to the land,” he says, noting the evidence of native culture previously living there. “Blue Rock was a dream for years, with many visits to this land to simply get to know it.” Dodee, who is an investment advisor by day, and Blue Rock hostess extraordinaire and co-director of programming on nights and weekends, makes sure visiting artists and public guests feel special and have delicious food and lively conversation. “She’s the grace note,” says Billy. “She is connecting everyone and never forgets a name. She makes people feel great. ‘Welcome’ is her word.” If the world-class audio technology and warm, homey interior are not enough to make visitors fall in love with Blue Rock, the Crocketts have added plenty of outdoor activities for relaxing entertainment. A basketball goal crafted of rustic branches, a fire pit, walking trails and plenty of deck spaces take advantage of creek and hilltop views. Musicians use the outdoor spaces as much as the indoor rooms. Blue Rock Studio is one big collaboration — from the drawing board to the construction process to the way musicians today play together in its relaxed environment. The combination of public and private spaces, with warm, natural finishes and shared meals, is how Blue Rock’s owners put artists at ease and in touch with their best creative selves. The Crocketts have designed a musical haven full of oxymorons. Is it possible to be both rustic and refined? Homey and high-tech? Contemplative yet innovative? Blue Rock proves it is. v
CG&S Design-Build
David Wilkes Builders
STUDIO Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio 512.847.7440 | Bluerocktexas.com
Depending on the purpose of the space, a remodeling contractor can carve out a portion of an existing room for amateur practice time or sound-isolate an entire room for professional performances and recording sessions. A sole violinist may want space for the David Wilkes Builders sound to resonate within the room, whereas a recording artist may prefer total soundproofing. Experts say a thorough understanding of acoustics is necessary, so it’s important to hire a professional. Perfecting a music room’s sound quality may include: sound absorption materials placed on interior walls, soundproofing techniques to trap and contain the sound within the room’s confines, or sound isolation through allowing air space between the walls. Not all methods are necessary for every room, but a combination of them minimizes vibrations to avoid interference with audio quality. Other important considerations are the home’s systems and architectural design. Does electrical wiring provide appropriate capacity to handle increased needs for audio components? Is the HVAC’s hidden ductwork installed so it won’t add unwanted vibrations to the room when instruments are played? Are there doors and windows already a part of the room to cause acoustical under-performance and sound bounce? With so many approaches available to design a musical space, it’s possible to build a room that fits needs and budget and still articulates personal interpretation of how it should function.
ARCHITECT Lou Kimball Architect 512.422.3329 | Loukimball.com
CG&S Design-Build 512.444.1580 | Cgsdb.com
BUILDER Grady Burnette Builders 512.847.9040 | Burnettebuilders.com
David Wilkes Builders 512.328. 9888 | Davidwilkesbuilders.com
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Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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Feathering that First Nest Do’s and Don’ts to Consider When Making the Leap to Furnishing Your First Home
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By Jackie Benton
here’s no doubt moving into your first “real” home is a milestone. Say goodbye to your college decor: those bricksand-boards bookcases, the chair with the broken armrest and the wobbly leg, and the cable spool you used as a coffee table. Now that you’re earning real money, it’s time to decorate your first “I’m officially out on my own with a real job” home. But just as a writer shrinks from the blank page or an artist freezes when looking at a blank canvas, a new home is a special kind of blank space that inspires its own special kind of anxiety. Let’s face it: good furniture is a significant investment, and finding the perfect pieces suited to who we are now and where we think we will be in the future can be intimidating. Looking for good, quality furniture is, in many ways, like looking for a good life partner: we want something that is as beautiful as it is functional, something we will love, and will stay with us for many years to come. But fret not: Lloyd Scott, co-owner of Scott + Cooner, has a few tips and tricks to help make those first important decisions that turn empty rooms into a warm and inviting home. Scott, together with partner Josy Cooner, have used their combined twenty years and their love for classic and modern European décor to create a design studio representing more than 80 lines of modern furniture, top contemporary and architectural 46
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Photography courtesy of Scott + Cooner
lighting lines, and some of the most elegant European kitchens and closet systems in the world. Their showrooms in Austin and Dallas have become key destination points for clients who appreciate the modern aesthetic and personal service. Contrary to what you might think, Scott says your opening purchase shouldn’t be investing in a new sofa, or even a coffee table, for the living room. In fact, she advises you stay away from the living room for now, and start with another room you might not have even considered before. “A great place to start is actually the dining room,” says Scott. “When people make the transition into building a ‘home,’ it’s hard for many to also transition into an income bracket that can afford to start with some of the other spaces. A dining table, albeit a clean and simple piece, can be wallet friendly. The investment would be in a classic, and more importantly, comfortable dining chair,” she says. “And as enticing as it is to purchase from an online store, this is a piece of furniture you need your bottom to test drive first! Take the sit test! There is nothing worse than a wonderful dinner party ruined by a lousy chair! Expect to spend around $900 or more on each chair. If you invest in a few classic chairs, you can ‘easy-grow’ the number, adding more that either are the same, or compliment the originals.” Scott is also a firm believer in going with classic lines with urbanhomemagazine.com
“good bones” that will last for years to come, and can simply be reupholstered with new fabric for a fresh look. “If there is a piece that is ‘trending,’ I recommend steering clear of it. Good foundation pieces are the opposite of a trend. Classic is what you are looking for: a high quality, neutral sofa is a great place to start. Keep it simple. You can always capture trendier colors or fabrications utilizing pillows and other room accessories, and change out as your taste evolves in other directions. It’s a much cheaper option than putting that purple fake fur sofa on the curb!” And you should do a little research to find out what lines carry pieces that closely match your particular tastes and desires for comfort and design, advises Scott, to meet and exceed your expectations. “I think a key element is getting to know a bit about different manufacturers, or knowing the showroom you are shopping in and what manufacturers they carry. There are many companies that have been in the business for many years, and the quality of craftsmanship is a key component to this longevity,” she says. “Knowing the brand and its reputation are important when it comes to how well the piece is made, and, in turn, what sort of lifespan the piece has because of this. “For example, a classic piece, such as the Barcelona Chair, by Mies van der Rohe (manufactured by Knoll®), has been a top seller since its introduction in 1929. This chair is classic, identifiable, and easily mixed with other pieces and genres. It covers the key ideas of how a piece can remain fresh: classic design, great leather (a good leather can easily last 20-plus years), and simple, clean lines.” urbanhomemagazine.com
In short, be practical with your furniture investments, advises Scott. Invest well for the future, but stay within your current means, selecting classic pieces that will mix well with other pieces you’ll acquire along the way. And whatever you do, don’t fall for the hype. It’s easy to fall into the trap of buying something because you think it’s what you’re “supposed to have” now that you’re selecting upscale décor, but Scott recommends doing your homework, and considering the long-term value. “When you begin to spend money on furnishings, I would recommend staying away from antiques that don’t have a provenance. Many people think that anything labeled ‘antique’ translates to ‘investment,’ but if there isn’t a historical significance or documented chronology of ownership/origin, you may just be getting something old,” she explains. “It makes more sense to invest in a high quality mattress for the bed first (such as a Hästens®), because I guarantee that a good night’s sleep will override your need for the $10,000 Louis XVI Bergere Chair on eBay.” Making the move from transitional living to young professional needn’t be an all or nothing venture. It’s a journey that requires a gradual transition. Give yourself the time to look around, keep an eye out for furnishings with classic lines to build on, and most definitely avoid going with HGTV’s top trends. Remember, you’re not designing on a dime any more: you’re creating that perfect nest that will last a lifetime. v SCOTT + COONER 512.480.0436 | 214.748.9838 | Scottcooner.com Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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The
T i m eless S h u tter By Ashley Festa | Photography courtesy of The Louver Shop
Summer in Texas. Day after day of temperatures in triple digits. Soaring energy costs. It’s enough to push any budget to the breaking point.
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ut homeowners can be hesitant to install pricey energysaving options, especially when it may take months or years to recoup the costs in lowered utility bills. One option that homeowners can choose creates an incentive to make the investment: plantation shutters. Elegant and useful, plantation shutters instantly beautify a home, increase its value and improve its energy efficiency. And, over time, the shutters help pay for themselves, both in energy bill savings and higher home resell value. Standard plantation shutters are built to help block the sweltering Texas heat, lowering the strain on the air conditioner and saving homeowners money on their monthly utility bill. With certain special types of plantation shutters, homeowners can also qualify for a federal residential energy efficiency tax 48
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credit, actually putting dollars back into their wallets. “When our Louverwood shutters are installed on qualifying energy efficient windows, homeowners will be eligible for the federal tax credit,” says Jackie Summers, market representative and co-owner of The Louver Shop of Texas. “The credit is worth 10 percent of the product’s cost, up to $500.” On top of an energy credit, the special synthetic Louverwood shutters also insulate a home three times better than wood shutters, minimizing the loss of cool air and further reducing the home’s monthly energy bill, sometimes by as much as 30 percent, said Jim Tortorelli, president and CEO of The Louver Shop, Inc. And that’s not just for the summer months. The insulating ability of these shutters also keeps the home warm in winter, saving on heating costs. Louverwood is made of 100 percent urbanhomemagazine.com
manmade material, which is also water resistant, meaning it won’t warp over time in Texas’ sticky, humid climates. “You should never have to replace your shutters,” Summers says. “It’s a really good investment, one that you’re going to get your money back out of if you sell the home.” That is, if you even want to sell after installing these plantation shutters. The size of the louvers on the shutters can complete a home’s ambiance — whether traditional or contemporary — depending on the style and preference of the homeowner. Larger louvers, some up to 4.5 inches wide, create a more modern feel in a home, whereas the smallest louvers, at just more than an inch wide, enhance a classic décor. Especially in Austin, says Summers, the trend leans more toward the larger louvers. With a wider louver, there’s less obstruction from the shutters, providing the greatest view beyond the window. With lakefront property, for example, homeowners usually want to maximize the view from their house. The shutters’ color also plays a role in creating the feel of a room. Wood shutters can be painted or stained, though homeowners should keep in mind that stain tends to darken a room and can make it seem smaller. Louverwood plantation shutters, sold exclusively at The Louver Shop, come in light, bright colors, reflecting sunlight and enlarging the room. Bright, open, large rooms also tend to be a great selling point for a home. “Plantation shutters are a home improvement,” says Summers. “They’re one of very few window treatments that increase the value of your home.” Plantation shutters do add significant value to a home, but of course, that benefit comes at a price. At a higher price point, shutters can sometimes be beyond a customer’s budget. Some homeowners may choose to install shutters in the front of the home, and then select a more economical option for the back. Others forgo shutters altogether, opting for another type of window treatment. “One consideration is how long people are going to be in a home,” Summers says. “Shutters are a lifetime product, and The Louver Shop offers a lifetime warranty on all our shutters, which urbanhomemagazine.com
even transfers to a new homeowner. They’ll get their money back out of their purchase.” For homeowners looking for a less expensive option, window shades provide a sophisticated alternative. “Shades are good for someone who wants a softer look or a fabric choice,” Summers says. Increasing in popularity for the past year are the remotecontrolled power rise shades. With the touch of a button, the shades can conveniently be lifted, especially useful for high, outof-reach windows. “At The Louver Shop, we carry a wide variety of options to cater to our customers’ décor and needs,” Summers says. “We offer complementary consultations in the home where we bring options for them to look at. We’ll help them find a window covering for their budget.” She emphasizes that The Louver Shop’s mission is to make sure every customer is completely happy with their window treatments, especially the plantation shutters. “It’s a permanent product,” Summers says. “It’s furniture for the windows. It really finishes a home.” v The Louver Shop 512.236.9706 | 210.590.3956 | 800.528.7866 | Louvershop.com Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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The New Market:
Savvy Consumers are Open to Options and Universal Design Trends Photography by Casey Fry
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ome improvement activity has paralleled the recovery of the housing market. In fact, the Central Texas region is quite robust and has put kitchen remodels and their relatively high ROI and enjoyment back in the spotlight. The combination of low financing costs, stronger consumer confidence and the stabilization of home prices are encouraging homeowners to exuberantly approach home improvement projects with kitchen remodels leading the way. However, the recent lean economy has given birth to a much more astute consumer. Today’s homeowners no longer want to settle for mediocre designs. They are demanding smarter solutions, adaptive spaces, timeless, low maintenance materials and exceptional workmanship. The consumers’ new interest in 50
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quality design/build solutions with companies that have proven track records has created an environment for one particular Austin-based Design/Build team to excel. Realty Restoration, LLC and Twelve Stones Designs have developed a nationally award-winning design/build relationship. “We often refer to our approach as ‘The Trifecta,’” says David Davison, certified remodeler and president of Realty Restoration, LLC. “Our National NARI CotY Award received earlier this year spotlighted our team’s ability to deliver spectacular kitchen renovations by utilizing the ‘team’ approach. By enagaging our architect, builder and interior designer team in the initial stages of meetings with the client, we are all on the same page from day one.” urbanhomemagazine.com
Left two and top photos by Christopher Davison
“There are typically two schools of thought that resonate with our clients today,” says Christy Bowen, certified kitchen and bath designer and owner of Twelve Stones Designs. “They are either wondering, ‘How can I upgrade my kitchen for my own personal enjoyment with a close eye on resell ability?’ or ‘How can I find materials and designs that will age with me if I’m going to be in my home for an extended timeframe?’” “Our award-winning kitchen designs utilize very specific storage solutions to address these questions, such as spice rack pullouts, skillet storage, pots and pans drawers, knife drawers with universal acceptability, baking centers and cabinet-style pantries which contribute to the cooking experience,” explains David Davison. Additionally, the team routinely incorporates the concepts of “aging in place” or “universal design” so the space will transcend physical and age differences, thus making it more appealing to potential buyers in the future while providing a pleasant cooking, dining and entertaining experience for the current homeowner. Embracing new design trends can also help a home design of today remain fresh and current for tomorrow’s market. Christopher Davison, A.I.A., and architectural services lead for the team, says one such trend involves opening up the kitchen to provide a urbanhomemagazine.com
free flowing space to support family unity. To achieve this, the walls between the kitchen and living areas are removed, usually at the cost of storage space those walls traditionally provided. The team addresses this issue by applying design concepts to create better, more functional storage solutions that operate organically and effortlessly within the new kitchen system. “While wall cabinets have been the ‘norm’ for decades, they are not always the most functional storage arrangement, especially for people of petite stature. And for tall people, base cabinet storage is a pain (sometimes literally) to access. Our team designs spaces with deep storage cabinets and full extension roll-out drawers. You actually gain much more accessible storage for people of all heights and physical abilities,” says Christopher Davison. Other popular kitchen amenities include island counters with very detailed utilization concepts and banquet seating around the perimeter, ultimately becoming the “magnet” that draws guests when entertaining. The banquette, essentially a table with built-in bench seating, provides streamlined seating plus essential storage for tablecloths, place mats and other items. A cushioned bench enhances the comfort and adds a splash of style with fabric. Designs that include beverage centers, ice, water and even liquor storage drawers help eliminate the problem of guests occupying the cook’s space in the kitchen. “Our number one goal during presentations to potential clients is to show them how our team delivers projects on a timely basis, with cost effective and comprehensive problem-solving solutions which avoids cost increases during the construction phase,” says David Davison. “By concentrating on the details of smarter solutions, our clients are left with an amazing kitchen and living space that they are proud to show off to their friends and family. This process can be a fun and enlightening experience and create lasting relationships along the way.” v ARCHITECT/BUILDER Realty Restoration, LLC 512.454.1661 | Realtyrestoration.com INTERIOR DESIGN Twelve Stones Designs 512.705.2121 | Twelvestonesdesigns.com Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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Commercial n Design
Escape to
El Monumento By Mauri Elbel | Photography by Ryann Ford
Sitting in the lush courtyard of El Monumento, I forget for a moment where I am.
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rammed earth wall frames one side of the intimate space while windowed and brick walls form the other borders, trapping a cool and peaceful vibe beneath the shady canopy of a towering huisache. Overhead misters make the sweltering evening pleasant while gushing water in the courtyard’s 40-foot linear fountain drowns out the buzz of outside traffic. Flavors of flame-roasted poblanos linger on my palate as my eyes are lured toward the copious mound of shrimp and crab overflowing from the campechana cocktail placed on the table. There is a symphony of lovely senses at play, and I’m finding it difficult to process the fact that it’s occurring a stone’s throw from Interstate 35 in downtown Georgetown rather than in a cozy restaurant nestled deep in the heart of Mexico. But it seems that was the point –– El Monumento, which means “the monument” in Spanish, was designed to recreate the feel of the haciendas found on remote ranches of South Texas and Mexico. Natural, sustainable materials make up the restaurant’s structure; its landscaping utilizes plants native to rural South 52
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Texas and Mexico; and its food is simple, authentic and fresh. Everything on the menu is made from scratch using very few ingredients, either grown on site or sourced from local farms. “We wanted to have a farm to table restaurant with an interior Mexican theme reminiscent of a hacienda –– and we try to evoke that from the moment you enter the parking lot,” says Clark Lyda, co-owner. A stabilized decomposed granite parking lot fringed by honeysuckle, huisache, rosemary, roses and native herbs greets guests with fragrant scents. Passing through the walkway carved from the rammed earth wall creates a solid separation between the inside and outside. From there, you enter another world –– one rooted in simple, traditional forms and rustic comforts. “You feel like you are entering into somebody’s residence –– coming out of the country and into a civilized place,” Lyda says. “It is really about decompressing and forgetting you are in an urban place at all. You are in the middle of Georgetown, but it’s an oasis in the middle of the city.” urbanhomemagazine.com
El Monumento is owned and operated by the same restaurateurs who pioneered Monument Cafe and Monument Market, the two Georgetown gems just up the road featuring locally-sourced organic produce, meats and dairy products. The restaurant’s success can be found in the manner in which it celebrates food with the same simple concepts but a new direction toward interior Mexican cuisine. El Monumento focuses on freshness, offering vegan and gluten-free options and uncomplicated recipes. Ingredients are sourced from its own gardens, supplemented with produce from local farms to meet the demand. The 7,700-square-foot restaurant was designed by project architect Overland Partners and landscaped by Mark Word Design. “The landscape took its cues from the excellent work done by the architecture firm Overland Partners and the clients’ desire for a lush South Texas plant palette,” says Billy Spencer, partner at Mark Word Design. “The incredible rammed earth wall that frames the courtyard and bar set the tone. At the core of the plant palette, there are fruit trees, grapes, blackberries and other edible and herbaceous plants.” Dedication to design excellence is obvious throughout the property –– evident in both the architecture and the landscaping. The entrances to the restaurant and parking lot feature 40-year-old mission olive trees harvested from a northern California olive orchard. Huisache trees form the centerpiece of the courtyard and can be seen in the parking area as well –– Spencer says they were handpicked from a field in Atascosa County south of San Antonio, field dug, cured and transplanted onto the property. The 375-seat restaurant is divided urbanhomemagazine.com
into an array of charming areas –– in addition to the quaint courtyard, guests have their pick of dining in the glassed-in bar, the main dining room, the counter overlooking the kitchen and the terraces looming over Georgetown’s iconic Blue Hole on the South San Gabriel River. From the courtyard, myriad windows featured in the adjacent bar and main dining room permit views all the way out to the terraces beyond. “I love the fact that the buildings are very transparent,” says Lyda. “You can see what is going on through any part of the building. People can see their food being prepared, watch others eating and notice their friends across the room. You don’t feel closed in regardless of where you are sitting.” Although the building has only been in existence for one year, the materials and mature plantings evoke a feeling of timelessness. “The rammed earth was a personal choice of mine –– it was really effective at creating a mood and a feeling,” says Lyda. “They look like they’ve been there a long time and will be there for a long time. And the landscaping in general is exemplary. We all agreed the landscape was just as important as the hardscape. We placed a lot of emphasis on landscaping, brought a lot of mature specimens. Even from day one, it looked like everything had been there a while.” From the restaurant’s Mexican brick walkways to the two wood-burning Ludowici fireplaces, attention to detail can be found in every corner, adding to the authenticity of the dining experience. An intense natural environment exists on this fecund property –– guests dining outside do so in the company of buzzing honeybees, tweeting birds and Photo by Billy Spencer fluttering butterflies. Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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Food photography by Lindsey Cavanaugh
But the rustic architecture and verdant landscaping doesn’t overshadow the fresh cuisine, thoughtful cocktails and genuine hospitality El Monumento serves up. Rather, it’s a flawless marriage of delicious food and thoughtful ambiance. “We wanted to open a restaurant that featured local, seasonal food –– another avenue to continue doing what we were doing with locally sourced foods and products at Monument Cafe and Market, but with Mexican-inspired cooking,” says Rusty Winkstern, co-owner. “We tried to mimic South Texas as well as coastal and interior Mexican foods. We wanted to celebrate the food with simple preparations. In Mexico, refrigeration isn’t as prevalent as it is here. Locals go to the market to shop for what is fresh and prepare meals for the day. Here, we celebrate those same cooking techniques –– we get the food fresh on a daily basis and we work with those seasonal ingredients.” At El Monumento, the sauces are made from simple five to six ingredient recipes. Winkstern says it’s this simplicity that allows the true flavors to come through. For example, the restaurant’s delicious walnut cream sauce found on dishes like its swiss chard and sweet potato enchiladas is made from only toasted walnuts, tomatoes, garlic, onions and 54
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cream. And when you bite into the relleno, a roasted poblano brimming with Texas Gulf shrimp, crimini mushrooms and julienned vegetables, it’s a far stretch from the more common deep-fried Tex-Mex varietals. “We don’t want to mask the flavors of the peppers and the mushrooms and the carrots,” he says. “I think a lot of time, restaurants can get so heavy handed in cheeses and sauces, they can end up masking the goodness of the fresh veggies in there.” The architecture of El Monumento seems to speak to this same simplicity. “We wanted to build a restaurant that was very open to honor our cooking processes,” Winkstern says. “In the kitchen, everything from the delivery to our prep stations to the plate is very open, very transparent. We honor those relationships we have with our farmers and our producers. We hide nothing so you can see everything.” v RESTAURANT El Monumento 512.591.7866 Elmonumentogeorgetown.com ARCHITECT Overland Partners Architects 210.829.7003 | Overlandpartners.com LANDSCAPE Mark Word Design 512.440.0013 | Markworddesign.com urbanhomemagazine.com
ADJUSTABLE ROOFS Open or Closed with the Touch of a Button.
Open for Ventalation or Sun Adjustable • Solar Powered • Maintenance Free 10 Year Warranty • Rain Proof Opens to let the light in, or closed to keep summer sun and rain out. The roofing system can be positioned by remote control to any angle. Structures can be free standing or attached to your home and are ideal for courtyards, entry ways outdoor kitchens, patio and spa areas.
Closed for Shade or Rain Call for your FREE consultation San Antonio: 210.548.3015 Austin: 512.636.4131 www.equinoxtexas.com
Great n Design
Courtesy of the Driscoll Foundation
The
Two
Claras By Michelle Burgess
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ad she been born a century later, Clara Driscoll’s name would be on the tip of everyone’s tongue. She would be followed by legions on Twitter, ‘liked’ on Facebook by young people seeking inspiration, a standout in “Forty Under Forty” and “Ones to Watch” compilations. It’s easy to imagine brilliant, suffer-nofools Clara the sought-after TED speaker, Clara the New York Times columnist, Clara the candidate. But had Clara Driscoll been born any later than 1881, it would’ve been too late for what most historians consider her greatest accomplishment: protecting the very symbol of Texas 56
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itself. Besides, it’s not like the status of women during her lifetime — she didn’t get the right to vote until she was almost 40, for instance — ever slowed Clara down. Clara could drink and swear with the best of them on Saturday night, make early Mass on Sunday morning and negotiate milliondollar deals on Monday. She was a true Renaissance woman. “[Clara] was a passionate gardener, fluent in four languages, an ardent supporter of historic buildings and an art lover,” says Judith Sims, senior site director of Laguna Gloria/The Contemporary in West Austin. “She was an ardent patriot and had a deep compassion for humanity. A burning desire to help persons less fortunate than she was a part of her code of life.” Born just up the coast from Corpus Christi in tiny St. Mary’s, Clara descended from pioneering immigrant stock; her Irish ancestors had helped settle the area between the Nueces and Guadalupe Rivers, and both grandfathers had fought in the Texas Revolution. By the time she was 10, her father had amassed a fortune in banking, ranching and real estate, allowing the feisty redhead to attend private schools in Texas, New York and France. During a decade of studying abroad, Clara had the opportunity to gaze upon the masterpieces at the Louvre and take in the magnificence of Notre Dame in Paris. As a Catholic, perhaps she traveled to Vatican City to admire Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and frescoes. Whatever its origins, Clara’s respect for historic preservation was firmly entrenched by the time she came home to Texas at the dawning of the new century. Perhaps it was she who had changed, or maybe in her absence too many others had forgotten the ‘Remember the Alamo’ rallying cry. What is clear is that after seeing the historical wonders of Europe, Clara Driscoll returned to Texas to find that the most important site in her home state, the Cradle of Texas Liberty, was in a shameful state of neglect. Worse than the disrepair was the disrespect; the shrine was up for sale as a proposed hotel site. This did not sit well with 22-year-old Clara. In the biography, “Clara Driscoll: An American Tradition, A Biography by Martha Anne Turner” (Madrona Press, Austin, 1979), she said at the time, “We tread with timid feet at the battle of Waterloo, and yet, there is standing today, right in our very home, an old ruin, a silent monument of the dark and stormy days of Texas. It is our Alamo… and how do we treat it? “There does not stand in the world today a building or a monument which can recall such a deed of heroism and bravery worldwide,” Clara continued. “It is the grandest monument in the history of the world.” Working with the Daughters of the Texas Republic, Clara jumped in to help with fundraising efforts. But ultimately it was Clara herself who personally covered $65,000 of the $75,000 cost to rescue the three-acre complex, earning national acclaim as the “Savior of the Alamo.” Her portrait, with that title, was later hung in the Capitol by a grateful, and rather sheepish, legislature. And that feat, accomplished before she was even in her mid20s, would have been enough to secure Clara an important place in Texas history. No one would have begrudged her had she then decided to go the more traditional route — marriage, children, a quiet life of travel, luncheons and teas, and D.T.R. meetings. But that just wasn’t Clara. She did marry, in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and with her husband (Austin American founder newspaperman Henry Hulme Sevier, from whom she was divorced in the midurbanhomemagazine.com
PICA C10766, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library
Courtesy of The Contemporary Austin/Laguna Gloria
‘30s) did indeed lead an enviable and privileged life. But not one that was predictable or commonplace for women of her station at the time; she drank and swore and was whip-smart about business, politics and the art of persuasion. She wrote a novel, a book of short stories and an opera. She was a bank president, rancher and oilwoman, Democratic committeewoman and philanthropist. The next chapter in what would become her legacy began when she and her then husband built the stunning Laguna Gloria mansion in West Austin in 1916. She lived there until her brother’s death in 1929 sent her back to Palo Alto to assume leadership of her family’s business affairs. Shortly before her death in 1945, Clara presented the 6,600-square-foot Italianate manse and its grounds to the Texas Fine Arts Association for use as a museum. Generations of Austinites have since picnicked amongst the flowers and ponds, watching the peacocks stroll in what feels more like a secret, private garden than a sprawling public space. The stately checkerboard floors and beamed ceilings have provided the backdrop to hundreds of elegant nuptials. Scores of fledgling art lovers have at this West 35th Street destination been introduced to traditional and modern works, made even more perfect by their surroundings. Now, 70 years after her donation, Laguna Gloria has joined with downtown Austin’s Jones Center to create The Contemporary. While Jones Center is a modern venue of stark urbanhomemagazine.com
walls and sharp corners, Laguna Gloria’s 28-acre grounds offer an art-in-nature opportunity. Sims says she is one of many who are excited about the evolution of Laguna Gloria and remain thankful for Clara’s foresight and generosity. “As I walk the house and grounds, I think about the hundreds of people who have contributed to making this place so wonderful,” she says. “Ever since Clara Driscoll left this property to the people of Texas, it has attracted people who love art, people who love nature, and people who love history — just as she did.” Sims calls the site “a place that attracts memories. “Laguna Gloria is an official city, state and national landmark, but its essence is the sum of all those who have come to work here, to look at exhibitions, to take classes, to take tours, to get married, to play with their children, to take family photos, even to smash cascarones and chase the peacocks,” she says. “It is more than just a symbol of something. It’s the real thing. It tells you you’re in Austin — you’re not anywhere else, because there’s nothing like it anywhere else.” And that’s fitting, considering that benefactor Clara Driscoll was, herself, like no one else. v The Contemporary Austin/Laguna Gloria 512.458.8191 | Thecontemporaryaustin.org Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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The Other
Clara Driscoll Louis Comfort Tiffany set up his Tiffany Glass Company in New York in 1885. His elegant and colorful glassware rapidly became famous, but Tiffany’s real breakthrough came when he began to produce stained-glass lampshades, in around 1898. Soon, these costly, handmade items were much sought after by fashionable decorators and homeowners on both sides of the Atlantic. The designs of the shades were influenced by the 19thcentury Aesthetic Movement, and the organic flower forms and ornate decoration followed the style of Art Nouveau. Tiffany’s lampshades were constructed in a similar way to stained-glass windows in churches. Carefully cut and shaped pieces of colored glass were arranged in abstract patterns or to form stylized images of flowers, dragonflies, and other natural subjects, then welded together with strips of copper. The lamps were painstakingly crafted in the company’s workshops using Favrile glass, the name Tiffany gave to its handmade colored glass, which had been specially formulated to create its characteristic iridescent sheen. For years, Tiffany himself, who worked closely with his artists, was thought to be the design genius behind the lamps, but the substantial contribution of unsung designer and craftswoman Clara Driscoll has now been fully recognized.
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Clara Driscoll 1861-1944 Clara Driscoll was educated at design school in Cleveland and at the Metropolitan Museum Art School in New York. She began work at the Tiffany Glass Company in around 1888, becoming head of the team of female glass cutters, and staying for over 20 years. The company’s records were destroyed in the 1930s, so nothing was known about Driscoll until 2005, when scholars discovered letters describing her detailed design work on Tiffany lamps. Following this revelation, Driscoll’s pivotal role in creating best-selling lampshade designs, such as Dragonfly, Wisteria, and Peony, finally came to light. “Great Design” First American Edition, 2013 Published in the United States by DK Publishing. 345 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014 www.dk.com
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elements
Fortuny Fabric By Ellen Millard
“Many a room has been ‘made’ by a single panel of Fortuny fabric. As furniture coverings and curtains, these prints are infinitely rich and adaptable. And the superb gesture is to hang entire wall surfaces with Fortuny stuffs.” Photo courtesy of Fortuny
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New York Times. 20 Feb. 1931.
ortuny fabrics have graced the finest homes in Europe and America for generations. Mariano Fortuny, founder and creative genius behind this storied line, not only created the still coveted fabrics, but as a painter and an inventor, he merged his talents to produce true works of art within each design. That innovative spirit continues in Fortuny today. Originally, Fortuny’s designs were created in his home and used only in churches, museums and the theater. In 1919, as his popularity increased, he moved production to a factory in Venice that continues to produce the masterfully designed fabrics as it has for over a century. Fortuny soon expanded into the empire it is today. Though the company now boasts such modern touches as a recently launched state-of-the-art website, Fortuny.com, its legacy of bringing to the world the finest fabrics continues by using the methods perfected by its founder. Fortuny himself developed the stencils, wood block, dyes and machinery used in production. Silver and gold touches, added by hand with sponges and brushes, are essential to Fortuny’s originality. Available only to the trade, the Fortuny line has long been the standard for upscale interior design. Fortuny fabrics boast a symphony of color combinations and designs all perfectly blended to highlight any area. Sumptuous velvets grace centuries old windows as well as modern New York apartments. Fortuny’s classic floral motif brings an echo of a European garden in rugs, upholstery and pillows, while the more geometric designs, coupled with an array of colors, bring the African sunsets to life. This breathtaking Italian villa by renowned architect Andrea Palladio is the perfect setting for Fortuny fabrics. “Campanelle” in apricot monotones with silvery gold undertones is used to upholster 18th Century period pieces. Photography by Erik Kvalsvik from Fortuny Interiors by Brian D.
Coleman. Reprinted with permission by Gibbs-Smith.
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“Carnavalet“ is a 17th Century French design named for the Paris museum for which Mariano Fortuny made his first decorative design. Still produced in the factory in Venice using original designs of Mariano Fortuny, intricate detail and rich finishes are the trademark of Fortuny fabrics.
Steeped in tradition, Fortuny has proven that while their designs are timeless, they meld seamlessly into any décor. The “Maori” pattern on the ottoman is inspired by traditional body art designs of the Maori tribe of New Zealand. v
Book Review
The tradition of beauty and excellence continue in the newest lines by Fortuny. The dinnerware from the collaboration of Fortuny and L’Objet are no less stunning than the fabrics that inspired their design. urbanhomemagazine.com
In Fortuny Interiors (Gibbs-Smith, $75.00, Hardcover, ISBN: 978-1-4236-2432-5, August 2012), gracious homeowners have opened their doors so we can take a peek at these fabulous designs. Through luscious photographs and vivid descriptions by author Brian D. Coleman and photographer Erik Kvalsvik we can almost feel the weave and smell the dyes. Contemporary modern condos, elegant historic homes and metropolitan apartments all wear Fortuny in luxurious high style. Available at Gibbs-Smith.com. Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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essentials
new products
FABRICS
1. Leontine Linens, a leader in the home and luxury consumer goods industry, offers exquisite couture bedding and products for the home based on the belief that one’s linens should be a reflection and extension of the person’s personal taste and lifestyle. Pictured is a white pique blanket cover and standard shams, trimmed in grey Italian poplin bands and featuring the appliqué Reed monogram. Leontine Linens. 859.494.8421, Leontinelinens.com.
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2. Heritage combines with reputation and quality to produce a line that is as durable and beautiful as it is timeless. All designs from English Home are created in London by Creative Director Gaynor Churchward. Available through Allan Knight & Associates. 214.741.2227, Allan-knight.com. 3. Rebound, a hand-knotted rug in silk and wool combination by designer Emma Gardner is available in custom sizes and colors and was inspired by the ripple effect in a pool when a small object is tossed in and concentric circles expand toward the edge and back. The rug shown is a combination of three colors: Cream Rabbit, Rabbit and Mixed Grapes. “I have always liked that visually hypnotic phenomenon. I wanted to try to capture some of that movement in a rug, using the colors in an expanding and contracting order,” said Gardner. Available at Scott+Cooner. 512.480.0436, Scottcooner.com. 4. Emboldened Arran Embroidery by Anna French has been delicately translated to a textile with fine silken threads weaving the antique motif for a modern and traditional appeal. Available through Beadboard Upcountry. 979.830.8788, Beadboardupcountry.com.
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5. Luxurious textiles in hues of sea and sky, featuring contemporary styling inspired by traditional motifs. 100% handwoven and embroidered using only the finest quality materials. Mela Artisans. Melaartisans.com.
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REALTOR’S ADVICE
Outdoor Living,
Indoors Style
By Cathy Coneway, President, Austin Board of REALTORS®
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he latest trend in home design isn’t even inside your home at all! Enter the “outdoor living area” – an expansive, inviting space that provides as much relaxation and functionality as the indoor living area. Extension of the Home — Today’s outdoor living spaces are given the same attention and expense as any other room in the home. They’re larger and more spacious to allow for multiple entertaining options and mimic the flow of indoor living spaces. Patios are now constructed with stone flooring and pergolas; roofing now extends to cover the entirety of wooden decks. Outdoor Kitchens and Bars — The most popular trend in outdoor living spaces is the outdoor kitchen. What used to be only a built-in grill is now a full-blown kitchen area with refrigerators, wet bars, plenty of countertop space and storage areas, making it possible to cook and serve an entire dinner outdoors. Retreat from the Elements — The best designed outdoor entertaining areas must provide ample shade in the summer and heat in the winter. In addition to covered areas, built-in fireplaces, outdoor heaters, fans and even misters are now commonplace in many outdoor spaces. Outdoor Media Center — Today’s outdoor living rooms have just as much media access as indoor living rooms do, complete with mounted flat screens and surround sound speakers. TV programming and music can now all be wirelessly streamed to your outdoor living area for game watching parties and movie nights. Lounge — Outdoor furniture design is less “resort-style” with standalone sunning chairs and patio tables. Instead, the design is more intimate, with couches and chairs surrounding coffee tables for more conversation and engagement. Variable Mood — One of the biggest appeals of outdoor living spaces is that it’s easy and affordable to change up the mood of the space. Strings of patio lights, interchangeable furniture cushions, easy-to-move furniture and potted plants allow one to transform outdoor spaces quickly and easily. The outdoor living space is an excellent way to double your home’s relaxation and entertaining space while adding resale value to your home. How can you redesign your outdoor space? v
REMODELER’S ADVICE
Hiring an Interior Designer for Your Home Renovation A FAST & EASY WAY TO A BEAUTIFUL DRIVEWAY • Incredibly easy to install
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awn Hearn, ASID, NARI, CAPS, of Dawn Hearn Interior Design in Austin, explains why hiring an interior designer at the beginning of a home renovation project is a smart choice. Most contractors don’t offer help with design and selections. Although some remodeling firms offer in-house design services, most rely on the client to specify the design of the spaces and all the materials for the project. A designer can not only assist you with all the selections you need to make, but can also communicate the selections, specifications, drawings, and any designs to the contractor and subs for you.
• Virtually eliminates weeds • Looks fantastic • Black or grey • Comes in 50 ft coils • Made in the USA
john martin, President, Austin NARI
A professional will produce the best Justin Bravo, President, results. Much like hiring a quality tile installer NARI San Antonio or painter, hiring a professional interior designer will provide you with a better finished product. One of a designer’s specialties is to coordinate every detail of a project so that the client can achieve a look that is beautiful, cohesive and functional. A designer can help you stay in budget and manage your project. A good designer won’t shy away from a budget. Their job is to help you achieve the best design within your budget. They can help you select places to splurge and areas to cut back for a great look. Many clients are overwhelmed by the thousands of decisions to make during a renovation. A designer will help you schedule your selections, generate quotes from vendors, and communicate them to the right parties. They can help you manage the deadlines for your contractor so that you stay ahead of what he needs. Designers can save you time. Most of us lead very busy lives these days. With your current work and family commitments, do you have time to research products, visit showrooms and attend job site meetings? A designer can do the research and leg work to pull together suggested items to present to you. They can represent you and your goals at job site meetings. Designers can even help coordinate the entire project if needed.
AFTER!
Interior designers offer ranges of services to fit your budget and style. For do-it-yourselfers that need a little hand-holding or advice, most designers offer consultations. You can pull in your designer at key stages of your renovation when you need another opinion or some help pulling things together. Designers also offer more comprehensive turn-key services. Turn-key services start with the planning stage and see you through the entire renovation and beyond to furnishing and decorating your space. v To find a professional remodeler or interior designer in Austin or San Antonio, visit: Austinnari.org or Remodelsanantonio.org.
VOSS CHRISTOPHER
FOURTH GENERATION CRAFTSMAN, INC.
210.843.4332
www.christophervoss.com
essentials
new products
Black & white
1. Comfort and style no longer take a backseat when it comes to the design of a small bathroom. The Mimo collection by LAUFEN features modestly-sized sinks, toilets, vanities and a small bathtub. Laufen. Us.laufen.com.
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2. The very definition of excess and opulence executed exquisitely is Corbett Lighting’s chandelier, La Scala. Combining multi-faceted clear beads and smoky crystal drops, La Scala takes drama to an entirely new level. Corbett Lighting. Corbettlighting.com.
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3. This classic black Toile Empire nursery glider is destined to become the best seat in the house. Rock your little one in total comfort knowing that this piece was handmade in the U.S. by experienced craftsmen ensuring the finest quality possible. This charming glider is luxuriously lovely, comfortably cushioned and is proof positive that style matters at every age. Posh Tots. 866.767.4868, Poshtots.com. 4. Typography plays well in black and white as seen in Word Play in White on Black from the Risky Business collection by York Wallcoverings. York Wallcoverings. 800.375.9675, Yorkwall.com.
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5. Pearson’s unique Bunching Table features one of the biggest runway trends seen in the last season – black and white stripes. The table is actually veneered with black agate and white wax stone creating depth and visual texture. A great side table, or perfect to bunch and create patterns when used as a cocktail table. Pearson. Pearsonco.com. 6. The Fairmont’s headboard is dressed with a padded, custom upholstered center from your choice of hundreds of fabric and dozens of leather options. A truly custom bed made of sustainable Appalachian hardwood, the Fairmont has a deep, mitered frame. Ethan Allen. 888.324-3571, Ethanallen.com.
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7. Black and white damask paired with chevron stripes make a bold statement on this shower curtain by Designs by Southern Charm. This standout piece is made of poly material with grommet holes for your favorite shower curtain rings and available for personalization. Designs by Southern Charm. 919.303.2528, Designsbysoutherncharm.com. 7
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works WHY THIS
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Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
Designer Spotlight: Robin Colton of Robin Colton Studio By Mauri Elbel | Photography by Leigh Christian
urbanhomemagazine.com
Just three months after opening her own studio, Robin Colton began working with a South Austin couple who wanted to make their brand new Brodie Springs home their own. “These homeowners were so much fun to work with as they were not afraid to take risks, loved the idea of a colorful home and wanted some big statement pieces while maintaining a very ‘boutique hotel’ modern aesthetic,” Colton says of this funky yet streamlined space that showcases the clients’ unique personalities through thoughtful design.
What were the clients’ goals for this space? RC: The clients have a kid’s playroom downstairs near the kitchen and main living space and really wanted to create a fullservice adult playroom complete with three television screens, a bar and multiple modes of entertainment. They are very into football and actually have a total of three televisions in here to watch different games on the weekend or have a fun movie viewing experience. This bonus room is basically a really fun hang out space for entertaining, stocked with everything from video and board games to darts. urbanhomemagazine.com
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We have to start with this photographic mural — I love it. Please tell us what led to the decision to span the entire wall with this photo. RC: I love this mural! A young couple who loves to travel, these homeowners have been around the world. The husband’s hobby is photography and he works very hard to document their travels. This particular photo was taken on a trip to Seville, Spain. When I saw the bonus room for the first time, I immediately knew I wanted to make a large visual impact — to create a fun versatile space that really speaks to who the homeowners are. That way, when it’s just the two of them watching a movie or hanging out, they feel right at home, and when they are entertaining the space becomes an extension of themselves that their guests can experience. We explored many options for this wall, but we really wanted the space to feel very personal so we looked through their vacation photos and landed on this one. What is the process for installing a mural like this? RC: We worked closely with a mural company to find the right material for this photograph and decided on a soft canvas. I wanted to keep the old-world historic feel of this photo, and a slick vinyl was not the right way to go. The canvas keeps the feeling of the photo soft which makes the photo feel even more magical. We went through an extensive sampling process and also worked to expand the photo to fit the wall in a way that made sense. The photo was custom printed on six panels of canvas that were installed like wallpaper. Tell us about your bold color choices and what do you love most about this scheme? RC: This was definitely not a homeowner that would stand for a touch of beige or brown anywhere. We began with the premise of gray for a great neutral — it is a sophisticated and inviting color when done right, and we carried that throughout the home. Because of their fun personalities, it was important to add some funky pops of color. The accents are similar to what you might see at a boutique hotel. The clients’ favorite chartreuse 70
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green was a natural fit with the range of gray tones, and I also interjected cool plums, blues, and then a rich deep red. The idea of a subtly monochromatic space with pops of color that keep the space anything but boring really spoke to the personality of both the homeowners and the home. This space is very contemporary yet has so many visually interesting points. How did you keep it streamlined and modern without allowing the room to become overwhelming or distracting? RC: I really strived to create a major visual impact with a minimalistic feel. For example, the mural is definitely the main focal point yet it’s colored like the shadows of the night which keeps it from being too overwhelming. The rest of the space remains very streamlined with clean, simple lines and a cohesive color palette. You see shades of grays and whites and the interest urbanhomemagazine.com
comes from the variety of textures throughout the room and the fun bits of color. The pieces are kept very simple — it’s almost what we did not include in the room that makes more of an impact. For example, if we had loaded that shelf on the red arrow with knick-knacks then suddenly it becomes overwhelming. It’s like when you’re getting dressed for an evening out — the tendency may be to pile on the accessories, shoes, make-up, bag and pair it with a detailed dress, but the key is to pick a point of the real statement and then pull back on the rest. That way the lines of the dress become the star and the fabric and construction detailing are not lost behind the accessories. I love the interesting combination of textures, from the visually-appealing rug to the sleeker looks of the sectional and media cabinet. RC: Yes, texture was a large component of this room which is really key to making any monochromatic space work. The sectional is kept very simple and sleek, but the lines are exaggerated with the oversize welting at the seams, creating a soft graphic element. The flower petal wool rug is a sharp contrast in texture to the sleek marble of the coffee table and the white lacquered TV console. The oversize chunky knit of the pouf, used for additional seating, is a lovely contrast to the slick white leather of the chairs. This mixing of textural interest in a monochromatic space is what keeps it fun and exciting. Let’s discuss some of the playful accessories in this space. Where did you find and what do you love most about the mobile bar, red arrow, triple light fixture? RC: That bar cart is such a great find. This is actually a vintage piece that came from Uptown Modern here in Austin. It is a vintage chrome cart with smoky glass shelves and I love the playful nature of it. Again, adult playroom functionality (bar) and whimsical fun detailing (the very large wheels on the back of this cart). I love the graphic quality of the red arrow — with so many other details in the space and the mural functioning as wall art, we needed something with dimension and color. The light fixture is totally funky but really serves as a functional piece because we needed the light to be thrown in multiple directions in this large room. I love the white leather chairs — how do they function in this space? RC: Who knew that a swivel chair could look this good? We wanted these chairs to integrate with the rest of the space when large crowds are in attendance, but they can also be turned for an intimate conversation or to look out over the pool and yard. They can cozy up in one of these chairs with a glass of wine, a throw, and gaze out the window at the stars with the addition of the sparkle created by the beaded chain window coverings. The white resin sculpture sitting behind the chairs is super tall and exaggerated in shape yet its sleek finish and open center does not overwhelm. Again, this statement piece speaks to the playfulness of the space. Tell us about the coffee table you selected. RC: The coffee table is a fun round piece that promotes flow urbanhomemagazine.com
through the space. Anything with corners would have been too severe in here and caused a road block. The top is marble and the base is chrome to tie in with the chrome from the vintage bar cart and the hardware on the TV console. The scale is appropriate to keep traffic moving and the hard surface provides a great space for drinks and snacks. Were you ever doubtful this room wouldn’t come together as well as it has? What advice can you give others trying to do something this bold? RC: We did go through some trials and tribulations getting the mural printed — maintaining the image quality when enlarging to this scale, ensuring the print quality was appropriate and the colors reproduced as intended. But in the end, the extra care and attention to detail and execution really allowed the room to come together as a whole. My process is all about getting to know who the client is, both on the surface and on a deeper level. I go through an extensive process to get to know them, how they live, what is important to them, before I even put pen to paper. And even then my design process is about working together to discover those little things that really make a person, and therefore space, unique and the right fit for the client. My advice would be to really design for you –– what’s important to you as a complete person, how you live, what nurtures your spirit, what makes life easier and better for you. I am not a big fan of playing the safe card and designing for resale. Just look inside yourself, see what is really important to you, and then express that through your home. In your opinion, what makes this space really work? RC: I really feel that a home is an extension and expression of its occupants. Going bold with the expression of who these clients are and how they really want to live in and experience this space allows them to enjoy it to its full extent, which is what I love to achieve with each space that I design. Overall, this room has a cohesive balance between sophistication and playfulness. Within the greater confines of the room, there are spaces that create moments that allow for a group experience –– the oversized sectional or a very intimate conversation like the pair of swivel chairs. Sure you can go to a cabinet and open it up to get a glass of wine or mix a drink, but it’s so much more fun when the parts and pieces of your beverage are there for you displayed on top of a vintage bar cart. It’s moments like this that give a real experience to the homeowner and guests each time they visit. Seeing this space now, what is your favorite thing about it? RC: My favorite element is the wall mural. I love the bold statement of who this client is and what they love. You would never guess that a space like this exists in a builder development community and not in a condo downtown, but that’s exactly what we set out to do. v Robin Colton Studio 512.569.3453 | www.robincolton.com Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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“Place vanity sconces around 60”- 65” from the floor. This placement brings the light around the face and will eliminate shadows.”
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NEST Modern
— Angela Ryan — Lights Fantastic
3 “It doesn’t matter if your kitchen is in the back corner of the
“Don’t be afraid of color or pattern. If you’re not sure where to start, just pick one room (dining room, bathroom, etc...) and experiment with both!”
designer tips
basement, everyone will
We asked local designers to offer some of their best tips and favorite rules of thumb for design. We’ve compiled them all here for one easy go-to list, so read on and get inspired!
still hang out there, so it might as well be pretty!” — Julie Bradshaw — Bradshaw Designs
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“Be Green! Recycle by using at least one vintage or found piece per space. It makes your home more interesting and unique.”
John Allison Debbie Baxter Julie Bradshaw Katie Bullard Laura Burton Lori Caldwell David Davis Michele DeCorby Dawn Hearn Susan Jung Tyson Neal Sharon Radovich Angela Ryan Jill Siegel Stephanie Villavicencio
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7 “When clients are remodeling their kitchen, I often advise rethinking the layout. Much of the time clients will focus on the existing layout not realizing for another few hundred dollars they can transform the room by moving the sink or appliances. It’s money well spent when storage and function are maximized!”
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“Put your most intense color in accessories so that you can change them out easily or seasonally.” — Stephanie Villavicencio — Bella Villa Design Studio
—Michele DeCorby — Swanx Fine Cabinetry and Interiors
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“Measure the height of your mattress for a guideline to determine the height of your nightstands. You want your nightstands to be even with the mattress, or a little higher. Make sure it is easy for you to reach for your phone, a glass of water and your lamp.” — Dawn Hearn — Dawn Hearn Interior Design
“Don’t worry about resale.” — Sharon Radovich — Panache Interiors
— Debbie Baxter — Baxter Design Group
— Katie Bullard — Avenue B Development
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Provençal Home
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“Let a gorgeous rug drive the direction of your space. A rug can make a style statement and establish the color palette. Once you fall in love with a rug, it’s easy to choose paint, fabrics and accents — you’re guaranteed a cohesive look!” — Laura Burton — Laura Burton Interiors
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“Good design does not happen fast.” — Lori Caldwell — Lori Caldwell Designs
urbanhomemagazine.com
11 “I once heard a contractor
supporting role.”
“Every room should have something that is unexpected. An element of surprise is the difference between good design and great design!”
— Laura Burton — Laura Burton Interiors
— Lori Caldwell — Lori Caldwell Designs
say ‘if everything is special, nothing is special.’ I love that! Select your focal point for a space, and let the other elements play a
13 “Push your comfort zone and pick something a little edgy for your lighting fixtures and ceiling fans. They are the focal point of most rooms, so make a statement.”
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— Tyson Neal — Legend Lighting
Lights Fantastic
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“When purging your possessions in the area you are remodeling, let someone look at them with fresh eyes. Keeping a piece of you, and retaining a bit of personalization, makes the difference between ‘a nice room’ and ‘a gorgeous home!’”
“Purchase a rug that is longer than your sofa and allows all of the
furniture pieces to have at least their front legs on the rug. Typically a living room needs at minimum an 8 x 10 rug. ‘Postage-stamp’ sized rugs floating in the middle of the room look out of proportion to the
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“Furnishing your home should be
and done the work for you.”
“I always add an electrical outlet into at least one drawer in a bath vanity. It gives you quick, easy access to blow dryers, curling irons and chargers while keeping your countertops clean and neat.”
— David Davis — Provençal Home
— Susan Jung — Baxter Design Group
fun! Do not get hung up or allow yourself to get stressed. Find an independent retailer to show you all the wonderful finds available; they have scoured the markets
furniture and don't anchor the seating group.”
— Michele DeCorby — Swanx Fine Cabinetry and Interiors
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“In interior design as in life, take risks - be bold and fearless. The magic happens outside of your comfort zone.” — Jill Siegel — Design Theory & California Closets
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“When choosing upholstered lounge chairs and sofas, always look for classic lines with comfortable proportions. They anchor the room and never go out of style. As your tastes change, you can update the fabric and a few dressmaker details, and all is new.” — Susan Jung — Baxter Design Group urbanhomemagazine.com
— Dawn Hearn — Dawn Hearn Interior Design
19 “Add depth with
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to the furnishings.”
“Pick furniture and accessories you love instead of furniture you think ‘matches.’”
“Splurge on at least one item in a room.”
— Sharon Radovich — Panache Interiors
— Katie Bullard — Avenue B Development
— Stephanie Villavicencio — Bella Villa Design Studio
textured walls and ceilings. Besides the floor, they are the largest component of your room and create the backdrop
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“Architectural details, such as high ceilings and open floor plans, can cause confusion when selecting the scale of your furniture. Many people think they need to use large, stuffed furniture to fill a space, but clean lines can provide the negative space a room needs.” — John Allison — NEST Modern
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“Lighting is often an afterthought when building a home, yet is one
“Surround yourself
with colors, patterns,
of the most essential features.
textures and
Planning and thinking about the
MEANINGFUL items you
lighting when the project begins
LOVE, and you can’t
will ensure a better and more
go wrong.”
aesthetically pleasing result.” — Angela Ryan — Lights Fantastic
— Jill Siegel — Design Theory & California Closets
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Food n Design
well seasoned, On Their
Own By Claudia Alarcon
Restaurant chefs are a dynamic group. Always looking to innovate, never fully satisfied to sit in their laurels and cook the same menu year after year. For many chefs in high-end establishments, once they reach the position of Executive Chef, there is little room to grow. And while their skills are increasing, and ideas and tastes are changing, an outlet for such creativity may be hard to find. What to do when such talent needs to flourish? The answer that many chefs in this position seek is to branch out on their own. While this may sound liberating and moneymaking, experienced chefs will tell you it’s not all a bed of roses. At least not right away. Owning your own restaurant, especially when also working as the chef, concept designer, trainer, recipe developer and a myriad other minutiae, is exhausting. It is truly a labor of love.
David Garrido, Garrido’s Restaurant & Bar Photography courtesy of Garrido’s
One example is Chef David Garrido, who earned serious respect and made a name for himself after 15 years as the 74
Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
chef at Austin’s famed Jeffrey’s. He left to pursue a consulting gig with the Comida Deluxe group, the people behind Chuy’s and Hula Hut, to develop a menu of gluten-free items. After the completion of that project, the door opened to finally reurbanhomemagazine.com
alize his dream of restaurant ownership. Garrido’s features a modern take on Mexican cuisine, a style he describes as “New World Latino.” The restaurant is housed in downtown Austin in a green certified building with a lovely patio overlooking Shoal Creek. “I guess that after having so much input on the design, it turned out OK,” says Garrido. “I didn’t think I could do that part.” His forte, of course, is kitchen managing and menu development. But when you own your own place, you need the right supporting cast. “I love my staff; they have been with me since I started.” As is to be expected, owning a restaurant presents a number of challenges. “With Jeffrey’s, I shared the job with [former partner] Ron Weiss. Here, I have all the work to myself; it is very overwhelming to own a restaurant by yourself. You make decisions on everything, from marketing to plumbing to food, design, portion control, etc. But thankfully I’ve had great managers that have helped me through all this decisionmaking.” And now that he feels comfortable with restaurant ownership, he’s got two concepts on the horizon: one at the Alamo Drafthouse when it reopens on South Lamar, and another one downtown. And as if that is not enough, he is also trying to schedule time to write a second book.
Jesse T. Perez, Arcade Midtown Kitchen Photography by Sunni Hammer
San Antonio native Jesse T. Perez is another first-time restaurant owner. His ARCADE Midtown Kitchen, in the heart of the growing Pearl complex, is the fruit of many years of hard work and a lifelong passion for learning. Upon graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Ethnic and Cultural History, he returned to San Antonio to join The Westin La Cantera Resort culinary team in the fall of 1999. It didn’t take long for Perez to become Executive Chef of the highly regarded Francesca’s at Sunset, where he took Southwestern cuisine to a new level and garnered the restaurant numerous accolades, including a spot on the “50 Best Hotel Restaurants in the U.S.” in USA Today. The rising star brought his Southwestern influence to Luciano at the Strand, and shortly thereafter was invited to join Buckhead Life Restaurant Group (BLRG) as Executive Chef at Nava, in Atlanta. urbanhomemagazine.com
Before returning to San Antonio, Perez was executive chef at Fuego at the Hotel Maya, where he brought the authentic and traditional flavors of coastal Latin America, earning a spot among the “Top Four Latino Chefs of Los Angeles” and “Top 40 Chefs of Los Angeles.” His intense drive to create, experiment and innovate led him to finally open his own concept. Perez defines Arcade’s cuisine as Americana. “I didn’t want to be Southwest or New American or Latin. The concept of Americana embraces all of those cuisines, and gives me the freedom to put my own spin on the classics,” says the young chef. His menu features familiar dishes prepared with unexpected ingredients and flavors. Take the pork and beef meatball appetizer, for instance, which comes with white bean hummus, sweet peas and lemon sour cream instead of a thick tomato sauce. And just when you thought you’d had every possible take on pork belly, Perez surprises by putting a Mediterranean spin on a spread made with braised pork and belly, herbed ricotta, capers, tomato and parsley, served with freshly grilled bread. “The first six months were really strange,” says Perez. “I kept waiting for someone to tell me what to do. I finally became comfortable with the thought that I was the one who should be directing the staff!” Aside from creating the seasonally changing menu and having a say in the craft cocktails and wine list, Perez also designed the 3,100-square-foot restaurant, a combination of efficiency, modern sophistication and down home comfort — a perfect reflection of his personality and a fitting home for his unbounded talent. v Top left photo: Courtesy of ARCADE Midtown Kitchen. Photo by Sunni Hammer. Garrido’s Restaurant & Bar 512.320.8226 | Garridosaustin.com ARCADE Midtown Kitchen 210.369.9664 | Arcademk.com Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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Recipes courtesy of Chef Jesse T. Perez, ARCADE Midtown Kitchen
P.E.I. Mussels with Chorizo-Orange Habanero Broth
Courtesy of Chef Jesse T. Perez, ARCADE Midtown Kitchen 2 lbs. mussels, rinsed and de-bearded 1 each shallot, sliced 2 each garlic cloves, minced 2 oz. white wine ½ cup Mexican chorizo, preferably Garcia Fino brand ¼ cup Roma tomato, diced 2 cups orange-habanero broth (see recipe) 2 tbls. Italian parsley, chopped 2 tbls. extra virgin olive oil Method In a large sauté pan, heat oil to a light smoke and add shallots to soften. Once shallots are soft, add garlic and continue to sauté for a minute. Add mussels, and toss evenly with shallots and garlic. Deglaze with white wine, add cooked chorizo and toss evenly. Add orange-habanero broth and cover to let mussels steam for one to two minutes, or until all mussels have opened their shells. Season with salt and pepper, add parsley and tomato, and toss evenly to plate. Transfer to a large serving bowl and top with more chorizo and parsley. Serve with seasoned grilled or toasted French bread. Orange Habanero Broth 4 cups clam juice 4 cups orange juice 2 cups V8 Picante juice 1 each yellow onion, diced 2 each fire roasted habanero peppers, diced 2 tbls. olive oil Method In a large saucepot, sauté the yellow onion until soft. Add the clam juice, orange juice, V8 juice, fire roasted habaneros, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a heavy simmer and reduce by ¾ of the original mixture. Transfer the reduced mixture to a blender and puree, adding the olive oil slowly to help emulsify. Season to taste and strain through a fine hole sieve.
¼ cup masa harina 4 eggs 1 cup plus 2 tbls. milk 1 tsp. salt 1 tbls. sugar ¼ cup cilantro leaves, minced Method Mix flour, masa harina, sugar and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk milk and eggs until light and fluffy. Add the egg/milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Strain through a chinois and add minced cilantro. Let the batter sit for 20 minutes. Place a non-stick six inch sauté pan over low to medium heat. Using a non-stick food spray, lightly spray the sauté pan. Using a one ounce ladle, pour the crepe batter in the middle of the pan and move the pan in a circular motion to evenly spread the crepe batter over the inner pan surface. Place back on to heat until batter is releasing itself from the outer edges of the crepe, about one to two minutes. Lightly lift off the cooked crepe from the pan and flip to cook on the opposite side for one minute more. Remove the prepared crepe and place on a cool flat surface while preparing the rest of the batter. The crepes can be stored in the refrigerator for two to three days, layered with parchment or wax paper. Yield: 10-12 crepes Light Poblano Cream 4 each poblanos, roasted and diced 2 each shallots, sliced 3 each garlic cloves, chopped 1 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted 1 qt. half and half 1 qt. heavy cream 2 each cilantro bunches, chopped 3 cups spinach leaves 1 tbls. lime zest ¼ cup lime juice 1 tbls. salt
Courtesy of Chef Jesse T. Perez, ARCADE Midtown Kitchen
Method In medium saucepan, sauté shallots and garlic until light in color. Add poblanos, and continue to cook for one to two minutes. Add pumpkin seeds, salt, half and half and heavy cream. Bring to a light boil and then turn down to simmer until lightly thickened. In a blender, puree on high, adding cilantro and spinach. Add lime zest and juice, and taste for seasoning. Strain through a fine hole sieve.
Masa Crepes ¾ cup flour
Roasted Corn Salsa 4 each fresh corn ears, fire roasted, cut kernels off cob
Lobster Soft Taco with Light Poblano Cream and Roasted Corn Salsa
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urbanhomemagazine.com
2 each roasted poblano, small diced 2 each roasted red bell pepper, small diced ¼ cup cilantro, chopped 1 tsp. toasted ground comino 1 tbls. toasted ground coriander 1 tbls. fresh lime juice 2 tbls. extra virgin olive oil Salt to taste Method Mix all ingredients together and season well. Lobster Meat and Sweet Potato Mix 16 oz. lobster meat, chopped 1 each shallot, sliced 1 each garlic clove, chopped 1 cup sweet potato, lightly roasted 4 oz. Monterey pepper jack cheese, cubed 1 each jalapenos, minced ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped 4 oz. heavy cream Method In a small sauté pan, add a touch of blended oil, and lightly sauté shallot, garlic, and sweet potato to soften and bring to a translucent state. Add lobster meat and cheese, continuing to cook for one to two minutes until cheese melts. Add jalapenos, cream and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and keep warm. To assemble the lobster taco, reheat a masa crepe on a nonstick pan or griddle. Spoon three ounces of the lobster filling on a crepe, and roll as you would a sushi roll with seam facing down. Ladle poblano cream over the taco, and garnish with corn relish. Finish with sour cream and cilantro leaves.
P&B Meatballs With White Bean Hummus and Deep Red Tomato Ragout
1 lb. sirloin, ground 1 lb. pork, ground 2 cups whole milk 1 cup panko breadcrumbs ¼ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped 3 eggs, beaten 1 tbls. kosher salt 1 tsp. cayenne pepper ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper 4 oz. extra virgin olive oil Method Place both ground pork and beef in the container of a food processor and pulse until meat is ground to a finer grind — almost to the consistency of a thick paste. Move to a large mixing bowl and keep cold. In a separate container, combine the milk and panko breadcrumbs. This will allow the breadcrumbs to soak in the milk and provide the meatballs with a moist consistency. Combine all of the ingredients in the large mixing bowl with urbanhomemagazine.com
the ground meats and mix together by hand. It is imperative that the meatball mixture is mixed thoroughly and evenly. Place the meatball mixture back to chill completely before forming meatball portions. Once well chilled, portion the meatballs using an ice cream scoop to maintain meatball shape. Lightly roll the meatball in your hand to form a solid meatball and continue until all the mixture has been formed out. Set oven to 400 degrees, and place rolled meatballs in oven to cook until dark brown in color and cooked 95% of the way. Keep warm before serving hot. White Bean Hummus 2 cups cooked cannellini white beans (you can substitute with 2 cups of canned white beans, washed of their briny liquid) 2 oz. tahini paste 1 tsp. fresh chopped garlic 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest ¼ cup fresh lemon juice ½ tsp. cayenne pepper ½ cup extra virgin olive oil Salt and white pepper to taste Method Using a food processor, blend beans, garlic, lemon zest, tahini, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper until a soft paste forms, and then slowly pour the extra virgin olive oil to thin out and provide flavor and body to the hummus. If the hummus is a little too thick, you can simply thin out with a touch more lemon juice, adding it only one tablespoon at a time. Season with salt and white pepper, and serve at room temperature. Deep Red Tomato Ragout 1 cup onion, small diced ½ cup celery, small diced ½ cup carrots, small diced 1 tbls. fresh thyme, chopped 1 tbls. fresh basil, chopped 1 tsp. red chile flakes 1 tbls. fresh garlic, chopped 4 oz. tomato paste 16 oz. red wine 2 large cans of plum tomatoes (San Marzano are best) Method In a large saucepot, cover the bottom with the extra virgin olive oil and bring to a simmering heat. Add onions and cook until soft, but still translucent and white in color. Add carrots and celery, continuing to cook until soft and translucent in color. Add garlic and red chile flakes, and cook until all vegetables are soft and most of the cooking liquid has reduced. Add tomato paste and mix to incorporate with the rest of ingredients. Deglaze with the red wine and reduce by half, then add the tomatoes, crushing them a little by hand when adding to the pot. Bring the mixture to a light boil and then set down to simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure no sticking to bottom of pan. After 30-35 minutes, the ragout is ready to be seasoned with salt and pepper to finish. Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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Fabulous n Finds
Haunted Tours of
Texas By Julie Catalano Spanish Governor’s Palace, courtesy of Alamo City Ghost Tours
The Strand, courtesy of Galveston Island Convention Center
Texas Capital Building, By Frederica Georgia
Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Texas has more than its share, with — dare we say it? — new ones popping up every eerie myths, legends, lore and gore aplenty to keep historians and storytellers busy entertaining everyone from the serious seeker to the hardcore skeptic. Not just for Halloween anymore, here are four year-round fun tours to indulge your inner paranormal investigator or just enjoy a fascinating history lesson with a spirited twist. Happy hunting!
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The Old Alsatian Steakhouse
The Driskill Hotel
day. The state has enough
AUSTIN
Haunted Bat and Ghost Segway Tours, Nationtours. com/austin/, 512.663.9634 Why walk when you can glide? Austin Segway Tours offers about a half-dozen tours, all on a Segway — a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle — but the nightly Haunted Bat and Ghost Tour “has become one of our busiest,” says Bryan Deutsch, branch manager for Nation Tours. The two-anda-half-hour tour covers about six miles and stops at several spooky sites, including the Texas Capitol Building and the Speakeasy, where a 1916
Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
fire left people trapped and killed and whose screams have still been heard. The tour’s highlight is a stop outside the notoriously haunted Driskill Hotel (driskillhotel.com), with its numerous tales of ghostly apparitions, elevators with a mind of their own, and the sound of a child’s laughter. During bat season (between March and October) guests are treated to the sight of millions of bats taking flight from the Congress Avenue Bridge. $69 per person. Must be 14 or older (“we’ve had people in their 80s,” says Deutsch), no pregnant women, and the tour includes Segway training for
newbies. Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and Super Bowl Sunday.
CASTROVILLE Photos courtesy of Guillermo Fuentes
Haunted Trails of Castroville, Hauntedtrailsofcastroville.com, 210.689.3063 For such a tiny town, the “Little Alsace of Texas” is seemingly teeming with spir-
The Old Standby Saloon
urbanhomemagazine.com
and include the Secret Society Cemetery Tour of one of the city’s oldest cemeteries; the darker, edgier 90-minutes Restless Spirits Tour (“That one is rated PG-13,” he says), and a special, thought-provoking Jack the Ripper Mystery Island Tram Tour available to private groups. Based on forensics and extensive research, “I take you to the place where I believe Jack the Ripper actually killed in Galveston.” On October 25-26, a very cool, two-night-only, Ghost Hunt Sub and Ship Halloween Event will be held on the submarine USS Cavalla and the destroyer escort USS Stewart, berthed at Seawolf Park on Pelican Island. Includes sleepover on one of the vessels, “if you choose to do so.” $75, must be 21 or older, reservations required. The Old Alsatian Steakhouse
SAN ANTONIO Photos courtesy of SAN ANTONIO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
its. Tour guide Guillermo Fuentes has a two-and-a-half-hour walking Ghost Tour, a dining tour and beginning in November, a special cemetery tour at the St. Louis Cemetery where the apparition of a woman has been repeatedly spotted visiting a child’s grave. Ten haunted buildings are featured on the walking tour, including the Old Alsatian Steakhouse and the Old Standby Saloon, the scene of a bloodbath shootout in 1880. A paranormal investigator for 13 years, Fuentes discovered “the sounds of a piano, clinking glasses, and shuffling cards” at the saloon. Family-friendly tours include free use of ghosthunting equipment such as parabolic microphones, thermal scanners, geomagnetic meters and more. “Children have a great time with the equipment, and they ask the most questions.” Ghost Tour, $13 adults; $10 ages 7-16 and seniors. Cemetery Tour: Check the online calendar as days and times vary depending on weather conditions.
Alamo City 210.336.7831
Ghost
Tours,
The Alamo
GALVESTON
Dash Beardsley’s Ghost Tours of Galveston, Ghosttoursofgalvestonisland.com, 832.892.7419, 800.979.3370
San Fernando Cathedral
USS Cavalla Courtesy of American Undersea Warfare Center
As the scene of the deadliest storm in U.S. history that left more than 6,000 dead, Galveston has always been a hotspot for haunts. “You could not have any kind of ghost tour without mentioning the Great Storm,” says Dash Beardsley, known as the Ghost Man of Galveston. After 16 years, his original twohour walking Ghost Tour of the Strand is still the most popular. With four hand-picked tour guides, Beardsley’s family-friendly, copyrighted tours run every day of the year except holidays, urbanhomemagazine.com
Alamocityghosttours.com,
The Menger Hotel
Even with all of the technology available for ghost hunts these days — and this company hands out some of the same devices you see on ghost shows — one of the most popular is also the oldest piece of equipment still in use: the dowsing rod. Tour owner — who goes only by the name JR — says that guests “enjoy that the most. They’re lots of fun.” Children especially get a kick of watching the wands mysteriously spinning and pointing. The 90-minute family-friendly “San Antonio After Dark” walking tour begins every night at 9 p.m., starts at Alamo Plaza and continues down dark alleys and back streets. JR regales with nonstop tales — some gruesome, many his-
Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
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torical — surrounding the Alamo, the Menger and Emily Morgan hotels, the old jail where infamous child-killer Clemente Apolinar was hanged, and many more. Upcoming new tours feature a daytime lunch/brunch tour at a haunted hotel, followed by a bus ride to haunted locations including some of the oldest graveyards in the city.
A Haunting
We Will Go...
More ways to get your goosebumps on. Check into a haunted hotel, check out a grisly murder book, tour a haunted harbor, or just for fun, do your own ghostbusting at home — or anywhere you dare.
Murder in Room 636
The “incident” was the 1965 murder of an unknown woman, whose dismembered body was taken by the suspect as he fled the hotel, later committing suicide at the St. Anthony Hotel before he could be arrested. “The victim’s remains have never been found,” says Fuentes. “Maybe someday someone will come across them.” For more info: Gunterhotelroom636.com. Reader and viewer discretion advised.
Ghosts with a History Photos courtesy of The Galveston Historical Foundation
Galveston makes no bones about its reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the country. The Galveston Historical Foundation has thrills aplenty with its October “You Can’t Escape History” lineup of ghostly pursuits. Here’s a sampling: Haunted Harbor Tour, October 25, 26, 31. Tour Galveston’s storied harbor with its tragic sites and watery graves aboard the 50-foot passenger boat Seagull II on this popular tour. Tickets $15, limit 45 guests per tour.
Photos courtesy of Guillermo Fuentes
Seagull II
Room 636 ‘Before’
The shocking, brutal murder in Room 636 at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio remains one of the city’s most compelling crime stories — enough that Guillermo Fuentes, founder and director of SAPI - San Antonio Paranormal Investigations (paranormalinvestigations.org) devoted eight years to researching it. The result is his 2012 book, “The Murder of Room 636: A Haunting Truth.” Fuentes had unprecedented access to police records, public documents, and city and state files, along with his own documented research of paranormal activity. “From 2005 to 2012 I did about seven investigations inside the room where the incident occurred,” he says. The Gunter Hotel 80
Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
Menard After Dark Ghost Hunts. October 26-31. Secrets, spirits and history of the 1838 Michel B. Menard house, Galveston’s oldest existing residence. Tickets $20, limit 20 guests per tour.
1838 Michael B. Menard House
For more info: Galveston Historical Foundation, Galvestonhistory.org, 409.765.7834.
Ready for DIY ghost hunting?
There’s an app for that. You knew it had to happen. Ghost Radar® and its various versions (Classic, Legacy and Connect) have features such as a sonar-style sweep screen to detect possible presences, and translating energy signals into EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) text, in case someone — or something — has a message for you. For iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android. Free-$1.99.
For more info: Spudpickles.com
v urbanhomemagazine.com
At last, a 21st century technology designed for a more efficient home storage solution and improved home value. Auto-Lad is a fully electronically controlled ladder. At the press of a button or of a remote, it’s advanced circuit board allows the electronic unlatching of the panel, its opening, extending and de-energizing of the electric motor when Auto-Lad is fully extended. Depressing the same push button or remote allows retracting of Auto-Lad and when fully retracted, the closure of the panel and it’s automatic re-latching followed by the de-energizing of the electric motor. For high reliability and safety of operation, Auto-Lad has no position sensors but will stop if an obstacle is in it’s way. While designed for a typical attic space, this structurally superior and sophisticated operating ladder can also be used to substitute stairs in a loft to add privacy and additional room space below. Call eLAIR ENTERPRISES, LLC today for more information about the Auto-Lad system.
855.288.LAIR www.elairenterprises.com
A DV E RT I S E R I N D E X ASSOCIATIONS
GLASS & WINDOWS
Austin NARI www.austinnari.org 512.997.NARI
Anchor Ventana www.ventanaman.com 512.388.9400
HBA of Greater Austin www.hbaaustin.com 512.454.5588
ASAP Windows and Siding www.asapwindowsandsiding.com 512.288.8354
NARI San Antonio www.remodelsanantonio.org 210.348.6274
CARPET & FLOORING
Schroeder Carpet www.schroedercarpet.com 512.462.1551
CLOSET DESIGN
California Closets of the Texas Hill Country Austin: 512.441.6061 www.californiaclosets.com/austin San Antonio: 210.829.1991 www.californiaclosets.com/san-antonio
GRANITE & STONE
HOME BUILDERS
Lights Fantastic www.lightsfantastic.com 512.452.9511
QDI Stone www.qdistone.com 512.832.0500
Foursquare Builders www.foursquarebuilders.com 512.944.4520 Kanga Room Systems www.kangaroomsystems.com 512.777.1383
CONCRETE REPAIR
CUSTOM CABINETRY & DESIGN
Avenue B Development www.avenuebdev.com 512.638.1514
N House Design & Build www.nhousedb.com 210.384.2588 Swanx www.swanxcabinetry.com 512.809.6226
CUSTOM LADDERS
HOME REMODELING
CG&S Design-Build www.cgsdb.com 512.444.1580 David Wilkes Builders www.davidwilkesbuilders.com 512.328.9888
eLair Enterprises, LLC www.elairenterprises.com 855.288.LAIR
Dylan Martin Homes & Remodeling www.dylanmartinhomes.com 512.692.9212
CUSTOM METAL WORK
Realty Restoration www.realtyrestoration.com 512.454.1661
Centuries Ago www.centuries-ago.com 405.659.7576
FURNITURE & DESIGN
Catrina’s Ranch Interiors www.catrinasranchinteriors.com 830.755.6355 / 210.535.3070
Copenhagen Contemporary Furniture & Accessories www.copenhagenliving.com San Antonio: 210.545.4366 Austin: 512.451.1233 Scott + Cooner www.scottcooner.com Austin: 512.480.0436 Dallas: 214.748.9838
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Urban Home Austin – San Antonio
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Pearson Landscape Services www.pearsonlandscape.com 512.386.5900
Silverton Custom Homes www.silvertoncustomhomes.com 512.267.3777
Trim-A-Slab www.trim-a-slab.com 512.943.7655
KITCHEN & BATH
Parrish and Company www.parrishandcompany.com 830.980.9595 San Antonio 512.835.0937 Round Rock
INTERIOR DESIGN
Bella Villa Design www.bellavillads.com 512.443.3200
Dawn Hearn Interior Design www.dawnhearn.com 512.930.0250 Heather Scott Home & Design www.heatherscotthome.com 512.342.6899
LIGHTING
OUTDOOR LIVING
BBQ Outfitters www.bbqoutfitters.com 512.347.1988
Cozy Outdoor Escapes www.cozyoutdoorescapes.com 210.276.0734 Equinox Louvered Roof www.equinoxtexas.com 210.548.3015 Homefield www.homefieldliving.com 830.626.1971
POOLS
Artesian Pools www.artesianpoolstx.com 210.251.3211
REAL ESTATE
Austin Board of Realtors www.austinhomesearch.com
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES
Tierra Vista www.tierravista.com 512.267.3777
WINDOW COVERINGS & AWNINGS
Austintatious Blinds and Shutters www.austintatiousblinds.com 512.608.0302 The Louver Shop www.louvershop.com Austin: 512.236.9706 San Antonio: 210.590.3956 Texas Sun & Shade www.txsunandshade.com 512.402.0990
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Dylan Martin HOMES & R EMODELI NG
At Dylan Martin Homes, quality construction doesn’t just refer to the finished product, but the process getting there. We pride ourselves on open communication and giving you, the homeowner, all the information and tools to bring you the end result you desire.
CUSTOM HOME RENOVATIONS AND BUILDING DESIGN BUILD SERVICES www.dylanmartinhomes.com | dylan@dylanmartinhomes.com 512.692.9212 O | 512.350.1088 C