Houzz Tour: Modern Farmhouse Made for Entertaining
A new home in Austin, Texas, is designed for sociability inside and out
Style. To meet the clients’ desires in terms of style and to respect the street, Hughey came up with a plan that included two simple, staggered volumes connected by a space that looked like a breezeway (now enclosed). This massing strategy created a pleasing front facade.
The design of the front porch is a nod to the original homes on the street. “The horizontal language of the front porch references those ’50s ranch houses,” the architect says. He reinforced those lines by using horizontal wood siding on portions of the facade. The rest of the cladding is board-and-batten HardiePlank, which enhances the farmhouse look.
The front facade also fit the socializing bill. The clients wanted to be able to interact with neighbors from the porch, and there’s a gravel patio off to the side with room for a dining table. Once we get inside, we’ll see how the social spaces flow from outside in and vice versa.
While the couple who had the house built planned for it to be their forever home, things didn’t turn out that way. But the current owners feel a kinship with the original owners.
“It is crazy how similar the original homeowners are to us when it comes to how we like to live in our homes,” Jay Colombo says. “We were lucky enough to spend some time with them before they left, and learned that we have a lot in common.”
The design lends itself to all-ages entertaining. “The porch is a huge hit for dinners, especially when we have families over with kids,” Colombo says. “We turn it into the kids’ dining area. It’s easily cleaned and a great place for the kids to do chalk drawings on the concrete.”
See more blue outdoor dining sets
The design of the front porch is a nod to the original homes on the street. “The horizontal language of the front porch references those ’50s ranch houses,” the architect says. He reinforced those lines by using horizontal wood siding on portions of the facade. The rest of the cladding is board-and-batten HardiePlank, which enhances the farmhouse look.
The front facade also fit the socializing bill. The clients wanted to be able to interact with neighbors from the porch, and there’s a gravel patio off to the side with room for a dining table. Once we get inside, we’ll see how the social spaces flow from outside in and vice versa.
While the couple who had the house built planned for it to be their forever home, things didn’t turn out that way. But the current owners feel a kinship with the original owners.
“It is crazy how similar the original homeowners are to us when it comes to how we like to live in our homes,” Jay Colombo says. “We were lucky enough to spend some time with them before they left, and learned that we have a lot in common.”
The design lends itself to all-ages entertaining. “The porch is a huge hit for dinners, especially when we have families over with kids,” Colombo says. “We turn it into the kids’ dining area. It’s easily cleaned and a great place for the kids to do chalk drawings on the concrete.”
See more blue outdoor dining sets
Back facade. The more imposing facade is at the back of the house. With the front yard set up for socializing, the backyard was set up for play.
Overhangs help protect the back windows from weather. Take note of those bookshelves under the stairs — we’ll take a walk down that hallway in a moment.
Find an architect to design your dream house
Find an architect to design your dream house
Living, kitchen and dining area. The public spaces in the house are accessible right off the front of the house, with the main entry opening onto the dining-living-kitchen area. (This is the volume we saw on the right side of the exterior, closer to the street.) The large island serves as a social hub.
“We were on a lean budget and kept everything simple,” Hughey says. The floors are polished sealed concrete and almost all of the walls are drywall. “Sophisticated materials like the Carrara marble, walnut butcher block and high-end appliances were the splurges, which elevated the more basic materials,” he says.
“We wanted to delineate the spaces within the open floor plan,” the architect says. “The corner windows mark the dining room, the island divides it all and the fireplace faces the living room.” The fireplace surround is American Clay earth plaster, made of natural clays, recycled and reclaimed aggregates and natural pigments, and it has a troweled stucco look. To keep things unfussy, they decided not to add a mantel.
“We were on a lean budget and kept everything simple,” Hughey says. The floors are polished sealed concrete and almost all of the walls are drywall. “Sophisticated materials like the Carrara marble, walnut butcher block and high-end appliances were the splurges, which elevated the more basic materials,” he says.
“We wanted to delineate the spaces within the open floor plan,” the architect says. “The corner windows mark the dining room, the island divides it all and the fireplace faces the living room.” The fireplace surround is American Clay earth plaster, made of natural clays, recycled and reclaimed aggregates and natural pigments, and it has a troweled stucco look. To keep things unfussy, they decided not to add a mantel.
Clerestory windows also play a role in defining the spaces. This dormer window over the heart of the kitchen breaks up the long, slanted ceiling and provides views without sacrificing privacy. “The clerestory windows gave us great canopy views of the trees outside. This one faces east and gets great light in the morning,” Hughey says.
The peaked clerestory window on the right side of the photo is a signature move of the architecture firm. “We like to end rooms with points of light,” Hughey says.
The peaked clerestory window on the right side of the photo is a signature move of the architecture firm. “We like to end rooms with points of light,” Hughey says.
Library-hallway. If you refer back to the front facade, this is that enclosed breezeway between the two main volumes of the house. It’s a transitional zone between the public spaces (volume on right) and the private bedroom areas (volume on left). Rather than functioning as just a hallway, it also serves as a library. The original clients planned on adding a desk for children once they had them, to allow the kids to gaze out the window while doing their homework.
Hallway and staircase. Here’s a view down the same hallway. The master bedroom wasn’t photographed, but you can catch a glimpse of it at the end of the hall. It has a clerestory window with another canopy view over the bed. The first floor includes a smaller room intended to be a nursery and a third bedroom to serve as a kid’s room/guest room.
The stairs mark a change in the flooring, which continues upstairs. It’s a lower-end pine, which means it’s extra knotty. All those knots and markings in the relatively soft wood will deepen over time, creating a rustic look that stands in warm contrast to all the crisp, white drywall.
The stairs mark a change in the flooring, which continues upstairs. It’s a lower-end pine, which means it’s extra knotty. All those knots and markings in the relatively soft wood will deepen over time, creating a rustic look that stands in warm contrast to all the crisp, white drywall.
Master bathroom. The canopy-view solution is perfect for the shower, providing privacy, natural light and a view of the oak leaves. The architects used the same window they used over the master bed, tying the two spaces together. The north-facing window lets in soft, indirect light while avoiding solar heat gain. Small hexagonal marble floor tiles play off the Carrara on the countertop; all of the fixtures are brass.
Kids’ and guest bathroom. A local encaustic cement tile anchors the room with a funky geometric pattern and deep blue color, while the clawfoot tub and cabinets add more traditional touches. The countertops are Carrara marble.
Floor tile: Clay Imports; browse more encaustic cement tile
Floor tile: Clay Imports; browse more encaustic cement tile
Loft. Upstairs there’s a large loft space with a flexible agenda. “We designed this space so that it could be transformed to hold a fourth and even a fifth bedroom as their family grew,” Hughey says. They also planned a spot where a bathroom could be stacked above the master bathroom.
But for now, it’s more for work and play; this photo was taken from a workspace area where the adults can keep an eye on the kids. The slanted ceilings create a cozy space with plenty of room for books and toys.
Even though the plans were tailored to the original homeowners, the versatility of the loft was a strong selling point for the current ones, who are already discussing plans for it. “Definitely when the kids hit the teenage years, I am sure it will happen,” Colombo says.
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Even though the plans were tailored to the original homeowners, the versatility of the loft was a strong selling point for the current ones, who are already discussing plans for it. “Definitely when the kids hit the teenage years, I am sure it will happen,” Colombo says.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Jay and Anastasia Colombo and their two young children
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 2,600 square feet (242 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architect: Arbib Hughey Design
Years ago, the Windsor Park neighborhood on the outskirts of Austin had taken a dive because of the flight patterns of the city’s busy airport. But once the airport was moved farther out of town and its former site was redeveloped, the neighborhood became hot.
A pastor husband and a graphic designer wife loved the area and hoped to score a deal on a place, so they crossed their fingers and dropped letters in mailboxes to see if anyone in the neighborhood was willing to sell to them. One man felt their good vibes, and they got his dilapidated 1950s ranch house at below market value.
“We looked at renovating that ranch house, but it just wasn’t feasible with all the neglect, including damage to the slab,” architect Ed Hughey says. The couple wanted a house with modern farmhouse style that was conducive to being social — hosting gatherings or hanging out outdoors to chat with neighbors passing by.
As happens in life, the couple made plans and God laughed. Soon after construction was completed, they unexpectedly had to move out of state. But because of the versatility of the architecture and the appeal of the design and neighborhood, the house proved to be the dream for another couple, Jay and Anastasia Colombo, and their two small children. They are the second and current owners of the house.