Hush House

Name: Hush House
Telephone: +1 512-387-0798
Rating: 5

10 Reviews

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About Us

Award winning

2x Best of Houzz winner

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Award-winning Design Studio - Homes That Like to Go Outside

Hush House is an award-winning home design studio focused on unique homes, large and small, indoors and out. The studio is built on the collaboration between homeowners and myself, Marcus McKenzie. I think your most intimate investment, your private home, deserves intimate and expert attention, and that is what Hush House offers. Here's why. You'll notice a common thread in the Hush House portfolio of homes - a silent electricity running through each space from the inside, outward. This is because I offer advanced experiences from my background in architecture, landscape, and construction. Genuine livability, outdoor quality of life, and budget feasibility guide these homes and landscapes. Our unique homes are conjured by dreams, offered to a place, and brought into light. The Process: 1 - Discover “We sat on that Barcelona patio for hours”. Working directly with me, Marcus McKenzie, you’ll start the design process by telling me your story - what you want to build, spaces you've enjoyed, travels you’ve dreamt about. We will outline your story together as a cohesive design album, featuring a style guide, design options, and budget studies. Maybe even a Spotify playlist. 2 - Design “Let’s try one with the patio off the bedroom”. Your story in design form, with the artistic integrity it deserves. Through our fun yet focused collaboration, I will work to generate construction-ready drawings of your building and it's landscape, 3D renderings + videos, and material boards - complete with budget estimates. 3 - Build “This is the patio we will retire on.” Your story brought to life through construction. Collaborating with trusted builders who also know your story, I will deliver site visits, schedule updates, budget compliance checks, and progress reports to you and your team - to ensure you remain the author you deserve to be. This process delivers a holistic and integrated home to you - with experience, simplicity, and honesty as our guides. Hush House is focused on quieting the noise of the home design process so you can feel heard and live loud. See more at www.hush.house. Thank you for your time!

Services Provided

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), Architectural Design, Building Design, Custom Homes, Design Consultation, Energy-Efficient Homes, Floor Plans, Green Building, Home Additions, Home Extensions, Home Remodeling, House Plans, Multigenerational Homes, New Home Construction, Prefab Houses, Site Planning, Sustainable Design, Landscape Plans, Space Planning, Forever Home Design, Lakefront Property Design

Areas Served

Austin, Del Valle, Garfield, Hornsby Bend, Lost Creek, Manchaca, Manor, Mc Neil, Onion Creek, Pflugerville, Rollingwood, San Leanna, Sunset Valley, Webberville, West Lake Hills, Barton Creek, Hays, Shady Hollow, Round Rock, San Marcos, Horseshoe Bay, Wimberley, Driftwood, San Antonio

Awards

Certified Professional Building Designer Permaculture Certified Best Of Houzz 2022

8 Projects

Modern Home Office, Pool, and Patio Addition

Business Details

Business Name

Hush House

Phone Number

+1 512-387-0798

Website

www.hush.house

Address

Austin, TX 78721

Typical Job Cost

USD 3,00,000 - USD 25,00,000

Full design services and construction observation.

License Number

CPBD #44-733

Followers

27 Followers

Socials

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Credentials

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Featured Review

David Parker

I think the best way to describe Marcus is that he is an artist who happens to know how to get every aspect of a job done with his far-reaching expertise. Read Full Review

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10 Reviews for Hush House

Newest first

5.0|10 reviews

Work Quality

5.0

Communication

5.0

Value

5.0

ladylivewire

When I wanted to add to my house a two-story addition that was a little outside of the norm, Marcus was 100% on board in a way that other designers were not. He understood my vision and embraced it. Marcus is incredibly easy to work with. He listens, remembers and incorporates my ideas into his plans, bringing my vision to life in ways that actually make sense and are practical while still fun, unique and interesting. The brainstorming and design process for the addition was entirely enjoyable. Marcus has been able to take my half-baked ideas and create a plan that I am incredibly excited about. I can’t recommend him highly enough to anyone looking for a designer who is more than OK with outside-of-the box thinking and can take your daydreams and make them concrete.

11 January 2024

Comment from Hush House:

Thank you so much, D! I really appreciate these kind words, and your patience and great energy throughout the project!

brianmeola

Marcus McKenzie is one of the most talented and thorough designers I've ever met. He strives to understand the core needs, desires, and feelings of a client before initiating his work. His designs reflect the goals of the project while using his own varied skill set to elevate even the most simple aspects. I've worked with Marcus on several personal projects as well as having been fortunate enough to observe his process working with other clients, and I am consistently amazed at his ability to deliver complex, intentional architectural designs that are both conceptually tight and a joy to interact with. His work surprises, delights, and provokes thought while also being firmly grounded in the realities of building and budgeting.

31 July 2023

Comment from Hush House:

Hey Brian!
Wow, thank you so much for the kind review. I really appreciate it, like I do all of our time together. Each project we've worked on together shines very bright in my memory, which is saying a lot, because we are (...counting...) 5 deep now. Depends how you count it, but it really doesn't, because we have so many more to do and that count is always going up! Lets dive into that new Ideabook, eh?

Laura Cox

I've been working with Marcus for as long as I've owned my house. Any fun or interesting idea I have in mind for a remodel or possible concept he is the first person I bring it to. He's always excited to talk about fun design ideas all while listening to my personal preferences and making them fit the space flawlessly. Marcus has designed us a stylish enclosed carport that is both functional and a eye-catching addition to the house. We're also working on some open air shelter concepts for our remote desert property out in Teringua Texas that I'm very excited to see come together. Currently, we've entrusted Marcus to design a newly constructed home for us and can't wait to see the results. All that being said, I obviously take any construction design concepts to Marcus to get his help or input. There isn't any project I wouldn't trust him with.

28 July 2023

Comment from Hush House:

Laura!
Thank you so much for the kind words. I always look forward to our adventures and projects and am excited for more. Never a dull moment or project!

Sarah Medina

We were lucky enough to work with Marcus on the design of our new home last year. From the start, it was clear that Marcus was committed to listening to our ideas and delivering the home that we wanted – not what he thought we should want. Through a series of prompts and meetings, Marcus helped us expand our initial concept into a fully-realized design for our dream home. The process was smooth, but almost as importantly, it was fun; we weren’t just doing business with a contractor, we were collaborating on a work of art. Marcus understood our vision from the beginning, and having someone who “got it” was just invaluable. We hope to never have to leave our home, but if we had to, we’d work with Marcus again in a heartbeat!

25 May 2023

Comment from Hush House:

Wow, Sarah, thank you so much for such kind words. What can we say, I also feel like the stars really aligned! What a delight it was to collaborate with you and T. The memory of our first meeting forever shines brightly for me. And happy to hear how much you enjoyed the process. It was a dream to be so well aligned, working with you and T.

Also, thanks again for the fantastic party, we had a blast.

I hope all is with you and the fam. Looking forward to seeing yall soon!

Scott Williams, MBA

Marcus was super helpful in the design process. He brought a few simple and elegant ideas that really changed how the space felt and added to its overall appeal. I wouldn't even consider starting a project without his input.

22 May 2023

Comment from Hush House:

Scott! Thank you so much for this fantastic review and kind words. You're the man!
People love your project and when I send them your way, I'm mostly excited to hear about how much fun they have meeting you. Hope all is well with you and the family.

Blue Diamond Remodeling

We are a GC in the Round Rock/Hutto area. We hired Marcus with Hush House to help us with a Design-Build project in Taylor. When we initially set up the appointment with our client to help with the design they initially hit it off right away. He was the perfect Design option to work with our client. I would highly recommend working with Marcus and Hush House if you want a great one-on-one experience.

19 May 2023

Comment from Hush House:

Thank you so much BDR! You guys rock. I'm always excited to see what you are working on. I appreciate the recommendation, the kind words - and the A+ build!

Billy Goat Construction, L.L.C.

I have been working with Marcus for quite some time now. We met back in 2013 and tackled a great project together here in Austin, Tx. Since then we have done a few projects and working on a couple of them now. Look at his work and give him a call!

9 November 2022

Comment from Hush House:

My man, Gabriel! Thank you sir. Yeah, I guess we've been at this for a while, haha. And you've been at this for a looonnng while. Always looking forward to your projects. Yes sir, let's get busy!

cbhuston

We've worked with Marcus as the lead on two major outdoor design projects - a large outdoor, concrete patio with electrical, lighting and plant installation and a multi-level deck with electrical, lighting, steel, plumbing and plant installation. Marcus is focused on design that benefits the user without delivering excess. He is easy-to-work-with and focused on a pragmatic yet visually appealing applications that works well within a budget and is designed and delivered for long-term relevancy. We continue to work with Marcus on smaller projects and have recommended him repeatedly.

14 June 2021

Comment from Hush House:

Thank you for your time, and these kind words, C. And I appreciate the recommendations. What an adventure we took!

Maybe one day I can collaborate with your budding designer :)

David Parker

We hired Marcus and Smash Builders to recommend and carry out a rebuild for the porch and front of our house. He did an absolutely amazing job. I think the best way to describe Marcus is that he is an artist who happens to know how to get every aspect of a job done with his far-reaching expertise. His ideas and designs were incredible -- frankly, well beyond our expectations for such a job. The drawings were spot on and he hired the best people to do each aspect of the job, which was complicated and had many moving parts. Perhaps most important to many people -- his quotes were spot on and very reasonable. There were no overages, in fact, he himself recommended some change orders that even further improved the look, and those change orders actually reduced the price. Amazing young man and a great talent. David Parker

3 June 2021

Comment from Hush House:

Thanks again for your kind words, David. Your time and encouragement are greatly appreciated. What an adventure we took, and what an inspiring life you have set up for you and the family. Looking forward to hearing more of your journeys.

John Lockhart

I own a home in East Austin and worked with Marcus to build a 900 square foot ADU and office / studio space on the back half of my lot. Overall it was a great experience and the end result is more design driven and high quality than I expected when I had the idea to build. Working with Marcus was a very collaborative process. He did a great job of listening to me and my goals for the project and proposing design ideas that I would have never envisioned on my own. That said, I also felt I had a hand in the design process and Marcus was great rethinking design elements that I felt didn't suit my needs or aesthetics. The result is a structure that has unique elements that reflect a creative process that I felt I had an active part in. The end result is an environment with features that I remember being born more as stories than drawings on paper. The project came in close to budget and I feel I got a more than I expected for the money I spent on the project. With a tight labor market and competition for resources in Austin, Marcus did a good job of navigating the challenges of the build process, whether that involved interactions with permitting and inspections or finding the right sub-contractors for a job that involved a lot of custom fabrication. Marcus and I were friends before the project, and still are, and that says a lot about the success of a build project that can experience the unexpected. The photos in this review are the project near completion in 2017 and recently in 2021.

30 May 2021

Comment from Hush House:

John - Thank you so much for your time and thoughtfulness here. I'm happy our paths have crossed, and continue to intertwine!

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3 Ideabooks

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2 Comments

Commented: Expand Primary Bath & Turn Bedroom into Primary ClosetMy first thought is, if this is your forever home, or resell value isn't a huge priority, go for it! Second thought - to simplify - could the tub possibly fit into the shower area to the right of the...

7 August 2023 in Design Dilemma

Commented: Design ideas for exterior? Portico? Porch? Extend the roof?It sounds like you are reacting negatively to the "massing" of the facade, the overall volume of it. Understandable. I'd consider a simple continuation of the gable outward to make a porch, ...

6 August 2023 in Design Dilemma

Hush House