Bedrooms We Love

Austin architect J.C. Schmeil converted his family's 1935 bungalow into a spacious modern family home on a modest budget and with tons of ingenuity. A dormer on the south side of the house contains two bedrooms. One of the bedrooms features a reading loft carved out of the attic space above the dining room. The intersection of the gabled roof and the shed dormers allowed us to wrap large windows around each corner, taking advantage of the "borrowed landscape"—treetop views that root the house to its site.

A guest bedroom, with furniture from Room & Board, overlooks the bridge above the dining courtyard. The home’s landscape architecture is by Ventura, California–based Jack Kiesel. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

Custom hammered-copper tiles add texture and reflect light in the master bedroom. The bed, steel-and-walnut side tables, and brass lamps are all custom-made by Cécile & Boyd’s.

The aircraft cables that crisscross the windows provide structural support for the house—and an unexpected benefit. “They’re handy for drying laundry!” says Ohm. The custom silk drapes help control sun exposure, as does the deep roof overhang. “It’s only in the winter that the sun starts to angle in,” says Ohm.

A curtain slides across for privacy.

All of the furniture was meticulously handmade by Klebba and Reis to serve the family’s needs.