Austin

What was once a small dining area has been opened up into a bright kitchen, living, and dining space.

Homeowners Erik and Kelli Petrik can open the wheel-hung, 10-foot-tall shutters on the second floor with the push of a handle. The panels cost approximately $75 per square foot to fabricate. - Austin, Texas Dwell Magazine : November / December 2017

The Palm Springs tucks three bedrooms and two baths in 1,369 square feet for $349,000.

A Renlita Floataway garage door is shielded by one of the home’s many overhangs.

Alterstudio Architecture of Austin designed this house in the Texas capital for a young family of four.

When Austin-based firm Matt Fajkus Architecture was tasked with renovating this classic midcentury home, they sought to open up the interior—not only by unifying the common areas into an open-plan layout, but also by literally raising the home's roof. This strategy increased the ceiling height on three sides of the home, allowing for the insertion of clerestory windows to create a bright and airy open living space. "The raised ceiling maintains the original pitched roof geometry to stay harmonious with the existing gabled roof in the private zone," explain the architects in a statement.

The existing Ikea cabinet boxes received new Semihandmade fronts: the DIY Flat Slab painted Benjamin Moore's “Revere Pewter.” The butcher block was replaced with a Ceaserstone Empira White slab, and the wood shelves were preserved, though received new brass brackets. The brass hardware is from Rejuvenation and the pendant is the Pirlo from Tech Lighting. The new zellige tile is from Riad, in the Natural White color.

After a year of searching, San Francisco transplants Liz Armistead and Bill Broome found their dream home—a 1,400-square-foot ranch house in Austin’s Travis Heights neighborhood. The residence was outdated, but the 400-year-old live oak tree on the back of the property was just too enticing to pass up. They fell in love with its potential and reached out to Stephanie and Ryan Lemmo, the principals of Lemmo Architecture and Design, for a full remodel and contemporary master suite addition.

The bedroom wing flows smoothly from the interior to the garden. The tongue-and-groove of the bedroom’s ceiling continues out onto the roof’s soffit. A private porch allows the owners to enjoy their backyard with a modicum of privacy.

The cantilevered front porch and railing were restored, as was the original dry-stacked limestone below. The roof overhang was notched to accommodate the heritage live oak.

The floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and windows were the most expensive line item in the renovation. “The house would simply not be the same without them,” says architect Miguel Rivera. “When you are in the living area with the doors open, it creates one large indoor/outdoor space that is simply stunning.” Just beyond the kitchen, a bookcase in the hallway is painted to appear red from one side and gray from the other.