Even before seeing it in person, Alexandra LaCoste knew there was something special about this house in East Austin. In June 2020, she’d just sold her first Austin home and was searching for her next one remotely while on the East Coast, where she was spending time with family. “I spent months touring houses over FaceTime with my agent,” says Alexandra. “We looked at dozens and dozens of places, and I lost out on a few houses due to the really competitive market.”

When she saw the listing photos for this residence, “I knew instantly that it was like nothing else I had ever seen,” she says. “Above all else, it felt like a home with a story, which was really important to me.”

Shane Michael Pavonetti, a local architect and contractor." layout="wide" credit="Courtesy of Pavonetti" photoUserId=""/>

Alexandra’s hunch was spot on: The home had recently been built by Shane Michael Pavonetti, an Austin-based architect and contractor, and his wife, Holly. The couple had kept to a tight budget for the 1,600-square-foot project—just $175,000—and leaned into a modern industrial aesthetic throughout, including exposed wood and steel framing, concrete floors, and steel windows.

“When I walked into the house for the first time, it had this instant feeling of comfort,” says Alexandra. “Despite the industrial touches, it felt warm and comfortable—I think mainly as a result of the open space, vaulted ceilings, and large windows that let in all of the natural light.”

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

Still, Alexandra was excited to make the home her own, reaching out to interior designer Natalie Myers of the Los Angeles-based firm Veneer Designs shortly after purchase. Alexandra had long been following Myers’ work on Instagram.

“Natalie has such a fantastic eye for designs that are modern and unique, but can bring things together in a way that creates a very comfortable, lived-in feeling,” says Alexandra. The two made contact late in 2020, and being 1,376 miles apart during a pandemic meant that they completed the remodel without ever meeting in person.

Myers was used to working from a distance due to COVID-19, but the interior designer still needed detailed specs on the interior spaces in order to proceed, which is where the architect’s CAD drawings became essential. Myers set about weaving in a “desert modern” aesthetic with calm, earthy tones, lots of textural accents, and pops of colorful artwork on the walls. “I see the house as a modern take on an old Texas farmhouse, but with a comfortable and laid-back California-Scandinavian style,” says Alexandra.

Before: Dining Room

After: Dining Room

The biggest intervention came in the kitchen, where the duo swapped out the doors on the Ikea boxes with Semihandmade fronts painted a soft gray, added Caesarstone counters, and a new zellige tile backsplash. “The kitchen is always where the design starts. Everything radiates out from there,” says Myers.

Since Myers couldn’t be there in person, Alexandra had to help manage the project on-site, receiving shipments and directing contractors. “She had to take responsibility for that and roll up her sleeves,” says Myers. “When the counters were installed, she had to FaceTime me and ask, ‘Is this what it's supposed to look like?’ A level of trust [developed] both ways.”

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Over several months, client and designer exchanged a lot of spreadsheets, emails, iMessages, and Direct Messages on Instagram. “I am so grateful for her guidance, and more importantly, the friendship that we now have,” says Alexandra of Myers. “I’ve already told her that I am starting to think about our next project together.”

Even better for Alexandra is seeing the home that she always wanted come to life. “It’s hard to put into words, mainly because I never could have imagined having the opportunity to create a life in a home like this,” says Alexandra. “Shane and Holly built this house with their hands, and it has such a beautiful and special story. I was honored to have the chance to write a next chapter of memories here.”

Before: Bathroom

After: Bathroom

After: Guest Room

After: Main Bedroom

After: Office

Related Reading: This Bright, Personality-Filled Home Was Built on a Budget in Austin

Project Credits:

Interior Design: Veneer Designs / @nataliemyers

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