Reinvented In Georgetown

It’s humbling when a client returns to us for another project. In this case their third whole house renovation and seventh project overall! This time our clients wanted to downsize to a smaller home just outside the Austin city limits in historic Georgetown. They purchased a craftsman-like builder-grade home and wanted to transform it into a contemporary oasis with better flow, more natural light, and clean finishes.

The couple brought in Scheer & Co Interior Design for finishes to complement CG&S’ architecture and construction services for the project. This project was photographed by Avery Nicole Photography & styled by Stephanie Bohn.

The home itself was fairly new, having been built in the 2000s, but like a lot of builder-grade homes the layout lacked functionality and had awkward design details that didn’t make sense. The team focused first on removing the inauthentic elements to simplify the space.

The home was also dark, so opening up the spaces and adding additional windows helped bring in more light.

The entire home went through an aesthetic shift from Craftsman to contemporary. We avoided plain drywall surfaces whenever possible.

There are several wallcoverings, tile selections, and hard surfaces featured in the house. The homeowner wanted to avoid bold colors but took risks in other places like the brass sink at the bar or moody wallpaper in the powder bath.

We focused more on shifting the spaces than completely rearranging them. The kitchen remained in the same location but was simplified by removing the heavy upper cabinets; more light was added with a new picture window above the sink. An 1800s draper table serves as the kitchen island.

The new bar is the highlight of the kitchen with its graphic variegated granite backsplash and brass details. Each brass shelf was individually mounted, and the stone was cut to fit around the shelving.

The living and dining spaces were simplified by removing unnecessary columns and built-in cabinetry.

Similarly, the entertainment cabinet was reimagined and simplified. A sculpture “Mountain Climbers” flanks the television, installed in a similar way to the previous two homes. What a journey these climbers have been on!

The primary bath’s original layout was simplified by creating one big double vanity rather than splitting these spaces up.

Now the bathroom has a large steam shower and soaking tub. In addition to the wash closet, the bathroom also hosts the laundry room.

Exemplarily craftsmanship can be found in the tile work especially in the guest bathroom shower. The Crossville Cursive tiles were all individual pieces and took great coordination between the designer, installer, and project manager to install. The team first met to prearrange the tile design on the floor, then piece by piece the installer applied the tile.

What was once a mediocre builder-grade house has been transformed into a timeless, contemporary home mixing styles and finishes to create a light-filled and clutter-free home.