Building a new, from-scratch home is a dangerous thing. But it's not only the potential supply issues, drawn-out timelines, or tradesmen hiccups that make it so. It's the risk of it feeling just that: new, a little desolate, cold.
To conceive a never-lived-in home that feels the opposite takes a keen eye, a deft hand, and a practised approach. Thankfully, for the owners of this home in Austin, Texas, that's exactly what they found in Jennifer Greer Hartmann, founder and principal of Greer Interior Design.
The couple went to Jennifer with two main criteria. First, to create something that felt beautiful, comfortable, and approachable, and second, to blend traditional elements with modern simplicity. It needed to be elegant, but with the grit and hardy palette to sustain the realities of daily life for a young family of five.
"Designed top to bottom by us, the project took a total of three years, and we never stopped considering the client experience of living in the house day to day," says Jennifer. "A key concern for us was ensuring the home didn't feel too big and unfriendly, or too brand new."
What resulted is described by Jennifer as a "classic upside-down home with Texas proportions." It's grand, it's cozy, and it works with the slope of the land, where the main level sits elevated at the back, and a secondary floor lies beneath.
With this design came an opportunity: to capitalize on the leafy exterior, making the home feel treehouse-like — "it's very private and soothing and lives really well," says Jennifer.
"When we were designing the interiors, we chose to keep many of these views as open as possible from the inside, not placing furniture in front of them and only using sheer natural shades to cover them, if anything at all," she explains.
"Our use of light neutral furnishings really brought the outdoors in, and didn't overwhelm them at all. Everything feels so peaceful and beautiful inside."
To achieve a home that felt like it had been standing for years longer than it truly had, Jennifer relied upon a warm palette, opting for materials with a patina, such as wool fabrics and stone.
"We used warmer woods, plaster, and metal finishes throughout the house," she explains. "We always said the house was a bit of Texas, a bit of California, and a bit of France. One thing they all have in common is the importance of natural and earthen materials and history."
Once the material and neutral color palettes were established, Jennifer turned her mind to what would really give the home that relaxed, intimate feel and a chance to add her signature touch: the furniture, decor, and art.
"We carefully added in vintage pieces, objects, and artworks in every room, which introduced a lot of depth," she says, adding that doing so makes a home feel personal.
"We worked hard trying to find the right combination of lighting and furniture pieces that felt collected and layered. Contrast was key."
As with all of Jennifer's projects, this Austin home is full of considered, bespoke details. Her favorite feature? The built-in joinery.
"The cabinetry throughout the house is just beautiful; so varied and layered. Both TV cabinets are so uniquely and carefully designed," she says.
"I love the modern details of the cabinets downstairs, the way the doors slide open and close to hide the TV or expose the shelving. I also love the timelessness of the one upstairs. Careful attention was paid to the scale, hardware, and metal mesh finishes, so that it would not feel overwhelming."
Jennifer also has a soft spot for the wallpapered powder rooms. "They're both so gorgeous, I can't pick a favorite."
As for the upstairs terrace, "it's beautiful, and the homeowners use it as an outdoor room and love to relax out there," she says.
"This space was designed to feel like part of the house and is heavily used by the family, for nightly dinners and watching sports games around the fire."
Although Jennifer calls the pool area "pretty typical for this neighborhood", it's certainly a visual spectacle.
Beside it, a mature tree towers over a small dining area, while water trickles in a constant stream from a built-in water feature.
"It is very hot most of the year, and people use their pools a lot," Jennifer explains. "This area was designed by the architect, though we weighed in on paver finishes and lighting."
Now that the clients have moved into their new home, Jennifer has time to reflect.
"Tireless detail went into this project, and we love how it turned out," she says. "The whole process was definitely an unforgettable experience."
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