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Austin has come a long way from the Old World traditional and rustic look of 2005 and has moved into a much more modern aesthetic in the city’s design portfolio.
You will hear terms such as “Hill Country Modern”, “Modern Contemporary”, and “Modern Transitional” when consulting with your building professionals about the style you are looking for in your new home or remodel. Defining these descriptors is for another blog (stay tuned!), but here we provide insight into a few of the interior elements that when carefully considered and edited, can make a new home or remodel feel on trend yet still remain timeless.
“Hill Country Modern” best describes Austin’s desire as a forward-thinking city to move into a more contemporary style while retaining glimpses into what has made Austin’s homes unique for several
decades, and in some cases, centuries.
1. To Beam or Not to Beam
With many of Austin’s 70’s and 80’s-era homes boasting high ceilings, a repeating question during a remodel design phase is whether to keep the beams. The trend we are seeing in new and remodeled homes is sleek painted beams or smooth and stained beams rather than their oversized, rough and rustic predecessors. This retains the character of the home while giving it a fresh, clean update.
2. Mixed Finishes
When it comes to lighting, plumbing fixtures and hardware, we love to mix finishes in certain home styles. This is an area where trends change frequently, and we find that skillfully (it is an art – don’t try this at home) combining a trending finish, with classic, in a home can make all the difference in being trendy or timeless. We LOVE the practicality and beauty of timeless.
3. Dramatic Color on Cabinets
Again, this is skillfully carried out by a designer who has the vision to see the whole picture and knows where to put heavy color, and where to keep things neutral, flowing and balanced. This can be a cost-effective way to inject personality and current color trends into your home – after all, it is only paint!
4. Wallpaper and Specialty Tiles
These trends have come full circle, but in a much more sophisticated way than in days gone by.
There are more options than ever before when it comes to color, texture, and pattern in today’s wallpapers, and this can be utilized to bring beautiful drama to a Powder Bath or behind custom-built library bookshelves, to name just a few.
More and more we are seeing our clients get excited about making their functional spaces more fun to be in, and graphic tiles on a backsplash are a great way to spruce up a Laundry Room or Butler’s pantry and again is something easily changed down the road.