Some people lose sleep at night thinking about the cost and inconvenience of renovating. Homeowners Kevin, a graphic designer, and his wife Danielle, a pediatric urologist, were struggling to get shut-eye without it. For years, the couple, who share their Central Austin, Texas, home with their two daughters, lived with their primary bedroom on the ground level next to their very noisy neighbor’s party porch. When they couldn’t take it any longer, they decided to embark on a two-year-long remodel that hinged on moving their primary suite up to the second level. BRF Homes, architect Brian Gille, and interior designer Annie Downing were tasked with helping them find some zen in their new bedroom and beyond. “Of course, by the time we were finished, the neighbor sold their house and moved out,” says Downing.
The designer didn’t have to search far for inspiration: the couple’s extensive (and very colorful) art fueled the project. Nailing the palette was such a big part of the process that, later on, it came as a total shock when Kevin revealed he’s color blind. While he can make out the differences between tones, Danielle took the lead on selecting hues. “There’s a lot of purple. She loved purple,” says Downing. Ahead, as the designer gives us a tour around, she reveals how she made the tricky hue work, plus why she’ll never not splurge on good lighting.
Purple is a notoriously hard color to decorate with. What’s your advice for pulling it off?
It is a hard color but I love it because it has so many different tones—I feel like it can be warm or cold. It complements so many things well. You can throw greens in there, chartreuse, and I think it goes well with black.
The lilac bar is a fun addition to the kitchen. Was this nook on their must-have list?
They actually had a little bar before, but it was behind closed doors. We removed the doors and were like, ‘Let’s do something that you don’t have to hide!’
Speaking of disguising things, you were sneaky about adding storage to the powder bathroom…
We made a note during construction that we wanted a hidden cabinet with push-latch doors. (I was trying to avoid a classic over-the-toilet cabinet.) The bat print wallpaper is an old archival print from Trustworth Studios. Austin is known for its bats under the bridge, so it was sort of an ode to the city. And the clients had a sense of humor.
How did their art collection factor into your plans?
We had a whole catalog of their art (around 75 pieces), including all the dimensions. What was hard about it, though, was we only had photographs because they had stored it all before we walked through their house. Some of the paintings turned out to be more vibrant in person, and we were like, ‘Whoa, this needs to be moved.’
The formal sitting area and family room are back to back: is that a layout you often opt for?
The house has a pretty big open floor plan, which I feel like is becoming less desirable than it used to be. They wanted this space to serve as their main TV area, but also a place to host when people come over. It was a challenge, making this room read as both comfortable and formal.
Where did you splurge?
I’d rather buy nice lighting than a chair. In the kitchen, the pendants from Allied Maker have a pretty wood component when you look closely. The fixture in the entryway is Danny Kaplan and it’s ceramic. The finishes can make a huge difference.
If you’re gonna save somewhere, where is it going to be?
This might be controversial: rugs. They used to be like buying a car but now you don’t have to break the bank. We find some really good rugs on Etsy all the time.
What was their vision for their new (most importantly, quiet) primary bedroom?
The colors stemmed from the painting above the bench. The way they described it, they wanted a moody cocoon. The closet is small, but the clients wanted to make it fun.
How were you able to find a balance between whimsical moments and sophistication details?
In the guest bathroom, for instance, we paired the Abigail Borg wallpaper with old sconces that the client had with these little striped shades on them. Then we curved the edges of the vanity and tried to make it look a little bit more custom.
Were there any unexpected twists or turns during the remodel?
They had a huge book collection but someone broke into their storage unit and stole their books during our project. That was so hard. We had planned for bookshelves lining the hallway. And then the factory that was holding one of their beds burned down!
What was the most exciting material you got to use in this house?
I love that we were able to do a leather insert on the desktop in the study. They both wanted to be able to sit in there, so we created this desk that’s double-sided and added a brass detail on the shelving for warmth because the house was feeling so contemporary.
What design decision felt like the biggest risk?
The high gloss paint color in the office. I was afraid that it wasn’t going to go with the rest of the house; that it would feel like one random room that was super traditional but it worked out!
