Judging from the serene countryside scenes outside this striking residence in Austin, Texas, you wouldn't be able to guess that the family home is just a stone’s throw from the booming downtown area. The project, designed in careful, warm minimalism by American architecture firm Studio DuBois and interiors practice Elizabeth Stanley Design, is the Austin house of Elizabeth Stanley, her husband Aaron, their three children and two dogs. ‘We wanted a house nestled into the landscape and somewhat enigmatic from the front, where the heavy walls create mystery and privacy,' say the clients.
Studio DuBois obliged and composed the calming, minimalist architecture of the house using clean, crisp surfaces out of smooth concrete, simple geometric volumes and swathes of glazing, which frames the surrounding landscape and connects indoors and outdoors seamlessly. ‘The property is one of the most exceptional building sites in the greater Austin area – expansive and open to the sky, with a profound serenity and unique sense of place. We wanted the experience of the house to be an expression of this remarkable site,' says studio founder Mark DuBois.
Elizabeth Stanley led the interior design, enriching the decor with vintage furnishings and art from the family's personal collection. The result is both graceful and sophisticated, but also quite dramatic – yet in a quiet, understated way. This warm minimalism is emblematic of Stanley’s studio’s approach, which is executed here to perfection. Accents of colour appear throughout via the artworks, which add layers of texture and intrigue to the interior.
The design uses ‘a restrained colour palette', says Stanley, where ‘the black bar is one exception, to add drama'. Elsewhere, furniture ranges from various classic Pierre Jeanneret ‘Kangaroo’ pieces, a Living Divani sofa, Charlotte Perriand stools and George Nakashima chairs to contemporary items by Michael Anastassiades and Faye Toogood.
The green outdoors, created by landscaping practice Furrow Studio, is another key protagonist at every turn of the house, with long views outwards dominating the space. A series of external areas, from terraces to a generous entryway and a swimming pool, enhance the links between nature and this Austin house throughout.
Information
-
A revived public space in Aberdeen is named Scotland’s building of the yearAberdeen's Union Terrace Gardens by Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design and LDA Design wins the 2025 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award
-
Own an early John Lautner, perched in LA’s Echo Park hillsThe restored and updated Jules Salkin Residence by John Lautner is a unique piece of Californian design heritage, an early private house by the Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte that points to his future iconic status
-
20 things that positively delighted us in and around Design Miami this yearFrom covetable 20th-century masterpieces to a tower made from ceramic pickles, these were the works that stood out amid the blur of Art Week
-
Own an early John Lautner, perched in LA’s Echo Park hills
The restored and updated Jules Salkin Residence by John Lautner is a unique piece of Californian design heritage, an early private house by the Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte that points to his future iconic status
-
The Stahl House – an icon of mid-century modernism – is for sale in Los AngelesAfter 65 years in the hands of the same family, the home, also known as Case Study House #22, has been listed for $25 million
-
Houston's Ismaili Centre is the most dazzling new building in America. Here's a look insideLondon-based architect Farshid Moussavi designed a new building open to all – and in the process, has created a gleaming new monument
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fountainhead will be opened to the public for the first timeThe home, a defining example of the architect’s vision for American design, has been acquired by the Mississippi Museum of Art, which will open it to the public, giving visitors the chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s genius firsthand
-
Clad in terracotta, these new Williamsburg homes blend loft living and an organic feelThe Williamsburg homes inside 103 Grand Street, designed by Brooklyn-based architects Of Possible, bring together elegant interiors and dramatic outdoor space in a slick, stacked volume
-
This ethereal Miami residence sprouted out of a wild, jungle-like gardenA Miami couple tapped local firm Brillhart Architecture to design them a house that merged Florida vernacular, Paul Rudolph and 'too many plants to count’
-
Tour Cano House, a Los Angeles home like no other, full of colour and quirkCano House is a case study for tranquil city living, cantilevering cleverly over a steep site in LA’s Mount Washington and fusing California modernism with contemporary flair
-
An ocean-facing Montauk house is 'a coming-of-age, a celebration, a lair'A Montauk house on Hither Hills, designed by Hampton architects Oza Sabbeth, is wrapped in timber and connects its residents with the ocean
