“Consistent with the lakefront cabin charm, the owners liked the idea of accessing much of the house from outdoor porches and walkways,” says architect Ted Flato. Supplies from Dynamic Architectural Windows and Doors bring light in to the home’s covered spaces.
At the shared age of 50, a creative director and a financial consultant started a new life in the city where they once belonged. After residing in the Bay Area, the couple decided to return to Austin, Texas, for a quieter existence in a more rural setting—a place where they could feel secluded outdoors and also have space for the occasional visitor. They found five acres down a winding road where Lake Austin meets Hog Pen Creek, and the outstretched branches of oak and pecan trees shades the land. It was ideal, and the pair sought to keep it as untouched as possible. Easements, a flood plain, and other constraints limited the available space for construction “These five acres had a quarter-acre of buildable area, prescribing a two-story, L-shaped solution,” Ted Flato says. Once the outline of the house was finished, the couple and Flato agreed to fill it in with sustainable and textured details that were open to a waterfront breeze. “We focused on having the main living area closely connected with the water, while respecting the majestic oaks,” says the architect. The pair has their privacy, but because of the breezy design, they’re also open to the setting that welcomed them back home.
