Name: Kim and Paul
Location: Bouldin Creek Neighborhood, Austin,TX
Size: 1650 sq ft inside and 1,600 sq ft outside
Years lived in: Built in 2000
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Adrienne is trying her hand at a house tour--and how! Check out this great modern space in Austin and let us know what you think!
Strolling down a South Austin street and finding a modern home isn't quite a surprise anymore, as talented architects and designers are putting their modern marks all over our city as of recent years.
But back in 2000, before the modern building trend really took off, architect MJ Neal took a chance and built the Twin Peaks of Bouldin Creek.
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Named because each of the two homes features a distinctive "peak" towering over their South Austin neighborhood's tight lot, these two modern residences blend seamlessly with their surroundings and do not detract from the neighborhood's charming character. The design of the interior maximizes natural light and features smart storage solutions to maximize space (like the central yellow column/stairwell, which boasts touch-open doors along the column). Last Fall homeowners Paul and Kim Famighetti fell in love with the simple, clever and light-infused architecture of MJ Neal's twin peaks. Now, after over a year of living in the home, they've successfully infused their own style while revering the architecture---creating a perfect example of modern and casual Austin cool.
AT Survey:
My/Our style: Organic modern, clean green.
Inspiration:The house itself is my inspiration. We're in a very tight urban neighborhood, but there's a great sense of space, privacy, light and nature here.
Biggest Challenge: We moved to Austin from NYC in late 2006 and brought almost no furniture with us. Then we lived for a year in a furnished apartment, so when we bought this place last fall we needed to basically start from scratch. Thus, our biggest challenge has been balancing our need to actually have furniture with our desire to take our time and find the right pieces. So, for example, the living room couch was kind of an impulse buy - after 3 weeks of sitting on the floor to watch TV, we just had to get something. We like it, but would probably like to replace it eventually.
What Friends Say: They tend to love what we love about this house...the light, the way it's so well designed to make maximum use of space and the outdoors.
Biggest Embarrassment: We still don't have any proper seating for any of the outdoor spaces. However, an architect friend of ours is in the process of designing an outdoor sectional and dining table for our screened in porch - so that should make a big difference. I can't wait to eat out there, read the paper out there, etc.
Proudest DIY: I love the coffee table - bought at a vintage store that's right in our neighborhood.
Favorite Spot in the House: I tend to hang out a lot at the dining table - I work from home and during the day it's my "office" and then we tend to relax there after dinner with a glass of wine. Plus I can look out at the courtyard w/ the Japanese maples. We bought the table (and the chairs) from the previous owner. It was designed by the house's architect and it's this amazing, heavy massive thing made out of steel and these three slabs of solid wood. I don't think they would have been able to even move it out of here. Paul is more drawn to the deck off our bedroom, where he hangs out in "his" hammock. There's a pecan tree there that provides great shade and has its own cut out in the wall so that it could continue to grow.
Biggest Indulgence: We've bought a couple of pieces from 1stdibs - the bedroom dresser and the orange recliner on the 3rd floor - that I would say were slight indulgences.
Best advice: Buy only what you love.
Dream source: ABC, 1stdibs
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Resources:
Kitchen: MDF
Artwork: photographs sourced from Etsy, framed by Soco Gallery Austin; vintage Oil Drilling Platform image from LaLuz Austin;
Furniture: Living room: Gus Modern Jane Sofa from IF+D Austin; coffee table, vintage from LaLuz Austin; rocking chair - street find from Boston; Ikea flokati throw; acrylic table from CB2; end table - Gus Modern Bishop Table from IF+D Austin; display stand - vintage from LaLuz Austin.
Bedroom: Blu Dot Nook Bed from IF+D Austin; Gus Modern Bishop Tables from IF+D Austin;
Cassina dining chairs;
3rd floor lounge chairs - white one from Etsy and Orange from 1stdibs
Accessories: succulent/cacti plantings from Big Red Sun, Austi; bowls/vases from Heath Ceramics; series of vases on coffee table in living room from Etsy
Lighting: Living room: arc lamp from CB2; Bedroom: Tolomeo parchment table lamp from Ylighting.com
Rugs and Carpets: Flokati rug bought online (don't remember the retailer); sea grass carpet from CDC Carpets Austin
Other: early American decorative painted furniture from Kim's grandmother
(Thanks, Kim and Paul!)
--Adrienne
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Photos by Adrienne Breaux
Someone likes glass planters and succulents.
view MiklakMiklak's profile
I really like the look of the chipboard! I wonder what kind of maintenance is required and if it collects dust (if it does, I wonder how hard it would be to clean). I also wonder how significant the off-gassing would be. But I know that's a problem with MDF too, and we've built furniture out of it and used it for a few art projects too. It's smooth and affordable.
Beautiful place!
view anmar's profile
Their staircase is out-of-control amazing.
view KristinH's profile
Nice place! Where did you find your bedroom dresser?
view coconuts's profile
Wow - beautiful place! I'm so pleased to see mdf used in the kitchen, as that is what our kitchen cabinetry was built with before we moved in.
One question - are all of the cabinet doors made of mdf too, specifically under the sink? I ask because our doors are warped due to water damage, and we haven't been sure about what to do about that.
view peaceami's profile
Hi! Kim here.
The wall material is the raw inside finish from the SIPs (structurally integrated panels) the house was constructed with - it's actually a low emission OSB (oriented strand board) - chosen by the architect for it's greener profile. The SIPs panels themselves create a very tight house - much easier to keep both cool and warm (though here in Austin, cool is most important!). If they collect dust I don't notice it much.
We just got married in May and all of the glass containers w/ succulents and cacti are actually the centerpieces from the reception (minus the ones we gave away - there were a lot of them!). It was a great alternative to using cut flowers - since they will continue to live on. I am a bit smitten with them.
We got the dresser on 1st Dibs (http://www.1stdibs.com).
view potluck's profile
What are those glossy, yellow panels and how do they hold up as flooring? They look great...
view alinear's profile
Awesome, I'll have to look for the twin peak houses next time I amble around the Bouldin Creek neighborhood. You are lucky to live there.
Obviously, you have found some great furniture at LaLuz; I have not been to this store yet. I think I will need to pay it a visit this weekend before my weekend dip in Barton Springs.
view austinjohn's profile
hi peaceami -
the cabinet doors are MDF - so far not too much water damage, they are sealed (not sure what with) but we're careful not to get them too wet. According to the architect, they were fairly inexpensive so can be replaced w. out too much guilt.
The glossy yellow panels are part of a structure that forms a column through center of the house. On the ground floor it's a platform with drawers (our stereo/tv equipment sits on it), it then travels up up to the third floor where it forms a the floor (and the ceiling for the living room) and a the desk. In between there are panels that open to the touch to reveal storage. It also houses HVAC/LAN cabling for the house. As for material - it's solid wood covered in high performance paint. As a flooring material it's best in low traffic areas - it can be scratched by heels, etc.
view potluck's profile
I LOVE this house. I bet you have more space than in NYC. I also love the mix between CB2 and 1st dibs. Great eye.
view wild-er's profile
beautiful home....great job
view hanako66's profile
I actually love that couch, so if and when you want to get rid of it, plan a vacation to Utah and I'll gladly take it off of your hands!
view dsigninslc's profile
More detail about those amazing glossy yelow panels, please!
What high performance paint did you use?
How was it applied?
How many coats/sandings?
Did you use a sealant to get that super gloss effect?
Thank you!
view genjenn's profile
What a unique house! I really like the unpainted MDF walls & the natural light. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around exactly what I'm seeing in the pix of the yellow/mesh tower/staircase structure. And those glass landings make my gonads retract just looking at them. Upstairs-is there a crevice between the floor & the wall? Seems like it might facilitate air circulation as well as aid in heating & cooling the place.
view MoJonson's profile
Kim again -
Wild-er: Thanks! And yes, our place in New York (which we still have) is a studio w/ a sleeping loft - so this is quite a change! It's not big by Texas standards, but in line w/ the neighborhood here and more than enough room for us.
MoJonson: Yeah, the yellow structure is kind of hard to grasp w/ out seeing it in person. MJ Neal, the architect, calls it a "multi-functional vertical element", which probably doesn't help any to truly describe it, but that's kind of accurate. The top floor does have a gap all around of about 2-3 inches - you can see the black poles that support it in one of the photos. The landings, btw, are metal mesh, no less scary for one of our dogs, but a bit less disconcerting for the humans.
genjenn: I can't really answer, but the whole yellow structure was built by a local artisan, Joseph Zambarano - I'm sure he'd be happy to talk about the project with you: http://www.austinartisan.org/joseph_zambarano.htm
view potluck's profile
Oh, and austinjohn - LaLuz is great! The young couple that owns it have a great eye and great taste. They are combining with Prototype Vintage (on Aug 1st, I think) and a lot of stuff is on sale right now at their current location (South 1st just north of Live Oak on the east side of the street). If you miss them this weekend, Prototype is just a bit east - closer to S. Congress (on the block around the corner from Vespaio I think).
view potluck's profile
Wow, you don't own anything ugly.
view jenny!'s profile
Hey folks, I hope it's ok to post this here,let me know if it isn't please. I tried to answer some of the questions from the boring architect's point of view on our blog, about materials, resources, and I found some other pics and an old article by Kris Krager, a colleague about the house so it's not us bragging too much... though it's technical and
Kim is doing such a great job, it maybe superfluous! I like her answers better!
Thanks Kim, again for being such an incredible supporter of our work:-)
http://mjnealblog.com/
Viviane Vives
Co-principal of MJ Neal Architects
vvv at mjneal dot com
view barcelona's profile
This house should be featured in Dwell magazine, especially the high gloss yellow paneling is f***ing awesome!
Ops! Sorry that I swore but it was necessary.
Can I come visit for potluck with my signature dishes when I'm in Austin? =)
view phase2phase's profile
Okay. I feel better. At least Kim is a really cool, nice person. I guess she deserves this amazing home.
view wild-er's profile
I like the planters. Very nice.
view clancy's profile
I love the house! And as a fellow pug owner I love the photos with the little one!! I don't know how you keep your place fur free.
view umeboshi's profile
What a great place and I love what you have done to make it home. I love, love, love those yellow elements as yellow is one of my favorite colors, however if it were me, I'm not a multi story fan, unless it's a rambler/ranch w/ daylight basement. :-)
Still, that yellow collumn is an ingenius design to house the HVAC/LAN cabling, and I would assume, some of the plumbing stack too and I love how it's been finished, bright n' shiny.
The unfinished OSB wall panels is actually a take off an old idea from the 1950's when many more modest modern homes had finish grade (I think), or stainable plywood as a wall material and it looked great from what I saw in photgraphs.
Love the George Nelson lamp over the dining table. Very nice indeed.
view ciddyguy's profile