Name: Shannon Schelbert of mac+cam photography, along with husband Michael, sons Mac (10) and Cam (8) and dog Tottenham (named after Tottenham Hotspur) and cat Messi (after soccer player Lionel Messi)
Location: Aldridge Place — Austin, Texas
Size: 2500 square feet
Years lived in: 3 — owned
It's all about details and materials in this Central Austin home. It's also about customizing a home to fit the residents' needs. Not only has the house been modernized in many ways, it's been expanded to fit a family of four (six if you count the pets) and transformed into a rich and sophisticated space with unique details that burst with character and personality.
So how did Shannon, a wonderful photographer, and her husband create a home that was wildly unique? They started with Shannon's great tastes and then mixed in the skills and talents of local architect Nicole Blair of Studio 512 (whom you may remember from Erin and Aaron's Austin home). Realizing that an architect isn't just for building new homes, Shannon enlisted Nicole's help to revamp the kitchen and the bathroom, as well as add in efficient personal touches throughout the house.
Expanding the tiny existing galley kitchen into an adjacent hallway meant opening up the space, creating plenty of room for feeding a family and for entertaining guests. Again, it was about efficiency and detail: gorgeous warm wood shelves line the wall and surround a brick column. A banquette breakfast nook is made sumptuous with great materials and a surprising metal detail. Two more affordable fridges are made to look combined with the addition of an extra long metal grill across them. Customized pull-out shelving in the pantry is an organizer's dream. Modern details like inset-in-the-counter utensil jars delight.
The master bath might be our favorite space of all, where bright light from the window that overlooks the pool floods the space and surprising tile grounds the room. A chandelier over the bathtub makes the room feel special and ties in with the other lovely light fixtures sprinkled throughout the house. Sliding medicine cabinet doors reveal storage behind the sinks and innovative bathroom corner cabinetry maximizes space in a tiny room. Every room seems to benefit from Shannon's strong eclectic tastes and Nicole's clever details to create an overall pretty darn inspiring house.
*A note about the cat: long-haired Messi had gotten its fur in quite of a mess and the haircut it was given was both necessary to banish some mean knots, and also turned out really adorable.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Casual, rustic, industrial.
Inspiration: A country home in France. Design blogs like 79 Ideas, House Doctor and The Black Workshop. Etsy.
Favorite Element: The tile in master bath.
Biggest Challenge: My kitchen doesn't have direct access to the side pool.
What Friends Say: Comfortable and cozy.
Biggest Embarrassment: The living room chandelier is WAY too small, but I adore it.
Biggest Indulgence: I love tile.
Best Advice: Do what you like and don't worry about anyone else.
Dream Sources: Pinterest! Really love Lindsey Adelman Studio.
Resources of Note:
FURNITURE
• Ebay first for almost everything!
ART & ACCESSORIES
• Check out my Etsy profile for my favorite stores and items I've bought in the past.
• Shannon's photography!
TILE
• Ann Sacks
LIGHTING
• Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.
Thanks, Shannon!!
Images: Adrienne Breaux
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This is gorgeous! Oh, and I'm stealing your cat!
What a stunning place! I love all the chandeliers, and the shaved puddah, too.
I love this home. So warm and so well thought out. I also had a laugh when I read your cat's name. My husband WORSHIPS Lionel Messi and wants to name our first born after him. We'll see! :)
HOLY CRAP this is one amazing home. The bathroom and kitchen are truly awe inspiring. I love your answer for 'Biggest Challenge"-- #firstworldproblems
I love this house! The choices of materials are fantastic and really pop out of every picture, making you just want to touch them. I also appreciate how they reduced the impact of their television screen - I almost missed it!
I love the house!!!
That being said, it bugs me that the cat is referred to as "it" during the interview. Pets are family, no?
This is excellent...great tour!
If I knew how to steal a house from it's foundation and get away with it I would do it in a heartbeat. Gorgeous beautiful house! Airy and yet cozy, minimalist and yet warm and charming. Love the pale with spots of color, and normally I don't do pale. Well done!
I am soothed. This house is full of "matières nobles" as we say in France... good ideas and good vibes aplenty.
The floating shelves throughout the house are fantastic. Barbed wire in the jars remind you this is Texas. Great Tour!
Love this tour! Can you give us some more information about the bed in the master bedroom? I love the idea of stowing books and slippers within reach and view but out of the way!
I love your home! Bright and sunny and welcoming and I can only imagine how cozy it feels in that soft light that dusk only offers. Well done and interesting.
house tour is beautiful...but can we just get a slideshow of photos of Tottenham? hahaha
such a wonderful home and beautifully photographed. thanks for sharing!
This is by far my favorite house tour I have seen here. I love every. single. thing. (especially the pets!)
Anyone know where to get the kitchen floating shelves/the shelves above the bulldog? or how they were made? They look like real wood and they aren't very thick like typical floating shelves (ikea etc) so they look like they are custom or DIY.
Lovely. The kitchen in particular is to die for. I love the marble counter and the pantry. Thanks for sharing.
MELISSA82 --- Funny story! I forgot to ask if the cat was a boy or girl and couldn't remember when it came time to schedule the post. Didn't want to assume it was a boy just because of the name so put it to be more grammatically correct! Believe me that cat is definitely a part of the family.
jeebus that cat is cute, and I'm not a cat person! the last photo is hilarious- looks like he (?) is trying to cover up his nakedness...the house is great too.
This is lovely; the owners' aesthetic is similar to my own. It is very soothing and comfortable. I like almost everything about this place.
Love this house! Light, arty, creative, happy!
Wow I'm pinning like every picture! I love the clever use of space throughout the house: the shelves that follow the shape of the wall in the living room & the ones around the brick in the kitchen, the banquette with storage along the back and the small corner drawers in the bathroom. Everything is so well thought out and designs and that's what AT is all about!
Good news! Messi has officially been confirmed as a boy. Blame the post author's weird feelings that all cats are girls in her head :/ Also...the homeowner just told me the bed was from Four Hands for whoever asked about it.
My favorite house tour to date. Thanks for letting us into your lovely home! ... envy.
I'm so intrigued by your bathroom! The door to the outside and the swing-out cabinet-thing... I love it!
Pretty darn amazing. Talk about having characters. Amazing home!
I agree about the shelves. And that kitchen is something else. That doesn't look like anyone else's kitchen. Love it.
omg i LOVE so many things about this house- great bones, gorgeous finishes, lighting, etc... that bathroom is AMAZING! however, i am not a fan of all the slipcovers. i think they look dated & old fashioned & don't go w the fresh, young vibe of the rest of the house.
that marble countertop is incredible
Love the shelves and I'm a big fan of the grey/white combo in the bedroom.
WHY is it that every time I see a house I love lately it is in Austin? It seems like Portland, only warmer and cooler.
Love the kitchen, love the bathroom, love the idea of having a rolling storage/worktop thingie as the table for banquette seating.
i suppose the backyard is private enough so no curtain is needed over that door right next to the tub? also, when can i move in?
Gimme. Gimme that feline. Oh, and great house and pup too.
Beautiful! I love all the original ideas, the cooking utensil holder built into the counter, the medicine cabinets. So many slip covers!
I love everything about this house. It is full of uniqueness but also gives a sense of calm welcoming mixed with fun. The best part is that the post has been up for almost a day and yet the opinionated “odium parade” folks have made nary a snarky comment. That alone is a testament to wonderfulness of it all.
I love almost everything about this home. From the organized, clean looking kitchen to the practicality mixed with beauty in a lot of the choices in this house; that lovely "wrap around" storage/banquette and the splash of graphic tile in the shower recess.
Really nicely done. I appreciate a "quirky" home that also looks clean and cozy (and not like some featured recently where you have to bring a bottle of lysol just to visit.) This looks sparkling clean and organized and it probably is quite a nice place to live. Nicely done!
HOLY HOUSE TOUR! Just when I think I've seen THE coolest house...you have raised the bar! I don't know what is cooler...the wrap around shelving, the marble counter waterfall drop, ceiling boards, sunken utinsil holders, checkerboard tile counter, or the run tile work in the shower. And if that weren't enough...two adorable and interesting pets! They are like live sculptures. Thanks for sharing your home.
never ever have a see thru door in a bath
wow that's really great.
I completely agree with @Rita - it seems like the best house tours are coming out of Austin! Love this latest contribution.
that kitty is adorable!
Love the house, and how individual and personal it is.
And the kitty with the summer cut (buzz cut?) is adorable.
The mirrored cabinet in the bathroom is genius; where'd that come from?
Have to give fair time to Tottenham too though; he's a very handsome bulldog.
Wow. Love the kitchen and the cat. (And most everything else.) Very impressive house tour - a breath of fresh air!
Hand over the pets and nobody gets hurt.
Also, I am now going to weep quietly in a corner at the unattainable gorgeousness of it all.
Shannon - the metal work on the banquets reminds me of the cool "radiator covers" my dad made for our hosue when I was a kid - warmest place in the house! Are there radiators under there? Also - are those banquet seats comfortable? I always love the idea of a banquet to squeeze alot of people around, but never find them comfortable.
I LOVE the marble island with the marble on the sides as well as the top - so lux against the brick and wood.
I would like to see a detailed photo of how the fridges "joined" with a metal screen.
And yeah - your critters are great. I think I will shave my cat just for fun of having her look so silly cute (well, actually, no)
Can we get the paint color for the bedroom? The entire place is beautiful. The white pets and the white furniture is always a smooth move too.
Shannon, LOVE your home! Thanks for the tour! A "Soothing Mix" indeed ... I actually sighed! Kitchen & bathroom storage is beautiful annnnd brilliant. The simplicity of your source list and your use of natural elements & glass jar storage is refreshing & peaceful. You've got me considering pulling my spice jars out of the drawer!
Great house, but only in Texas would that bathroom be considered "tiny."
Please more info on the floating shelves......
The floating shelves are 1 1/2" solid Ipe wood. 3/4" diameter holes are drilled into the back of the shelves at regular intervals. Then steel rods are secured to the wood stud walls, aligning with the holes, and shelves are slid over these rods and glued in place. The steel rods extend about 2/3 the depth of the shelf - so about 8" for a 12" shelf, etc.
The mirrored corner cabinets in the bath were custom designed for the homeowners - hers: taller mirror with a shorter cabinet, his: shorter mirror with a taller cabinet.
This place is perfect. My favorite part is the chandeliers everywhere-that's my kinda lighting! Oh,and can I have your kitty? Can doggie come too? AT is apparently full of animal people :)
Great mix of old and new. I love how the warmth and rusticity of the wood contrasts with the pervasive whites. The modern touches in this house feel classic and I'd think will never be dated.
Wonderfully original. Congrats.
MEFITIA, the metal panels at the banquette and pantry are clover patterned perforated metal to add a little texture and pattern. Below the banquette are storage drawers, but this material would make a nice grille, too.
What a stunning house, I would live there in a heartbeat.
I was intrigued by their bed with the storage space, but I think they are brave having that when a very fluffy cat + dog live in the house! I'm picturing little fur-balls, but perhaps they are more diligent with cleaning than I am.
The floating shelves are incredible, as are the floors, the lovely pale gray in the master, the exposed brick column in the kitchen (very clever way to turn something that could have been a nuisance into a wonderful feature) and the marble in the kitchen. The bathroom is just incredible....
Wow.
Two fantastic house tours today. My head is spinning with inspiration. THANK YOU AT!!! Keep up the great work.
Beautiful home! I love all the different materials in the kitchen. And the storage in the master bath.... wonderful!
Love the dog and kitty!
Where o where did you get that fabulous 3-tiered fruit tray in the kitchen? I am in mad love.... Please help!!!
Awesome! I am in love with the dog! I am assuming its a bulldog!? Can you tell me where they got it - breeder?
The house is gorgeous! I've wound up by accident in that neighborhood before and was always incredibly envious of the homes and location.
Love how white and bright it looks. It's not my personal aesthetic (I need colorful rooms), but it works so well in your house that I love it anyway. Maybe someday I'll reach a point where I can embrace white walls again in my own space.
I thought the inset utensil holders were nifty, but kinda wonder if they get dirty quicker due to their close proximity to the stove.
My kitchen has a brick chimney from the old oil furnace hidden inside a rather awkward wall. I had been toying with the idea of restoring and exposing it -- it looks great here!
So many incredibly creative custom ideas - taking notes!
absolutely in LOVE with everything, especially the beadboard throughout.
Nicole, did you guys build your bed in the master bedroom? I absolutely MUST have it!! So impressed and inspired.
Oops, I mean Shannon!!
Love the bathroom and the uniqueness of the kitchen is incredible.
Hi - Thanks for all of the nice comments, especially about Tott & Messi! My kids were thrilled to see the response to them - could have cared less about the house ; )
Nicole is so talented. She should mass produce the mirror in our bathroom, it's genius!
As for the bed, it's from Four Hands. The tiered tray is from Neiman Marcus - sadly the don't sell it anymore; I really want another one. Tott is from a breeder outside of Houston - tx outlaw kennels. They are great.
Great house. I particularly love the kitchen and the bathrooms.
I love the contrast of light and dark fabrics, paint and woods together. Your place has a peaceful and pleasing feel to it, thanks to great taste!
I definitely like the storage solutions in the bathroom and kitchen.
And, puppy and kitty are cuties too!
Thought it funny that even the dog and the cat fit the color scheme! Gorgeous house.
Love the kitty and the house, but I think Kitty stole the show. My sister has an adorable black version of your kitty and has had the same shave experience yours got.
I love the house, but especially the shelves around the chimney.
*fans self* oh Lord the wrap around shelving in the living room and how they flow with the kitchen dining nook. I won't even get into the bathroom. I would never leave it.
Love everything about this home, especially the kitty. Would REALLY love the color of the bedroom. I've been searching for exactly that shade of blue/gray. Thanks!
Lovely home, but all I can think is...poor kitty! He looks so sad with his lion cut!
SSOOO much white! But it's working for you! Photo 38, I assume thats custom built cabinet?
And photo 52..YIKES!!!!!!
I'm with Paminparadise! Kitty butts don't belong on the table!!!!!! And doggie butts everywhere on the furniture creeps me out. I love pets, but on the floor please, or in/on their own beds!
Comments about cat butts on counters always makes me laugh :) and makes me want to ask the same people the question "Do you ever put your purses or backpack or bags on your kitchen counters or table?"
Everyone does it, you've got a full load with groceries and you dump everything on the counter or kitchen table, including your purse/bag!
Now travel back in time and think where your purse or bag has been...the floor of that restaurant you were at, the floor of the movie theatre bathroom, on the floor at work or on the floor of that store as you were rummaging through it looking for something etc or even on chairs or benches in the park (other people put their feet up on those or birds poop on them, people's dirty clothes, spilt food, barf etc) - you have no idea what kind of germs your purse or bag has picked up but there it is sitting on your kitchen counters :)
My cat cleans herself regularly so I'll take my cat's clean butt any day on my counters than my purse or backpack :)
That being said, everyone has their preferences just remember to put your bags and purses on the floor where they won’t come in contact with your sterile countertops ;)
Gorgeous!! Is Tottenham an American bulldog or an Olde English bulldog? Where did you get the drawing/ paintings of the bulldogs in the kids' room? I particularly like the one with the two dogs in glasses (or was just one dog in glasses...?).
Love... LOVE! Just don't tell hubby that I love a house with a dog (I accidentally wrote God... lol But then he looks like the type to think he is! lol) called Tottenham - as we're a Man U household and that would be against our religion!
I had to make an account on Apartment Therapy just to comment on this house tour--just goes to show how much I LOVE this house. It's my favorite house tour yet! I just love everything about this house--how it effortlessly feels warm, cozy, and inviting amidst all the bright white airiness. That kitchen is to die for--and I love the floating shelves everywhere. And of course, that master bath is gorgeous. When can I move in? ;) In all seriousness, when I build my house, this house tour will be my inspiration.
And Messi is so cute--especially when he's being eaten by the couch cushions and when he's covering his "parts."
Love the house. Love the cat. But do you really take a bath with no covering over the door or is that just for "staging" purposes?
Best house tour ever! I love all the organization and the personality of this place. Also a HUGE fan of bullies. The photography is also amazing. Love the shots of the kids, puppy and that gorgeous donkey.
I AM IN LOVE!! Wow - so many wonderful storage and space-saving ideas, I'm at a loss for words. BEAUTIFUL. Absolutely beautiful.
I adore everything about this post!!!!! Especially that bathroom!
sac chanel very beautiful and very practical
This is so beautiful. I love that it is in Austin. Somehow fits the vibe of the space. A lot of pictures for my pinterest ;-)
Favorite 4ever
There is nothing I don't LOVE about this home. But, the bedroom, I just imagine myself waking up in that room every morning~amazing.
p.s. What is the paint color in the bedroom? Actually, what are the paint colors throughout the house?
Brava to Nicole from Studio 512, and the homeowners. The kitchen and bathroom are materful!
I like everything except the huge blown up picture of the kids above the fireplace and the collection of them in another room. A few colorful paintings bought at local art shows would be more beautiful and complete the house better. Otherwise, the house is great.
Beautiful house. Would you please share the paint colors?
I have a male Persian that same color. I think you did this whole house tour just to have an excuse to humiliate Messi on the WWW in his lion cut. ;-)
Clearly this bathroom is everything. Ever.
Oh, Stream13. I would never, ever put my not cheap Matt and Nat handbags on any floor at any time. To speak to your comment, though, I don't wear shoes in the house under any circumstances. People think I'm trying to protect my floors-and that's part of it-but I live in Chicago and you can just imagine what I walk around on all day. I'm not trying to bring that into my home.
Can anyone speak to the custom shelving in the bathroom? How was that done on a corner?
Thanks!
That bathroom! Swoon.
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Hands down, one of my all time favorites on Apt Therapy. I love your home, so beautiful, inviting and uniquely your own! Well done. :-)
Best House Tour. Ever!
A question about the shelves. I have been trying to get the same effect with an awkward wall in our kitchen. Can someone provide more information on affixing the metal bars to the wall? How are they screwed in? Where can I buy metal bars that would work? Would it be advisable to anchor them into non-stud areas? (This is my biggest challenge).
A question about the shelves. I have been trying to get the same effect with an awkward wall in our kitchen. Can someone provide more information on affixing the metal bars to the wall? How are they screwed in? Where can I buy metal bars that would work? Would it be advisable to anchor them into non-stud areas? (This is my biggest challenge).
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I know that if I'm saving every picture from a house, I LOVE it! Even your cat is cute, and I'm not a cat person. Would have liked to see that pool tho...