Austin

Ashley Martin’s inspiration comes from vintage aesthetics, from Hollywood Regency to charmingly kitsch honeymoon motels. ”I love incorporating modern art, eclectic furniture, and plenty of sparkly disco balls for a funky twist!” Ashley says. “It’s like if Barbie’s grandma had her own dream house.”

Rachel and Ethan are a Texas couple living together for the first time in this duplex. With rent prices going up in Austin, Rachel and Ethan have saved money by scouring local vintage stores and Facebook Marketplace to make their home as unique and stylish as they are.

Megan and Alex bought this 1,800-square-foot, ranch-style house in Austin three years ago. Megan is just the right person to style a house from the 1970s because of her passions for retro styles, thrifting, and history, which she explores on the popular blog Mid-century Millennial.

Anastasia Casey, the founder of boutique creative agency IDCO Studio, says her goal for designing spaces is for them to "feel collected and elevated, with each piece telling a story."

Missy McCabe had fun filling this blank canvas with accent walls, wallpaper, and vintage and heirloom pieces.

This creative couple bought an abandoned Airstream on the side of the road for $600, eventually spending two and a half years and $20k to completely renovate it themselves!

Designer and children's book author September Scott describes her style as playful. "I’ve always loved incorporating old pieces with new and find that doing this adds much more personality and character to a space."

Everything is always changing and moving around in Melanie Raines' remodeled house, it's why she lovingly calls it “the laboratory.”

Each area of this small rental apartment is filled with stories and memories, and this interior design loves living here.

Noah Marion power washed, painted, scraped, and replaced light fixtures, fans, appliances, toilets to reveal this Austin house's beautiful bones.

Live greenery, luxe gold touches, soft textures, and cheery pops of color characterize this home's festive holiday decor.

After quite a few months of casually house shopping, a 1970s house in a great location came up and this couple had to go for it; it just had too much potential.

Austin is known for its live music scene, funky boutique hotels and nearby Hill Country, and one of its newest places to stay, The Wayback Cafe and Cottages, combines the charm of all three. Located on three Live Oak-dotted acres in the exclusive West Lake Hills neighborhood, The Wayback boasts eight board-and-batten style cottages, a restaurant led by the flavors of Central Texas and a handful of communal areas including a pool, fire pit and cabana.

From giant mural wallpaper to layers of plants, bold romantic colors and multiple art galleries, this home has us swooning.

Not only did this couple do much of the house's renovation work themselves, the entire neighborhood pitched in. Their style? Reverent and resourceful!

Name: Sara Barge, Shelby Goodwin, and Stephanie Gutierrez of Foster ATX Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,344 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting After a five-week backpacking trip, Sara, Stephanie, and Shelby left Europe exhilarated by all they’d seen and done. At the time, they were convinced that kind of joy, excitement, passion for life—it was temporary.

Just off South Congress Avenue, one of the most highly trafficked streets in Austin, lies an apartment community that is just as eco-friendly as it is Instagram-worthy. La Dueña, which was originally constructed in 1973, was remodeled in 2018 by Jeanne Schultz Design Studio and now contains 10 400-square-foot fully furnished units.

This home aims for sustainability in small but impactful ways.

In a quiet East Austin neighborhood, newly-constructed homes sit side-by-side with the time-weathered structures in need of a fresh coat of paint, homes where overgrown grass reaches out to touch the cracked sidewalks. But, along with the apparent signs of gentrification, there is also something quite unexpected hiding behind a fenced-in backyard: the first permitted 3D-printed house in the world.

On your next vacation, you could easily go the standard route by booking a hotel room in the getaway spot of your choice, or you could toss a little bit of childhood nostalgia into mix by spending a few nights in a real-life treehouse. Sleeping one of the whimsical elevated dwellings is one of the more unique ways to get in some rest and relaxation while simultaneously testing out the theory that living in a treehouse is as dreamy as it sounds.

Name: Max and Tamera Walters Location: Austin, Texas Size: 843 square feet Years lived in: 7 months, renting Tamera and her family live in South Austin with their daughter (with a second child on the way!). South Austin, an expanding part of the city, has become increasingly expensive, so Tamera and her family chose to live in a complex where they would have security, convenience to work, and be within their budget. The apartment is a two-bedroom, one-bathroom on the ground floor.

Texas is a big, big place—it takes an incredible 14 hours to drive across it!—which is why you need a solid game plan if you’re moving to the Lone Star State. Each of its cities and towns are unique, and all have different things to offer, depending on what you’re looking for. But whether you’re looking for the right spot to start your life or a bustling community to welcome you during your sunset years, there’s a vibrant place for you.

As a long-time New Yorker with over a dozen years in the Big Apple under my belt, the idea of moving to another city always seemed pretty laughable. Why would I bother when the best of everything can be found in NYC? Of course, crippling rents, frigid winters and soon-to-be-defunct subway lines can also be found in NYC.

Retro Halloween masks, handmade spooky DIYs, glitter, pom-poms, tassels and a ton of faux trees — crafter and blogger Jen Perkins doesn’t just set a few fake tombstones out on the lawn and call it a day. When it comes to Halloween decorating, every inch of her home (inside and out) is splashed with spooky decor. This is the third year in a row we’re showing off what her home looks like in October.

Just steps from department store stalwart Dillard’s, thredUP’s second brick-and-mortar store wants to “disrupt” everything we think we know about not just secondhand shopping, but retail in general — and a first look at its Austin store, opening tomorrow, did not disappoint. Actually, it was downright dreamy.

Name: Lara and Adam Location: South Austin, Texas Size: 930 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, owned Not counting the couches and chairs, nearly all the furniture in this home was built by its owners! Pallets, old fences…any reclaimed wood Lara and Adam found around their neighborhood became building material for their home’s contents. And they saved a lot of money by salvaging fencing they took down during the renovation and other wood scraps.

Name: September Scott Location: Austin, Texas Size: 740 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, renting Designer September Scott is all about the hunt—for treasures, one-of-a-kind finds and absolutely any found object she can reinvigorate. “Almost all the pieces in my space are reclaimed from an estate sale, flea market, Goodwill or on the side of the road. My passion is bringing new life into found objects,” she writes.

The shift in thrift took a massive leap today as sleek online secondhand brand thredUP unveiled details about its first brick-and-mortar store, slated to open on July 20th in a Texas outlet mall. They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and apparently that goes for the density of tech-enabled thrifters, too.

Name: Chad Palmatier and Anthony Sobotik Location: North Austin, Texas Size: 1,850 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, owned In their business—Lick Honest Ice Creams—as well as their home, Chad and Anthony focus on bringing an appreciation of simple things into the world. When it comes to decorating their North Austin house, they only brought in items they really love. The kind of items that bring them joy every day. For the couple, that means color, pattern and family heirlooms.

Name: Amanda and Chris Covo Location: East Austin, Texas Size: 967 square feet Years lived in: 7 months owned, after an 8 month renovation Amanda and Chris live in Austin, Texas — East Austin, to be specific. They are right down the street from Franklin BBQ and East Side Pies, local favorites. The house isn’t just cool because of its proximity to the hippest restaurants, though; it’s also a historic landmark.

Name: Kelly and Colton Jarisch, baby Silas, and Shiner. Location: Tarrytown — Austin, Texas Size: 1,530 square feet Years lived in: Owned a little over 2.5 years Kelly and Colton’s small cottage home just west of downtown Austin is a case study for renovations done right. Their reno began as a series of DIY projects to remove the previous owner’s design decisions, but Kelly and Colton soon found themselves in the midst of a whole house renovation — for the first time.

Name: Ruth Snell Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: Owned 6 years Ruth Snell and her family have lived in their bright, 1300 square foot home for almost six years. As you enter her organized entryway, you wouldn’t guess that controlling family clutter is her biggest challenge. Ruth’s best advice for a tidy home? Practice picking up daily, have a place for everything, and keep baskets around to collect items that need to go back to their homes.

Name: Austin Carrier, Alex Mutter-Rottmayer, and their dog Ziggy Location: Sonoma, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Austin and Alex say their apartment is like the scene in Alice in Wonderland in which the Mad Hatter is calling for people to change seats. It’s very likely that the couple’s wine country apartment is already styled completely different than how it looked during this house tour.

Name: Tamera Location: Falconhead, Bee Cave – Texas Tamera’s apartment is filled with lights and plants and a super dreamy door. It also serves as a great space for Tamera to build and foster relationships within her apartment community. From Tamera: We love our two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,137 square foot apartment right outside of Austin, Texas.

Name: Micaela Clouse and June Carter Cash the Pug Location: South Central Austin, Texas Size: 630 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Drawing inspiration from her family’s collective design styles, Micaela brings together ’70s charm with Southwestern flavor in this mid-century apartment in Austin, Texas. Tucked away in an apartment complex in South Central Austin is an oasis of macrame and greenery. Micaela has effortlessly made this 630 square foot space a home.

Tiffany and Alan’s Austin bungalow is chic and playful, inspired by Tiffany’s background in fashion and the couple’s travels. Most impressive is that the couple has only been in the space for nine months. You can easily get this warm, beautiful look in your home using the links below. Shop the style!

Austin keeps it weird, even with its homes: The landmark property known as BloomHouse is now on the market. The 1,101 square foot one bedroom is located on 2.47 acres of wooded land in West Lake Hills. Built in 1980 by architect Charles Harker, the sculptural home embodies the organic architecture of the ’70s. It won an 1984 Award of Merit by the Austin chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and has been exhibited at MoMA, among other accolades.

Emily has mastered the art of tastefully combining modern and bohemian decor and furniture while keeping it refreshingly minimal in her 1967 renovated Austin charmer. Take a peek at her resource lists below to shop her delightful style!

Name: Greg and Becky Simpson Location: East Austin Size: 1,500 square feet Years Lived In: Owned 2 years Greg and Becky don’t have any particular favorite time period of design. Nor do they hold any allegiances to any brands or designers. Truthfully? They just buy what they like. Influenced heavily by their “groovy friends” and the lively city of Austin, their home is a playful, unique reflection of their two fun personalities.

Name: Amy and Jed Rogers, dog: Prancy and cat: Barney Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2.5 years When my husband, Jed Rogers, and I started our house hunt four years ago we knew our list of “must haves” was going to be tough to find all in one home. What we ended up finding? A 1964 one-story home with good bones and lots of potential in a desirable neighborhood.

Name: Katie Taylor Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,400 square feet Years Lived In: Owned 7 years When you first walk into Katie’s home, you just can’t help but want to move right in. Each room is drenched in cheery, loud, earthy California-vibe colors, and decorated with hilariously sassy signs, brass pineapples of all sizes, and an abundance of sweet, little details. It’s the kind of place you want to skip work and stay in to host a girls-only hangout day.

Not exactly known for her minimalist views on decor, Jen's holiday-ready home—and over 100 Christmas trees—is cheery enough to brighten even the biggest Grinch's day!

Bold, colorful, and vintage — if that’s your goal, take a peek at Allison’s resource lists from her unforgettable Austin apartment to shop her style and instantly fill your space with colorful kitschy decor! charset="utf-8" src="https://d30bopbxapq94k.cloudfront.net/js/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.

Name: Tiffany and Alan Goldstein Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1064 square feet Years lived in: Owned for 9 Months Natural light pours in through large windows, warming Tiffany and Alan’s Austin bungalow. Tiffany’s background in fashion and the couple’s traveling adventures have inspired chic yet playful interior design. In just nine months, they have creatively remodeled the home to make their space feel open and airy.

Name: Emily Waldmann Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years Austin is known for its music scene and amazing barbecue. But Austin also boasts some diverse, singular design. Deep down in East Austin is where you’ll find Seattle native Emily Waldmann and her incredible modern-meets-bohemian style. This 1967 renovated charmer features welcoming common areas, ample outdoor space, and a private master bathroom ensuite.

Name: Allen, Clara and Henry Hah Location: Austin, Texas Size: 2100 sq ft Years lived in: Owned almost 2 years. Purchased Jan 2014; moved in Nov 2014 due to renovations Allen and Clara met through a mutual friend years ago and became long distance pen pals, between San Francisco and Houston. Texas has always been home for Clara, so she was itching to move back. Allen got a job opportunity that he couldn’t pass up, so they packed up and moved to Austin in 2012.

Name: Natalie, Bobby, Arlo the boy, and Lucy the dog Location: Texas Hill Country Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Natalie and Bobby met in college and married about 11 years ago. Moving from Portland, Oregon (where Natalie studied to become an art therapist) to Austin, Texas in 2013 was a huge adjustment. “I had found out I was pregnant the day we packed up and said goodbye to all of our friends and our lovely Portland neighborhood.

Name: Spencer Huddleston Location: Austin, Texas Size: 780 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Spencer is a graphic designer and world traveler living in Austin, Texas. When I arrived at his home, his packed climbing gear was immediately noticeable. He was headed that day to climb Mount Kilimanjaro (!). “My friend and I try to climb one mountain a year. This year, it’s Mount Kilimanjaro.

Name: Taylor and Alisha Murphy Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,300 Square Feet Years lived in: 2 years, rented Taylor and Alisha Murphy have lived in Austin since they both graduated from the University of Texas. It was a happy medium for being close to family, but also being in the middle of all the exciting things a city can offer, such as outdoor activities — hiking, swimming, camping, music — and a great design and restaurant scene.

Name: Jennifer Perkins and husband Chris Boehk along with daughter Tallulah and son Baxter Location: Shady Hollow Neighborhood — Austin, Texas Size: 2,900 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Crafter, blogger and extremely cool mom Jennifer Perkins excels at many things — and transforming her Austin home into a Halloween land of enchantment every year is definitely high on the list.

Name: Allison Crawford and pup Pierre Location: Downtown — Austin, Texas Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Renting 1 month Interior designer Allison Crawford hasn’t been living in this downtown Austin apartment very long, but her style (and the skills to put together so many eclectic pieces) is evident from the very first glimpse of her colorful, vintage-filled home. My Style: My style is vintage eclectic.

Name: Justin Cox and Blue Jean the pup Location: East Austin — Austin, Texas Size: 2/2 + Office Years lived in: 1 years Justin Cox’s home is located in the heart of Austin. The rich, warm wood ceiling in the living room might catch your eye first. A modern kitchen is visible from the front door, and the first impression is of an airy, light-filled space, beautifully layered from floor to (wood) ceiling.

Name: Kirsten and Brandon Dickerson, plus their son and daughter Location: Our homestead know as Green Acres Retreat, just east of Austin in Elgin, Texas Size: 25 acres that includes our personal dwellings: a 1955 Spartan Mansion just under 350 square feet and a 1967 Overlander Airstream just under 180 square feet, as well as an open air vintage barn and Lotus Belle yurts for guests. Years lived in: Full time living in both of the vintage trailers for 1.5 years Green Acres update!

Name: Kayla and Amir Farhang and their dogs, Rusty “Pants” and Bo Jackson Location: Austin, Texas Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 8 months; Owned Kayla and Amir live in Austin with their two dogs, Rusty “Pants” and Bo Jackson. To make a long story short, they basically left their long-time home in Los Angeles for Austin because they fell in love with a house, a city, and its people. Kayla is a life stylist, host, and speaker in LA, NYC, and Austin.

Name: Jeff and Jenni Swedlund and their son, Decker Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,497 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Jenni and Jeff come from different parts of the country—Seattle and Chicago—but met on common ground when they were both living in California. Six weeks after Jenni moved to their beach town, they met in a sequence of events involving tequila shots, mistaken advances toward a waitress, a whispered coaxing from a friend, and an ocean swim.

Name: Molly Location: Austin, Texas My apartment is a tiny (500 square foot) one bedroom in the heart of my favorite neighborhood in Austin. I made location my priority during my apartment search, so I sacrificed a few things like size and amenities. This apartment has been a true testament to the idea that you can make any space a home with the right furnishings, art, and embarrassing amount of tchotchkes. My home is a happy place for me.

Kind of hard to believe this is the same house, right? When Kezia and Jonathan bought their home, they were seemingly stuck with a material they hated that couldn’t be removed. Instead of throwing up their hands in despair and settling, they got creative and gave the facade of their home some major curb appeal. From Kezia: We bought a cookie cutter house and redid the kitchen and facade ourselves – we call it the Kimono Project (because our house is on Kimono Ridge Drive).

Name: Jen & Dave Figueroa and their two rescue greyhounds, Ike and Louise Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned A little over a year ago, Jen and Dave bought a house that was in desperate need of some love. The house sits on a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood in South Austin, and when they bought it, it had old carpet, beige walls, and all the hallmarks of a fixer-upper.

Name: Woodworker and craftsman Mark Maček, his lovely wife Pamela Peltz and three adorable cats Location: Gullet Gardens — East Austin, Texas Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: 7 1/2 years — owned Mark Maček’s first impression upon seeing a tiny photo of the exterior of this house in the MLS listing was that this looked like a “house.” An archetypal structure, with a gable roof and a homey feeling. Like what you think of when you think of “home.