Eva’s Cozy Sense of Clarity in Austin

Name: Eva Schone
Location: Hyde Park; Austin, Texas
Size: 850 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years; rented

Eva Schone, the founder of Trophyology (and an architect on hiatus), describes her style as “light, cozy, and green with a sense of clarity.” It’s true. Upon entering her sun-drenched two bedroom garage apartment, Eva’s decisions and delights are perfectly clear, without the appearance of a lot of work or fuss. The light (and lightness), the pillows and throws, and the well-cared for plants and pup make for a home with a lot of love and a beautifully clear point of view.

Eva works from home regularly, and her home office is also full of great light, a feeling of ease, and supreme organization. The founder of a modern trophy design business (“each piece is designed and handcrafted with love in Austin, Texas”), Eva is proud of her work and where it’s going, and it shows in her workspace. Every room in Eva’s home feels like the kind of space you could spend endless hours in, happily. Wait until you see the bedroom cocoon that she created…

My Style: Light, cozy, and green with a sense of clarity. I adore plants and I love entertaining. Those are driving factors in my decision-making. I want my guests to feel at home in my little tree house.

Inspiration: I am generally inspired by spaces in which people feel comfortable. I think it’s a real art to achieve that.

My bedroom cocoon was inspired by a stay in the most amazing little beach cottage on Railay Beach in Thailand. I adored the serene cocoon the mosquito nets formed around the white bed in the middle of the wooden cottage. I wanted to recreate that feeling in my bedroom, so I hung dense white curtains wrapping around two walls. I immediately relax when I enter my bedroom; it is truly my oasis, my nest.

Favorite Elements: #1 My plants.

#2 The bedroom cocoon.

#3 The transom windows above the interior doors. Because of them, I can see the moonshine through the trees in the living room when lying in bed. It’s quite magical.

#4 The balcony.

Biggest Challenge: Moving to a different continent. I took only a few heirloom pieces that would fit in a suitcase with me, leaving my family’s furniture and books behind. I also moved a lot in the last few years here in the U.S., and one of my furniture requirements was mobility.

What Friends Say: Welcoming, warm, serene, thoughtful.

That palm tree! I want to take a nap in your bedroom!

Biggest Embarrassment: The number of plants it took to figure out which ones would do well in this place.

Proudest DIY: Hands down, the tree-trunk couch table. I spotted that gorgeous slice of tree trunk in the yard when I moved in. My friend Joanna and I made the table on a Sunday morning. It sits on three heavy-duty casters. I laser-cut several plywood shims with the caster hole pattern to level out the significant angle of the trunk slice. I love that table and the memory of making it with Jo.

Biggest Indulgence: My plants and fresh flowers. I always have fresh flower arrangements in my house. They are my must-have luxury.

Best Advice: #1 Do it with love.

#2 Good design is more about good proportions than about budget.

#3 Furniture that is “light” on its feet allows the floor to visually continue below the pieces, which helps to preserve some spaciousness in a small space.

Dream Sources: Scandinavian, Moroccan, Japanese markets and the Dutch flower markets.

• Living Room: Benjamin Moore 2141-50 Horizon Gray
• Bedrooms & Bathroom: Benjamin Moore 2144-50 Silken Pine

Because there is so little space for an entry space and the close proximity to the kitchen table, I added a narrow ledge to create a place for my purse, keys, and sunglasses. But I also use the ledge for flowers and candles to provide a beautiful view when sitting at the kitchen table. I added an extendable mirror for the quick check before leaving the house as well as a low-hanging strip of hooks for the dog leash and shopping bags (Ikea). The poster is a favorite memento from a visit to the Bauhaus Dessau.

• I bought the fishtail palm 10 years ago at the farmers market in St. Petersburg, Florida. It has more than doubled in size since then. We just repotted it into a significantly larger planter from Miguel’s. Many of the other plants I bought at Breed & Co . They have one of the best selections of houseplants in Austin. I couldn’t resist the amazing bush cherry tree at Breed’s a few weeks ago – I had to have it.
• The two couches are a discontinued IKEA model (Lessebo). I bought new covers from weuweu.com, a company that specializes in slipcovers for Ikea furniture (what a niche).
• The two carved stone houses on the tree-trunk table were created by my father, Gunter Schoene. He is a sculptor in Berlin, Germany, and I especially love this series of stone house sculptures.

KITCHEN

• Barstools: Era Barstool, Design within Reach (I’m fascinated by Thonet’s story)
• Kitchen chairs: Oh Chairs, Umbra(very comfortable with the sheep skins) and Ikea Elias chairs
• Kitchen table: Craigslist
• Pendant lamps: Ikea PS Maskros
• Pink serving dishes: Lucky find by my friend Anna at Austin’s Room Service Vintage
• Photograph of the little girl: My all-time favorite image by my friend Carey Russell
• Green pottery: Regine Dietz, Germany

• Bed: Min Bed, Design Within Reach
• Side tables, ledges, curtains: Ikea
• Duvet Cover: West Elm
• Artwork by my father, Gunter Schoene, and my friends Elizabeth Chiles and Glenn Darling.

OFFICE

• Desk Chair: Sayl Chair by Herman Miller. Thanks to Nathaniel, this chair comes with a great story.
• Desks, shelves: Ikea
• My steel job sign design was brought to life by my friend Colin McIntyre.
• Awards: Trophyology (I’m proud of my company. Each piece is designed and handcrafted with love in Austin, Texas)

Thanks, EVA!

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