Palette Perfect
The Green House
Words Christopher Ferguson AIA | Photos Leonid Furmansky
Since opening the doors of his architecture practice nearly ten years ago, Davey McEathron has designed an impressive collection of thoughtful and striking homes throughout Austin. When afforded the opportunity to purchase two generous lots in Austin’s Chestnut neighborhood, he enlisted the help of his wife, Rebecca Holliday, to develop the properties themselves. “Rebecca quit her day job and took on the role of general contractor for all four homes,” Davey says with a grin, “and she’s the best builder I’ve ever had. The attention to detail is everywhere.”
Two modestly scaled accessory dwelling units open privately to a shared alley, while two primary residences face separate streets at opposite corners of their lots. With beautiful detailing and masterful daylighting, three of the homes quickly found buyers. The couple authored the fourth home, affectionately dubbed by friends, ‘The Green House on 12th,’ for themselves.
Comfortable rooms with an abundance of deep, neighborhood views are well-organized within three floors. A well-proportioned living space and open kitchen sit below two levels of bedrooms and bathrooms, which are united by a stairwell bathed in daylight from windows above. Despite its adjacency to energetic 12th Street, the stairwell works as an extra acoustic buffer, making the spaces inside calm and serene.
That serenity is not solely achieved by the home’s smart organization but also the personalized care evident in the selection of materials and finishes throughout the home. Being inside feels intangibly elevated, and yet there’s an appreciation for the very tangible choices that were made in the pursuit of its palette.
Complementary shades of elegant, green combed wood wrap continuously from outside to within, set off by grain matched walnut cabinetry and accented with rich, brass fixtures. A soft grey, polished concrete slab glimmers subtly underfoot, accents of custom selected pink and green aggregate catch the indirect light and play off the white walls.
As the centerpiece of the house, a sprawling infinity white quartzite island receives special attention from the couple. “I’m really particular about my stones, and I can obsess,” Rebecca admits, “so we hand select every piece of stone in every house. It needs to be warm, inviting, and durable, and quartzite is the hardest stone you can get. It looks like marble, and you don’t have to seal it.”
Other custom details include hand-made leather door pulls, bespoke handrails, a concealed, counterweighted door, and exactingly aligned tile work in the home’s kitchen and three bathrooms.
“The arced corners in the master bathroom are my favorite detail,” recalls Davey. “We had the tub on site while the walls were being framed so we could make sure the radius of the walls matched the radius of the tub.”
The home, or rather the collection of homes united under the couple’s vision, feels decidedly distinct from standard developer-driven efforts common throughout East Austin. After setting out to create a space for themselves, Davey and Rebecca have clearly crafted something more.
Contact:
daveymarchitecture.com
@davey.mceathron.architecture
@rock.paper.build
