January 25, 2023
The quiet season for gardening is the perfect season to focus on interiors — and to attend Tribez’s annual Austin Interiors Tour. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the tour resumed last Sunday, and I was there. Today and tomorrow I’ll be featuring the highlights for my fellow design lovers and those who are just curious about what other people are doing with their homes.
CG&S Design-Build: Rollingwood house in rainbow colors
One of my favorites on the tour was Genie Norris’ colorful home in the Rollingwood neighborhood. Genie is a color consultant and used her textile collection to paint a sherbet rainbow around her home.
According to Tribeza:
“CG&S Design-Build client Genie Norris, as color consultant, painted the facade in bright cheerful colors: indigo, avocado, crimson and pink. Genie’s love of color began with an interest in old textiles introduced to her by her mother. And it was a specific quilt from the 1970s that inspired the renovation journey she and her husband have been on over the past few years. Genie and Randy turned to CG&S Design-Build to do a whole-house renovation: a new outdoor living room and pool, as well as a third-floor ‘crow’s nest’ to enjoy downtown views.”
In the kitchen, graphic watermelon work echoes green cabinets painted with Sherwin Williams “Composed”.
I love a banquette and have one in my own home, so I particularly enjoyed this curved version with a plush, burgundy back and linen cushion that matches the colorful, abstract Seafield wallpaper in Bluebell Grey.
In the bedroom, an old-fashioned screen door – without a screen – opens into a butler’s pantry.
The spacious living room next to the master bedroom is inviting with sea foam armchairs and a large watercolor mural or wallpaper. This room overlooks the…
…a deep covered porch that runs along the back of the house. Light wells in the porch ceiling bring sunlight into the interior of the house, while the deep roof keeps the porch shaded and dry. Ceiling fans and built-in heaters, plus an outdoor fireplace, provide comfort no matter the season.
Inviting porch furniture (Jonathan Adler’s Riviera Lounge Chairs and Annie Selke’s Bowline Navy indoor/outdoor rug) and oversized clay sconces on the fireplace wall add style. Generous sliding doors erase the separation between indoor and outdoor space.
A large dining table with red Lucite chairs and a rocking bench round out the seating options.
The colorful waterline tiles reminded me of B. Jane’s pool tile – inspiration, perhaps? The zigzag planters from Pieces seem to shimmer at one end of the pool.
In the side yard, two large galvanized cisterns collect and store rainwater from the roof.
At the door of the living room, I noticed this wonderful candle holder with horns and lotus flowers. Update: Genie tells me her sconces (she has them) are vintage, probably 1950s, from D&W Lighting in Austin.
In the nook under the staircase, the piano is given a star treatment in blue (Sherwin Williams “Really Teal”) that stretches across the hardwood floor, like a spotlight on a stage. Stitches’ metal Sazerac floral sconce illuminates this charming music alcove.
A colorful staircase with Faye Jennifer Designs peel-and-stick vinyl clad columns and Sherwin Williams “Gypsy” painted spindles brought a smile to my face.
The doors throughout the house are fearlessly painted in different colors along the corridor and even within one room.
Jungalow’s Aja wallpaper brings tropical pattern and color to the guest room. The duvet adds more cozy colors and the bird-shaped night lamps add whimsy.
In the hall bathroom, tapestry wallpaper (Mixed Tape by Rebel Walls) runs along the slanted ceiling, and turquoise and black penny tiles spell out Journey’s “Don’t stop believin’” line, which I managed not to photograph. But there it is!
In my husband’s office, a Missoni-inspired zig-zag rug and a window seat with blue cushions and a red frame add more fun color. A bar cart with copper mugs is ready to make Moscow mules.
On a Murphy bed with a rising sun headboard, a Chuck Norris pillow adds a humorously masculine touch.
To learn more about Genie’s delightfully colorful and whimsical home, read “Rollingwood Color Masterclass on Tribeza Tour” on the CG&S Design-Build website.
Britt Design Group: Home of the founders of Torchy’s Tacos
The tour covered a total of 7 private homes, including a 13,000 square foot (!) mansion on Lake Austin owned by Torchy’s Tacos founder Mike Rypka and designed by Britt Design Group.
Rypka’s extensive art collection fills the home, including an Articulture moss installation and a Banksy-inspired piece with a neon “Follow Your Dreams” message.
Artwork with the Prince’s character…
…turns into letters that spell “PURPOSE” when viewed from one side…
…and “Purple Rain” on the other side. This was one of the many rock and roll decorative moments of the tour as a whole.
There’s also a little Betty Crocker, in the form of a retro mixer and a vintage box turned into a table lamp. There was still so much that I didn’t take pictures of because it was crowded at the first stop, and I just took it all in. To see more of this art collector’s estate, read Founder Mike Rypka’s Vibrant Home of Torchy’s Tacos at Austin Monthly.
Housemill Design: Tarrytown House
Calmer, more down-to-earth interiors were chosen for the Tarrytown home designed by Housemill Design.
Tom Petty in the office
In a teenager’s bedroom, world map wallpaper makes an eye-catching accent wall.
Glynis Wood Interiors: Old Enfield House
In a 1938 house in the Old Enfield neighborhood, Glynis Wood Interiors created a cocktail room with rock ‘n’ roll vibes through black walls and black-and-white photos of musicians and movie stars. Taxidermy zebra head adds From Africa style.
A bamboo cart on wheels displays the owner’s tequila collection. A neon sign appears in the window – one of many neon pieces spotted during the tour tequila in turquoise color.
A beautiful bottle of tequila
I saw a beautiful book by my friend Lucinda Hutson Cheers Tequila! (sold out but available second hand) on the mantle.
A cute picture of a donkey in the hall
Rustic-elegant bathroom for the hallway
Pay attention to the handmade sink.
Wallpaper with banana leaves, a mirror in the shape of a sun and multiple zebra prints add exotic style.
The primary bedroom is in calm colors, with a beachy texture and a shell mirror.
In the master bathroom, more shells and corals are beautifully displayed in a wall box that provides privacy.
Take a wider view
Looking outside, you see a rectangular pool with a rustic green tile waterline and a braided ribbon of river and stone in the stone house – beautiful details. A neon sign on the pool with a diving woman provides a fun accent amid palm trees and bamboo hard hit by the December freeze. Bismarck’s palm is probably gone, unfortunately, but the rest should be back. With wicker round lights hanging from the live oak, this looks like a lovely outdoor space to enjoy at night too.
Lush floral wallpaper contrasts with a ceramic moose head holding trucker hats — feminine meets masculine energy? — in the guest room.
I love the green tiles and the deep window on one wall of the bathroom.
In a teenage girl’s bedroom, a neon sign above the bed announces: “I woke up like this.” Cafe-style lamps stretch around the ceiling, creating a soft glow.
A niche by the window offers a modern-bohemian living room with a Moroccan pendant, black walls, graphic curtains and textured white linens with a few colorful pillows.
A lucky girl to enjoy this luxurious en suite bathroom with glossy black shower tiles and scalloped gray and white floor tiles.
A closer look at that stunning floor tile — and my booted feet!
In the second part, I will show some of the other spaces that caught my eye during the tour. Stay tuned!
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Come learn about garden design from the experts at Garden Spark! I host in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, and authors several times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance. Simply click on this link and request to be added. This year’s speaker line-up can be found here.
Make plans to attend Budding Out Plant Sale & Festival March 18 at John Fairey Garden in Hempstead, TX. Rare and recognizable plants will be on offer, as well as art, ceramics, jewelry, food, drinks, music and other entertainment for the whole family. Members have early access and admission is free. Admission for non-members is $5. Children under 12 are free.
Experience a surreal garden at the Zilker Botanical Garden, a mesmerizing neon art exhibition in the gardens, with food and drink, music and dance, surreal performers and interactive art sculptures. Surreal costumes are encouraged! 25% of event proceeds benefit the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy. Lasts on April 6 (VIP night), 7-8 April and 13-15 April from 18.30 to 23.00.
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