Houzz Tour: Historic Home in Austin, Texas
Architect Tim Cuppett Respectfully Updates an 1850s Home for Modern Living
Two Austin Houzz Tours in the same number of weeks? Oh yes. But thanks to a city with robust and varied style, there's still plenty of beautiful house fodder to keep us occupied. And these two properties couldn't be more different. Whereas last week we saw big and modern, this week is historic and quaint.
Architect Tim Cuppett took a property that had been through moves, botched renovations, and more than 150 years of existence, and updated it for modern living. Thanks to the inclusion of a kitchen and bathrooms and a little expert reorganization of the space, it is now better able to suit the needs of Tim and his partner, landscape designer Marco Rini. The result is a charming home that has one foot in the past, and one firmly planted in the present.
Architect Tim Cuppett took a property that had been through moves, botched renovations, and more than 150 years of existence, and updated it for modern living. Thanks to the inclusion of a kitchen and bathrooms and a little expert reorganization of the space, it is now better able to suit the needs of Tim and his partner, landscape designer Marco Rini. The result is a charming home that has one foot in the past, and one firmly planted in the present.
A row of rockers on the front porch offer an inviting place for company to relax.
To make the room feel "comfortable and moody," they removed the electric pendant above the dining table and use only candles instead.
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How do you set the mood when entertaining at home? Join the discussion on the Houzz Facebook page!
Tim reconfigured the layout in the bathroom and added windows for air and light. The clawfoot tub, by Sunrise, replaced an original in poorer shape. Since the house would not have had indoor plumbing when it was built, Cuppett had no qualms with using modern fixtures (most by Hansgrohe) to "reflect honesty about the renovation." The toilet is the Hatbox model by Kohler.
"My attitude is to keep [the home's] original fabric, which remains in place. Any previous 'improvements' were fare game to replace," he says.
The couple travels frequently and collects unique pieces, including the vintage posters in the study, along their way. "Everything in the house is attached to a memory," says Tim.
The pine floors and beadboard siding were replaced in previous renovations. All of the original pine, which makes up some of the framing and siding, came up the Colorado river from Bastrop to Austin.
The back entry is painted in Statton Blue from Benjamin Moore.
"The house has a friendly soul," says Tim. "We felt it the first time upon entering, and I believe guests feel the same thing."
Thanks for sharing your home with us, Tim and Marco!
More: Tour another great home in Austin
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More: Tour another great home in Austin
See more inspiring home tours
The living room is covered in high-gloss Black Knight paint from Benjamin Moore.