WATERWAYS
WATERWAYS THE INSIDER’S LIFESTYLE GUIDE TO WEST AUSTIN
THE HOMES ISSUE
THE HOMES ISSUE
Think Spring
APRIL 2022
RENOVATING • DECORATING • LIGHTING • ASK THE EXPERTS
BOOKLIST
Your Next Coffee Table Book
Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval
Austin City Limits: A Monument to Music
The Conservatory: Gardens Under Glass
From The Grand Budapest Hotel to
by Tracey Laird and Brandon Laird;
Moonrise Kingdom, Wes
photos by Scott Newton
Anderson’s movies exist in stylishly
Austin is famously branded as the
satisfying worlds with colorful,
“live music capital of the world,”
quirky aesthetics. But such dreamy
but what does that actually mean?
places can also be found in real
For starters, it’s home to “Austin
life; the popular
City Limits,” the longest-running
@accidentallywesanderson
music program on television, which
Instagram page is a good example.
inspired the Austin City Limits
by Alan Stein and Nancy Virts It’s always a delight when a visit to a botanical garden includes the chance to explore an impressive glass conservatory where special species of plants thrive in their carefully built home. The Conservatory presents some of the most notable conservatories around the world, including grand glasshouses in London, Paris, New York City and Kyoto. The book’s stunning photos showcase the architectural might and beauty of the structures alongside information about their history.
Capitalizing on the popularity of this online community,
music festival. Austin City Limits: A Monument
Accidentally Wes Anderson
to Music celebrates this rich history,
presents a selection of these dis-
documenting some of the most
tinct places and the stories
iconic musicians to have graced the
they hold. This New York Times
ACL stage and their memorable
bestseller is authorized by the
performances. If you’re a live music
filmmaker himself (a University
lover, this New York Times bestseller
of Texas alumnus).
is sure to bring a smile to your face.
$35 at accidentallywesanderson.com
$45 at shop.acltv.com
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$60 at papress.com
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF VORACIOUS BOOKS, AN IMPRINT OF LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY; AUSTIN CITY LIMITS - INSIGHT EDITIONS; PRINCETON ARCHITECTURAL PRESS
Looking to add a bit more personality to your home with some carefully chosen coffee table books? Here are some of our favorites. By Cindy Brzostowski
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What’s
TRENDING? EXPERTS DISCUSS CURRENT TRENDS IN HOME DESIGN By Cindy Brzostowski What’s “in” today isn’t necessarily what was “in” yesterday, and that certainly holds true for interior design. There was a time when wood paneling and wall-to-wall shag carpets were all the rage. Today? Not so much. We asked some local experts to share their thoughts on home design and construction choices that are particularly popular at the moment. OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS
Stephanie Lindsey, principal
Dave Hernandez, managing
Audrey Scheck, founder
designer at Etch Design Group
partner of ROOST Custom Homes
of Audrey Scheck Design
etchinteriordesign.com
roostcustomhomes.com
audreyscheckdesign.com
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE LINDSEY PHOTOS. PORTRAITS BY (L-R): ALISSA CORDOBA; KATIE JAMESON; BRITTNEY VIER PHOTOGRAPHY
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Remodeling IN THE TIME OF COVID
HOW TO DEAL WITH SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS IN YOUR HOME PROJECTS By Cindy Brzostowski
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MOLLY CULVER
More than two years into the pandemic, one of the many ripple effects still being felt is the disruption in the home construction and renovations supply chains. Demand has outstripped supply, there’s a shortage of materials, costs have risen and deliveries are being delayed. Add the fact that Austin is experiencing a building boom and a labor shortage in some of the trades and you can easily see why some home improvement projects have been progressing slower and with more difficulty than in the past. Jessica Love, principal and interior designer of Austin’s Urbane Design, expects that we’ll have to deal with this reality for a while until there’s a market slowdown. So, what should you do if you want to start a remodeling project before then? We asked her for her advice on handling just that.
Pick the Right Team First and foremost, Love strongly recommends hiring quality contractors and designers, noting that this is especially important because Texas doesn’t require a license for general construction. As for designers, Love urges homeowners to check the scope of their expertise, whether it’s furniture design, remodels or new construction. Hiring the right professionals the first time around can save you a lot of trouble in the future, especially when the unexpected happens. “There are only horror stories about these trades, in my opinion, because people search for the cheapest and not the best,” Love says. “You will get what you pay for every single time!” >>
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LET THERE BE LIGHT
LOCAL DESIGNERS SHARE ILLUMINATING INSIGHTS ON HOME LIGHTING By Cindy Brzostowski
When designing and decorating your home, you might be more focused on picking furniture pieces and color palettes than on what kind of lighting you want in each room. But you’d be remiss not to give the latter its due attention given how crucial a role lighting plays in the look and mood of a space. So, what do you need to know? We turned to Christine Turknett, principal interior designer at Breathe Design Studio, and Avery Cox, principal at Avery Cox Design, to light the way with their
THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISON MARLBOROUGH; OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE: CHASE DANIEL; ALISON MARLBOROUGH; COURTESY OF BREATHE DESIGN STUDIO; PORTRAIT BY ANNIE MCARDLE PHOTOGRAPHY
expert insights.
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The Light Stuff
Christine Turknett
From a stunning chandelier over your dining table to a small lamp on your bedside table, there are so many home lighting possibilities depending on the appearance, position and purpose you have in mind. To make your decision-making a bit more manageable, you can break lighting up into a few main categories. “General lighting or ambient lighting is the primary source of lighting for a room, so consider areas of the home [for that] that have less natural lighting,” Turknett advises. This kind of lighting includes ceiling-mounted fixtures, floor lamps and certain wall-sconce lights. “Task lighting provides light for a specific task or in a specific area,” she continues. “Especially as you get older, task lighting can be helpful to improve productivity and reduce glare.” Vanity lights in your bathrooms, pendant lights hanging over the kitchen counter and desk lamps all fall into this category. Decorative lighting is just that. “Decorative lighting can serve as the focal point of a room,” Turknett says. “Center it to the space, whether it’s in your living room or above the dining table, to create symmetry and visual interest.” You can also consider accent lighting as a way to draw attention to a specific design feature, artwork, plant or other item. >>
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COLOR YOUR WORLD
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HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT WALL COLOR By Cindy Brzostowski
Whether you’ve been dying to paint over the wall color left by the previous homeowner or you’re just in the mood for a change, a new coat of paint can completely refresh and transform a space. The big question is: Which of the countless color options out there is “the one?” Jamie Williams—a certified interior designer and the president and cofounder of Elysian Collective—has some tips for discovering the right wall color for your space.
FIND YOUR TRUE COLORS When starting your search for a color, Williams recommends first asking yourself how you want to feel in that space. “Color plays strongly on our emotions and psychology, and with our spaces serving different functions in our lives, there are many different types of moods we can create to separate our spaces based on how we want to use them or want to feel,” she says. “Are you looking for a vibrant space full of energy, one that’s playful and feminine, or a more serious, calming natural oasis?” Williams asks. “When you understand the energy that you want to evoke and know what time of day the space is typically used, this is an excellent starting point.” A thoughtful color selection also accounts for the other features you have or will have in the space, from flooring to furniture. “When your architectural finishes are selected, be sure to look at the paint color together with the wood or carpet flooring, cabinetry, tiles, wallpaper and any other material it will be adjacent to,” Williams advises. “This step will ensure that the tone of the paint aligns with these elements and that it lends itself to a balanced contrast in the space.” If you are already planning on displaying some art in a room, let that inform your decision as well. “If our client has an art collection, we like to ensure that these are considered early on so that a featured piece is highlighted by a wall color that enhances it,” Williams says, “Walls are a canvas, and the color creates a backdrop for the other pieces you have in the room.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAXINE SCHNITZER
GO WITH THE FLOW While each room may have a distinct personality, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should view and design it in isolation. “As our spaces provide different functions for our lives with a multitude of layouts, it’s important to think about the flow of your home and how the spaces intersect,” Williams says. “Can you see through a door to the other room? If so, be sure the wall colors coordinate there because they’re visual at the same time,” Williams says. “It’s okay to play around with different palettes in separated rooms such as bedrooms, powder rooms and bathrooms, but with open-kitchen, living and dining rooms, you want to be mindful that the palette flows throughout.” >>
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STYLE FILE
Can We ALL Wear Neutrals? Wearing head to toe neutrals can come off as lifeless and sloppy or treś chic. It can be a magical monochromatic moment, or a dreadful disaster. Many people find the tonal look tricky to pull off, wondering how to wear it so it doesn’t look boring, bland or underwhelming. If we are fair skinned will we look washed out? What if we are blonde? What if we are brunette and have brown eyes? If everything about us already seems “neutral,” can we really pull off also wearing all neutrals? Does the neutral shade and tone we choose matter? Believe it or not, regardless of skin tone, hair and eye color, a fully neutral head to toe look can work for anyone. It can effortlessly be turned into a style statement, but it all depends on HOW you wear them. When we talk about neutrals though, are we only talking about tans, beiges, blush tones and whites? The answer is no. True neutral color is any color that you don’t see on a typical color wheel, meaning it actually lacks col-
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or pigment. Think of a neutral as something that doesn’t compete with, and can blend in and/or pair with almost any other color. That’s what makes them a great wardrobe staple. You can mix and match neutral pieces together, without them clashing. Neutrals technically can also be shades of gray, and blue tones, such as navy and denim. Earth tones such as brown, sage, olive, and even burnt orange can fall into the neutral category. And just to confuse matters even more, when some fashion sources say the darker shades mentioned are “staple colors” they are not wrong. They are staple colors, and neutrals are also staples! To simplify the confusion, and for the sake of helping our readers with the most challenging aspect of pairing neutrals, we will concentrate on how you can wear the more “colorless” or most neutral shades of the neutrals. Who can wear them, and how. The key to pulling off this look is selecting the right colors that work with your skin tone, hair and eye color. >>
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF VOGUE.COM
By Edith Henry, Stylist and Image Consultant
MINDFULNESS
Holistic Spring Cleaning Decluttering Your Mind, Body & Spirit
By Stephanie Puente, Certified Life Coach
Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.
The question of what you want to own is a
—Barbara Hemphill
question of how you want to live your life.
When your home is cluttered it can feel like a bunch of “stuff” just hanging around that you’re not sure how to deal with, yet it’s taking up residence in your surroundings and distracts you on a daily basis. You haven’t made a decision to do anything with it, and you haven’t gotten rid of it, either. It’s that in-between space that can tend to feel stagnant. And that stagnant feeling has an impact on your energy, mindset and well-being. Spring cleaning feels so good because it’s a way of becoming more clear, decisive and intentional, and clearing the indecisive, stale and ambiguous that is lurking around. You may have noticed, physically clearing out clutter in your house seems to free up a lot of mental space too, right? But you can take that even further and intentionally clear out your mental and emotional space, too, for a holistic spring cleaning. And, it doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are three steps to declutter your life this spring that will enliven your mind, body and spirit and help you start the season feeling more revitalized, vibrant and alive. 54 WATERWAYS | April 2022
—Marie Kondo
STEP #1 PHYSICAL DECLUTTERING: CLEARING OUT As a coach, I always begin with vision. Without vision, there’s no direction and you find yourself reacting to life rather than moving toward what you really want. So when you start to clean things out from your home or office, it’s important to ask yourself, “Is this part of my vision? Do I love it?” When you look at your space as belonging to the version of you already living your vision, you start to curate your life in a way that aligns to your dreams. By doing so, you are sending a clear signal to the universe, “This is who I am. This is how I live my life, and this is the type of environment I’m choosing.” You will inadvertently start attracting more people, objects and opportunities that reflect your vision as you begin to actually live it. Decluttering your physical space is a significant step toward decluttering your mental space, which is step number two. >>
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