This New Home Was Limited by a Protected Oak Tree – But Instead of Fighting the Land, the Designer Embraced the Challenge to Create a Modern ‘Treehouse’ That Stops Neighbors in the Street
This Austin-based new home was 'entirely driven' by a protected oak on the land, and the results are a masterclass in easy-going elegance in a storied, character-rich space
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Every newly built home creates a design hurdle to overcome – striking the balance between contemporary amenities and 'old' charm that imbues aged character into the space.
Designer Shannon Eddings, of Shannon Eddings Interiors, rose to the challenge and then some with this modern farmhouse-style home and treehouse apartment in the sought-after Travis Heights area of Austin, Texas.
'You can see the dining room and kitchen from the front door and all the way to the backyard with the pool and ADU treehouse,' says Shannon.
The design narrative for this house design was 'entirely' driven by the protected oak tree that sat on the plot, explains Shannon. 'The owners originally wanted to renovate the original house, but due to a beautiful live oak tree in the backyard, they ultimately made the decision to start fresh to save the tree and maximize space,' she explains. 'From there, we embraced the tree and incorporated it into the design to create a modern tree house.'
The aesthetic 'leaned into nature and sustainability', letting the tree guide the design notes; the color palette reads earthy, warm, and uplifting. Decorating with vintage finds and antique pieces added a depth of character and a curated yet relaxed feel across the home.
'We used a lot of vintage paintings throughout the house to bring some whimsy and character to the spaces. When building something new, it’s essential to layer in plenty of ‘old',' says Shannon.
The two-storey main house is complemented by a modern treehouse ADU that sits over the garage in the backyard, allowing square footage to be maximized while successfully protecting the oak.
The color green was a common denominator in the whole project, being a favorite color of both myself and the clients,' comments Shannon.
The owner wanted to design an adult home that could comfortably transition to a family home with children one day. His love of entertaining created a desire for an inviting, storied space that was rich yet relaxing.
'The design was driven by our shared love of the color green, as well as a penchant for visually enticing fabrics and textures throughout. We wanted the home to be interesting, timeless, and comfortable,' explains Shannon.
The kitchen design started with a desire to have natural elements in the space to keep it grounded and close to nature, but still feel happy and interesting.
'We decided to use a brighter green on the custom steel doors that lead out to their little screened-in porch,' explains Shannon. 'That selection helped inform the darker green on the kitchen island. We chose soapstone on the countertops because it’s masculine and balances the greens in the space well. We always try to spec natural stones for our clients' spaces as they are so much lovelier and more nuanced than manmade stone.'
The wicker bar stools, vintage rug, and fluted kitchen pendant lighting add layers of warmth and an organic-luxe feel to the space.
The restful yet elegant living room boasts striped blinds that were custom-made from a Chelsea Textiles Fabric.
The formal living room sits adjacent to the kitchen and is a 'cozy, colorful oasis that greets guests upon entry.' Its chartreuse and brown color scheme is 'restful but far from boring' and the marble facade on the fireplace keeps the space feeling elegant.
'We chose to use a marble remnant in the fireplace to pack a punch and accentuate the moment,' explains Shannon. 'It contrasts well with the more traditional lines on the sofa and classic shape of the antique sconces we paired next to it.'
There's a beautiful study off the living room with a powder room between it and a 'functional and lovely mudroom and back hallway'.
The olive vine print wallpaper from Supply Showroom and blue paneling combine to create an exciting, cozy and chic powder room.
The powder room offered the perfect opportunity for a little heritage maximalism. 'We wanted the powder room to be an exciting and sophisticated place for guests to visit. The wallpaper is an olive vine print from Supply Showroom. We added in paneling for some character and to give the space more dimension.'
'We kept the fittings classic in antique brass and sourced the mirror from a vintage store to help add some ‘old’ to the room. We wanted the space to feel like it’s been there, and will remain, without feeling trendy or dated.'
The primary bedroom is a serene retreat that features a vintage ochre Suzani pillow, which echoes the hue of the wicker lamp. The adjoining ensuite is also decadent yet inviting with chic finishing touches, including a Fermoie privacy curtain and a large ceiling pendant from Visual Comfort.
The primary bedroom has a lovely limewash finish on the walls in a cocooning, indulgent blue hue.
'This room was created to be an oasis; calming and beautiful,' says Shannon. 'The cushion on the bed is a vintage Suzani pillow that I sourced to add a little bit of color to the space. We wanted that color to flow with the shades of the lamps and the window treatment in the bathroom. By minimizing the colors, we allowed for a serene but interesting space.'
The accompanying ensuite has added whimsy, with chic privacy curtains in Fermoie fabric, paired with vintage art. 'We custom-designed the vanity to have a little ‘wave’ detail at the bottom to make it a little more interesting than your standard bathroom vanity and to feel a bit like a furniture piece,' adds Shannon.
The family room is a colorful, cozy space with a warm ambiance. As it's an entertaining area, the ochre velvet sofa is upholstered in performance fabric for durability, and is from Design within Reach. The pair of chairs were French antique club chairs Shannon found at Roundtop Antique Market in Texas. 'We recovered them in a pretty, textured fabric by Kufri,' she shares.
Upstairs in the main house, there's a family room that plays host to evenings with friends. 'The owner lovingly calls it 'the hot dog room' (due to its layered colors of muted red and mustard),' laughs Shannon. 'It's his favorite room in the house and where he hosts weekly soccer viewing parties.'
Shannon designed the family room with that in mind, adding, 'We ordered a sectional that was as large as we could go and opted for two smaller chairs instead of one large so that more people could sit in the space.'
The balcony off the family room has an incredible view of downtown Austin, alongside a grill and dining table, creating the perfect indoor-outdoor space.
'I just really loved designing this room,' says Shannon. The wallpaper is by ‘Adelphi’ and has a lovely, subtle pattern to it. I really just wanted this space to be happy and playful in addition to comfortable. I had to push our client a little with the color play but in the end they loved the ‘hot dog’ room!'
The cocooning grey guest bedroom is a haven for visitors, with vintage art and pops of color creating a interesting, layered space.
As well as the family room, the upstairs of the main house also boasts two guest rooms. One is color-drenched in a moody blue-grey. 'We color-saturated the space to cocoon it and make it feel more inviting,' explains Shannon. 'The oval window was a fun idea we worked with the architect on to add some ‘old’ character to the overall feel of the house. It’s unexpected and adds charm. The desk is actually our client's childhood desk, and we sourced a really special vintage accordion-style wood sconce to light up the area.'
The bed is a spin on a Jenny Lind bed in a stained wood, while the nightstand was the client's antique sewing table. 'I love when we’re able to incorporate personal client pieces into our projects,' Shannon comments, 'And I always love a pop of red in a room, so we sourced a fun, modern red lamp to add a little spark.'
The built-in bookcase was created because the team needed a way to house the chimney coming up from the formal living room beneath it. 'It was a clever way to hide it,' Shannon adds.
An ADU was built in the backyard over the garage to serve as another chic space for guests to stay.
The ADU treehouse apartment has an 'old eclectic cottage' aesthetic and makes a handy hotel-style space for the owner's guests.
'The ADU apartment is one of my favorite parts of this whole project,' smiles Shannon. 'We were able to use the old pine flooring from the original house (that was demolished) as the floors in this space; I love recycling old materials whenever possible.'
The apartment has its own mini kitchen space with a cool antique dining table. Shannon explains they went for 'a bit of an eccentric old ‘cottage’ vibe' in this room.
She adds, 'We went bold with the rust-colored paint on the custom windows and door and were so pleased with the whimsy it provided. Our clients allow friends to stay there when in town, so it’s a little like a hotel space.'
An antique round dining table provides a cozy spot to gather in the treehouse apartment kitchen (left), while the small bathroom offered the opportunity to go big on style.
The treehouse bathroom is bijou but packs a design-forward punch.
'Since the bathroom was quite small, we decided to go big with the tile in there and have fun by cladding the whole space in a blue and white checkerboard,' muses Shannon.
'We also did another oval window in the shower, for that added sense of character. Sometimes the best designs come when we have limitations to work around, and this space is the perfect example of that mindset.'
When taking on this project, Shannon's goal was to create a beautiful home that looked like it had roots (pardon the pun) in the area.
'We even sketched a little redo of the exterior of the home to show how we could help bring in more character to what had been drawn to be more of a ‘modern farmhouse', she explains. 'That sketch helped create the final look of the exterior of the home – with the oval windows and brick instead of it being all wood.
'One of the biggest compliments we received was when a neighbor walked by while we were outside one day, and thanked us for building something that ‘fits with the neighborhood.’
Ultimately, says Shannon, 'The highlight of this project was the creative freedom and trust that our clients gave us. It was a very collaborative process from the beginning, and I was so honored to be a part of it.'
