Inside Jewelry Designer Jessica Honegger’s Colorful Austin Home

When interior designer Shannon Eddings met Jessica Honegger, the two became fast friends. Eddings was new to Austin’s Windsor Park neighborhood and Honegger was quick to welcome her. Throughout the years, the women have collaborated on everything from Honegger’s jewelry company, Noonday Collection, which empowers female artisans throughout the world, to her family home. They even take turns driving carpool. 

Last year the friends embarked on their biggest project to date, a full renovation of the 2,800-square-foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom, 1960s mid-century ranch house Honegger and her husband, Joe, have lived in for 15 years. 

In the first phase, Eddings focused on the kids’ wing for Amelie, 13, Holden, 11, and Jack, 10, along with the pool house, opting for a vibrant color palette paired with textiles and accessories from Honegger’s many international travels. Here, she shares how to create a space infused with souvenirs while using materials durable enough to withstand budding teenagers. 

Use Authentic Textiles

While the rest of the home is set to be completed later this year, the Honegger brood have started piling into the pool house to enjoy family time. Eddings went for practical, comfortable pieces first, picking out tile in a herringbone pattern to stand up to the foot traffic from the pool and layering it with a Moroccan-style rug and oversize sofa from West Elm. But what makes this secondary living room stand out are the personalized touches. 

“There’s so much in the house Jessica brought back from her travels,” Eddings says. “The top of the custom ottoman is a silk fabric she got in Morocco, and the pillows are made of fabrics from Guatemala and Morocco. She’s the textile queen.” Throughout, there are also blankets from Africa alongside a quirky lamp from CB2, while the wall is filled with art and photos from her personal collection.

Focus on the Tile

In the pool house, both the bathrooms were outfitted with colorful Fireclay tile. “Jessica fell in love with that blue tile,” Eddings recalls. “It definitely set the tone [for the pool house bathroom].” The space, which was originally a guest suite, got a vaulted ceiling and a layout change courtesy of architect Sarah McIntyre and Honegger’s husband, Joe, who is a general contractor. “Jessica and Joe used to flip houses together all the time,” Eddings says. “This was very much a family project.”

Focus on Layering

Amelie, the eldest of the Honegger pack, got the blush room of her dreams thanks to a bold wallpaper. “It’s from Anthropologie,” Eddings says. “I just guided her throughout the rest of the room [so she could] create a space that she can grow with over the years.”

The other items that stand out in the teen’s room are the heirloom side table; the handcrafted pillows from local artist Shay Spaniola; and the cat pillow, an homage to the family cat, Harley. “[Jessica] and I really love supporting independent artists,” the designer says. “It’s what she does with [Noonday Collection].”

For Holden and Jack’s room, it was all about color and started with a rug Honegger picked up in India. The red, blue, and yellow tones dictated the rest of the design staples in the room. The twin beds were decorated with custom-made pillows she found on her travels that enhance the personality of the room and don’t compete with the other patterns. 

Throw in Something Unexpected

From the pool room to the boys’ bathroom, there are many details that are both unexpected and showcase who the Honegger family is. But one of Eddings’s favorites is the animal mask wall. “We wanted to keep the bathroom simple to allow the few bright pieces to shine,” she says. 

The hand-painted masks, which include a monkey, a panda, and an elephant, among others, were picked up by Honegger on a trip to Guatemala and are the perfect addition to the bathroom. 

The Honegger abode is full of design choices that fully embrace who the family of five is and a good example of how to design a home that feels completely personalized. 

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