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Looking at this light-filled home on Lake Austin, it’s hard to imagine it ever looking anything but sunny and bright. And yet, one glance at the old space reveals dim lighting, dated features, and lots (and lots) of beige.

“I wanted it to be a place where you didn’t have to turn the lights on all the time,” says designer Jennifer Fisher of her decor inspiration for the redesign. “The house is about 12 years old, and like other houses built during that time, it had some kind of protective covering over all the windows which made it so that no direct light was coming in.”

Giving the home a fresh face was no easy task for Fisher; her client, a recently divorced man, wanted to change the whole thing up. And while painting every room in the four-bedroom home and replacing every piece of furniture can seem daunting, the house itself had good bones and a lot of square footage to work with.

 

Created in an architectural style influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright (though Fisher describes it as “very Texas Hill Country modern”), the home has beautiful waterfront views. Fisher played this up by opening up the windows and letting the light stream in, instantly livening up the space and bringing a more tranquil feel to it.

 

“I took [the client’s] lifestyle into consideration; he likes to lounge and be comfortable, but he’s not the type to have a housekeeper everyday, so it had to be a style that didn’t have to be maintained constantly,” says Fisher. “A comfortable yet elegant and very livable space.”

 

With that design goal in mind, she set about accomplishing it via carefully-chosen materials. Opting for living room pillows that didn’t need to be fluffed all the time yet were still statement-making, and fabrics that don’t shed and hide spills easily, she created a space that’s both functional and fashionable.

 

This is particularly true in the kitchen. Easily the focal point of this home, it features whitewashed fixtures and contemporary pendant lights—Fisher’s favorite piece of the newly-designed home—but also includes a very workable and livable layout.

 

​In this image: Aria Stone Gallery 2cm Calacatta Gold Borghini Extra A4397

“I wanted it to be functional. When [the client’s] making dinner, I didn’t want him to worry so much about damage—I picked elements that would maintain their beauty without a lot of care,” says Fisher. “The house is a great house for entertainment, so a lot of what I was putting into it was with parties in mind; having a kitchen that could be used by a caterer, but also one that people would feel welcome in.”

 

Another way to bring in some casual elegance? An abundance of natural material. Wood floors and a stone partition between the kitchen and dining room contribute to this, but gorgeous marble slabs from Aria Stone Gallery in both the kitchen and master bathroom add a level of opulence to the home.

 

​In this image: Aria Stone Gallery 2cm Belvedere A63

“I love using natural materials as much as possible, so I wanted to bring some of that into this space to make it more refined than the rugged elements that are part of the exterior of the house,” explains Fisher.

Between the stunning materials, bright space, and modern fixtures, we’d say that goal was accomplished.

 

Images by Tim Williams Photography. 

See more home tours:

A Newlywed Home That Mixes Masculine and Feminine Styles A Colorful Barcelona Home Uses Some of Our Favorite Brands Tour a British Designer’s Gorgeous Countryside Manor

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