a modern austin farmhouse with a minimalist twist

when inspirational architecture meets creative homeowners.

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produced by  ALYSSA CLOUGH
photography by  NATALIE ARMENDARIZ

WHEN INSPIRATIONAL ARCHITECTURE MEETS CREATIVE HOMEOWNERS.

One look is all it takes to know Natalie Armendariz’s home is special. Some credit is due to the original architects who built the house to live in as their own home, but not all. Since moving into the modern farmhouse in the Rosewood neighborhood of Austin, Texas, just one year ago, Natalie and her husband, Anthony, have thoughtfully filled their space with their own stylish flair—and really cool local art. Which makes a lot of sense knowing the two are Partners and in charge of design at Funsize, a digital product design agency that works with clients like Honeywell, PayPal, Electronic Arts, OpenTable, HomeAway, and Groupon. Continue reading to

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS HOUSE? ARE YOU A FAN OF MODERN-INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE? We lived in a mid-century ranch-style home that was built in the 1960s previous to our current house. We spent a lot of time keeping an eye on the current real estate market in Austin, looking for something as unique as our MCM house, but a little bit more modern. We noticed there were a lot of houses being thrown up en masse by developers and they all started looking the same. What attracted us to our current house was how unique the architecture was, that it was designed and lived-in by the architects who built it, and the attention to detail given to the house (down to the color of the door hinges).

We’re not fans of uber-modern architecture; some of it feels cold and unwelcoming. We love that our house gives a nod to a modern aesthetic and still feels warm and inviting. The gabled roof and natural light in the house is also a huge plus.

DINING SET Furniture in the Raw furnitureintherawtx.com

I LOVE YOUR ALMOST-MATCHING-BUT-NOT DINING ROOM SET! WHAT INSPIRED THAT? We were inspired by the farmhouse style of the house. Even though it’s all black, the mismatchy-ness makes it a little quirky!

WHAT INSPIRED THE MINIMALIST COLOR PALETTE? We were really inspired by our trip to Scandinavia a couple of years ago, where the aesthetic was super minimal, simple, and everything was black and white. We feel like having a neutral color palette allows other details of the home to stand out.

PLANTER Modernica modernica.com BENCH AllModern BRASS CHANDELIER 

Park Studio LA

 parkstudiola.com “EVERYTHING HERE IS WONDERFUL” PRINT Best Made Co.bestmadeco.com

LEATHER COUCHES, BLUE ACCENT CHAIRS, RUG, AND LAMP West Elm BLACK ‘KEY’ SIDE TABLE Hem hem.com THROW PILLOWS CB2 and Target

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF DECORATING? My favorite part was the challenge of finding the right things. When we moved into the home, we sold almost everything just to try and simplify our lifestyle. We were meticulous when it came to choosing furniture so there’s something very serene about living only with objects you absolutely love.

MAGAZINE RACK IKEA LAMPS West Elm TAPESTRY Target

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF DECOR? FAVORITE ROOM? I love the Atmosphere, Ocean, and Earth prints we bought from Brainstorm (@wearebrainstorm on Instagram) in our TV room and the art with “Everything here is wonderful” screenprinted over an old map of Austin, from Best Made Co, in our entry way.

My favorite room in the house is probably our hallway bathroom with the deep clawfoot tub. That’s where relaxation happens and it’s fantastic.

SIDE TABLE Five Elements Furniture

SLEEPER SOFA Joybird joybird.com COFFEE TABLE West Elm ATMOSPHERE PRINTS Brainstorm wearebrainstorm.com

YOU HAVE SUCH GREAT ARTWORK (AND TEXTILES!) ALL OVER YOUR HOME. WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO FIND NEW ART? Austin has a lot of good maker fairs throughout the year so we always make it a point to go check out the artists. Most of the prints in our home have been found perusing the fair aisles. We also have friends who are artists, so some of the original paintings come straight from the source!

THERE’S SUCH GREAT LIGHTING! WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT DREW YOU TO THE HOME? OR DID YOU ADD IT YOURSELF? It was definitely something that drew us to the home, but we didn’t realize how much of a positive impact it would have until we moved in.

CONCRETE-BASE LAMPS MENU menu.as BLANKET Joinery, NYC joinerynyc.com

BALOUCH PERSIAN RUG Master Bathroom eSaleRugs.com

Learn more about Funsize and their mission at funsize.co.

Alyssa Clough

Writer/Editor

Alyssa is a Brooklyn-based maximalist and vintage addict who is always on the hunt for something—a new piece of collage art, more plant babies, yet another ceramic vessel, you get the picture. Obsessions include bold accent walls, living a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle, and supporting female artists and makers. Find her on Instagram ignoring her phone’s screen time alerts.