Modern Renewal for a Tired Texas Ranch

This 1970s ranch needed a mixture of amazing potential and large issues. Following 10 decades of piecemeal improvements and repairs, this family was prepared to take the plunge into a significant renovation. The layout –build team, Finn Sigurdsson and Taryn Hall of ísARK Studio, gave the house a contemporary sense, enhanced the flow and additional new spaces at which the owners can enjoy views of the lake. It”moved from being the lackluster home on the block to the freshest house on the block,” Hall says. Here is how they did it.

in a Glance
Who lives here: A family of 4
Location: External Austin, Texas
Size: 3,500 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 baths

Before Photo

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“The apartment roof had rust, there was leaks, the house was hard to keep cool, the deck was in a bad state, there was peeling paint and a great deal of wear,” Hall says. Scruffy plantings littered the front, adding to its uninviting facade, which was also perplexing. “Delivery trucks often knocked on the side door, which was actually an HVAC utility closet,” Hall says.

ísARK Studio

AFTER: The new facade is a mixture of white stucco, gray HardiePlank punctuated with black and mahogany metal trim information. “The Grizzle Grey color on the boards is the perfect contrast to the bright white stucco and the warm FSC-certified African mahogany,” Hall says.

Stucco paint: Extra White, Sherwin-Williams

ísARK Studio

ísARK Studio

“It was essential to establish a welcoming approach to the house,” Sigurdsson states. Grand terraced steps now lead you to a brand new front entry and right into a foyer. A mahogany door and trimming work ensure that nobody will be knocking anywhere else.

To spend less on the mahogany, Sigurdsson grabbed less-expensive rough-sawn boards of irregular widths in the fine lumber yard and milled them himself. “We hate to waste, so we utilized the thinner bits on the trimming work in the foyer and the railings upstairs,” Hall says.

Before Photo

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This is the view of the master bedroom before construction. The tough stucco and odd trim details all had to be eliminated, and the area was gutted and enlarged.

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AFTER: Turn around 180 degrees from the previous photo to relish the view down the new terrace. It produces a connection between the house and the street, and adds additional living space. The master bedroom has its own separate access to the terrace, adding a second connection to the remainder of the house.

Before Photo

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From the family room, the fireplace wall had sat unfinished for years; a previous leak and fix had abandoned the fireplace without adequate fire blocking and not up to code.

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AFTER: The team reframed and prolonged the fireplace wall and transformed the fireplace into a floating version with a steel surround for a simpler look. They added fire blocking and redesigned the hearth to match the scale of the space.

The family also traded in many of their furnishings for new, sleek bits.

The new design enhances the big windows that result in the new terrace and open the space to large views. Anodized black bronze window frames punctuate the big openings.

Windows, doorways: Milgard; couch: Harlow Mid-Mod, Copenhagen; coffee table: Sandor in Carrara marble, Copenhagen

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The fireplace wall can function as a gallery wall in addition to a place for the TV when the family is fully settled in. While the house was styled for photographs and might appear extra tidy, it was created with additional storage areas which will help the family keep their new spaces clutter free.

Before Photo

ísARK Studio

A fantastic place for your dining area was crucial. The deck just off the family room was plagued with peeling paint and semirotted joists. To cut down on construction waste, Finn stripped off the pergola timber and gave it, together with brush removed from the site, to a farmer, who’s using it to boost his land for cultivation.

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AFTER: Sigurdsson included the prior deck space, developing a new dining area open to the living space.

The porcelain tiles which look like wood were existing; fortunately the team was able to come across precisely the same tiles in Floor & Decor.

ísARK Studio

Currently there is a clear view in the family room right into the dining area. The willingness makes the house feel much larger.

ísARK Studio

Two pillars made from gutters and framing frame a market area for art along with a console. “With just a little bit of additional framing, you can add architectural information and lines with drywall; if you are on a budget, it’s more pragmatic than incorporating a lot of costly material cladding,” Sigurdsson states.

“We actually enjoyed the idea of playing with shiny chrome and much more rustic elements,” Hall says. “There is a comparison and balance of rustic and refined elements throughout the house.” A wooden tabletop and staircase warm the contemporary room and add feel.

Artwork: E. Wildman Gallery; framing and painting team: Jose Castillo and household

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During construction the customers loved the willingness of the distance, hence the designers took the ceilings up to 11 (ft, that is, out of 10). They also produced a recessed curtain nook to hide the hardware. The doorway in the end of this open hallway contributes to the master suite.

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Locally sourced salvaged glulam beams add rustic design in the form of the staircase, which contrasts with the exact contemporary metal railing along with the white drywall. Glulam is a renewable material crafted from smaller pieces of dimensional lumber.

Relationships with expert craftspeople were quite important on this project. The designers worked really closely with metal fabricator J-Ru Garage to make all the custom metal details.

ísARK Studio

The stairs lead up to this bright solarium, which extends the family’s entertainment area to the second floor. The space works works triple duty as a lounge, media room and bar for the adjacent roof deck (the door to the left leads there). A Juliette balcony allows them to open the sliding doors to safely welcome the breeze.

Pony sling chairs and Wassily chairs mingle Texas ranch and contemporary styles.

Artwork: Erica Wildman; console: Marshalls; pony sling seats: Copenhagen

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“A lot of lounges are dark and dim, and that is cool, but we wanted to let in the light along with the views,” Sigurdsson states. A system of hidden curtain coves can darken the space for use as a media space.

Table: Alien Coffee Table, Copenhagen

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The solarium’s raw steel bar with integrated sink houses Lone Star beers directly together with the good Scotch for roof deck parties. “This is the largest nod to industrial style we’ve produced,” Hall says.

Finn custom made the bar. “Raw steel is the perfect material for a bar; it will patina and age as much as you need,” states Justin Rutherford of J-Ru Garage, who fabricated it. “You can then just use a wool scouring pad to buff away any patina you don’t need to see.”

ísARK Studio

ísARK Studio

Steel wires suspend the cantilevered roof canopy, which protects the interior and part of the deck by the Texas sun.

The gray composite decking was not originally in the funding, but the team scored a deal due to a leftover order at a local lumberyard.

ísARK Studio

“Instead of the traditional lap-siding technique, we dangled the Hardie boards with a quarter-inch gap on top of a rain screen for a more modern appearance,” Sigurdsson states.

ísARK Studio

After the family is prepared for another period of renovations, the kitchen, master bath and converted garage bedroom suite are all on their listing. For now the new flow and addition have left their house brand new to them.

Just for fun: Hall includes a background in place and prop design, and she likes to sneak meerkats into her customers’ homes right before all of ísARK’s picture shoots — a sort of an architectural”Where’s Waldo?” for them. Did you spy on them?

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