What Makes Austin Special? Designing a Home With a Sense of Place
* Part 6 in an 8-part series based on the social media campaign, "Beyond the Closet - 12 Questions with Jennifer"
For the first 30 years I lived in Austin, I was within walking distance of Lady Bird Lake.
I still never tire of her.
Walking the trail or paddling across the water, I'm always struck by how the lake can make Austin feel energetic and peaceful simultaneously.
To me, she's the heart and soul of the city.
And as Austin continues to change at an extraordinary pace, I've been thinking more about a phrase designers use frequently:
Sense of place.
What makes somewhere feel unmistakably like there?
Character Can't Be Manufactured Overnight
I love new places.
But I also find myself fiercely attached to Austin institutions that possess something increasingly difficult to replicate.
A lunch at 34th Street Cafe.
Dinner at Jeffrey's.
A drink in the living room at the Four Seasons or the Driskill Bar.
They aren't interchangeable with establishments in Dallas, Los Angeles or Nashville.
They feel like Austin.
That comes from architecture and interiors, certainly - but also from history, people, rituals and accumulated memories.
A sense of place is created over time.
Our Homes Need Identity, Too
The same principle applies to residential design.
A beautifully designed Austin home shouldn't necessarily look like a “Texas-themed” home.
We don't need longhorns on every wall.
But I do think homes are more interesting when they respond to where they are.
Central Texas materials. Local art. Natural textures. Indoor-outdoor living. Rooms designed for informal entertaining. Storage for bikes, boots, lake gear and everything else associated with the way we actually live here.
That's authenticity rather than theme.
Preserve the Things That Tell Your Story
As our city grows, I hope we continue making room for both new ideas and old character.
I feel similarly about homes.
Renovation doesn't have to mean erasing everything that came before.
Keep the strange old painting you love.
Reupholster the chair you inherited.
Mix something vintage with something contemporary.
Buy art from someone who lives here.
Let your home reveal something about where you've been.
Because whether we're talking about a city or a living room, the places we remember aren't usually the most perfect.
They're the ones with identity.
Austin is evolving.
Homes evolve.
We evolve.
The challenge isn't preventing change.
It's making sure that as we create something new, we don't erase everything that gave the place its soul.