Home Tours

A Mid-Century Designer Home Now on the Market

Austin-based designer Claire Brody and I were introduced a few years ago, and I’ve closely followed her work ever since. Claire’s innate sense of curiosity and creativity is evidenced in all her projects—most recently, an Austin, Texas mid-century home renovation that’s now on the market. I had the pleasure of touring this four-bedroom, two-bathroom home, and it’s an absolute masterclass in color theory, pattern play, and texture variance.

The renovation of this 1970s ranch involved an overhaul of the home’s bones and cosmetic features while maintaining its mid-century authenticity. Claire achieved a level of livable luxury that’s well-suited for any family, and I cannot wait to see who’s lucky enough to call this home. Austin locals: here’s the official listing.

designer mid-century kitchen with green cabinets and checkerboard backsplash

A Mid-Century Designer Home in Austin

THE OVERVIEW:

Project: Mid-Century Renovation by Claire Brody

Location: Austin, Texas

Architecture: 1970s Ranch-Style Home

Scope of Work: Installed new electric panel and wiring, windows, ductwork, plumbing, hot water heater, and serviced HVAC. Cosmetic updates included opening the kitchen to the living area, adding square footage to the main bath, gutting the kitchen and two baths, adding new flooring throughout (except original terrazzo), new wall treatments, custom builds with the dining table/bench and entry shelving. Exterior work included new trim/door paint, garage doors, landscaping, and custom breeze block partition walls.

Official Listing

Will you share about your home and what first drew you to the property?

The home features ranch-style architecture and was built in 1971. I always look for homes that have character to preserve. I loved that the house sits on a quiet cul-de-sac and is located in an up-and-coming area in Austin. The house was in overall solid condition but had not been touched, so was ready to be brought back to its original glory!

Tell us about the overall project and the scope of work involved.

“I wanted to design with elements that felt true to the mid-century era and maintain the home’s authenticity.“

Talk to us about the initial inspiration and the process of honing your vision?

What were some of the major pain points, and how did you problem-solve?

The house truly had no pain points. It was a very straightforward renovation with no surprises, thankfully. The pain points came from our end as we overspent on the renovation by about $50,000. It was a lesson learned on planning and budgeting, for sure.

Any favorite features to share?

“I always look for homes that have character to preserve.“

How does this house work for a family? How did you make the design family friendly?

We increased the kitchen size by 2-3 times, which I think will be appreciated by any buyer. We also opened up the living and kitchen, which isn’t a feature that’s true to the home’s origin, but it was necessary to increase the kitchen size. Another family friendly feature that already existed is the 4 bedrooms all located on one side of the house—a common ranch-style layout.

What do you like about the neighborhood?