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Houzz Tour: Warm Contemporary Style on a Texas Lake
Designers soften the edges with textures and art in this family-friendly vacation home
Sometimes you can pick your neighbors. That was the case for this young family of four, which approached the owners of a contemporary home being built next door to their best friends’ lake house in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. The timing was right, and the original owners agreed to sell. By a happy coincidence, Etch Design Group worked on the design with both sets of owners.
Etch began working with the original homeowners during the construction phase, helping select key finishes such as flooring, tile, countertops, cabinetry and lighting. The new homeowners purchased the house about two months before it was completed. After admiring Etch’s work online, they hired the team to help furnish the interior and layer in the final design elements — furniture, rugs, art and accessories — making some tweaks to tile and lighting along the way. The result is a warm contemporary home that’s family-friendly, with room for friends of all ages to have weekend fun at the lake.
Etch began working with the original homeowners during the construction phase, helping select key finishes such as flooring, tile, countertops, cabinetry and lighting. The new homeowners purchased the house about two months before it was completed. After admiring Etch’s work online, they hired the team to help furnish the interior and layer in the final design elements — furniture, rugs, art and accessories — making some tweaks to tile and lighting along the way. The result is a warm contemporary home that’s family-friendly, with room for friends of all ages to have weekend fun at the lake.
The architecture creates seamless indoor-outdoor transitions. An example is the wood-paneled ceiling that continues uninterrupted from the interior foyer to the covered porch outside.
Two Etch Design Group team members focused on the project. Cassy Lindahl served as lead designer, and Samm Hammel curated the art and accessories. “Our process starts with our clients sharing inspiration photos of rooms they like. We also present inspiration photos to home in on their tastes,” Lindahl says. “These clients were very contemporary people but also wanted to add warmth and softness through texture and shapes.”
In the entry, a pair of black metal console tables with marble tops echo the architecture’s crisp lines, while the rounded light fixture softens the space with paper-like texture. A leather-wrapped door handle adds another warm, tactile detail. Hammel selected earthy artwork that plays off the foyer’s palette and shapes.
“Curating the artwork for this house was really fun,” she says. “I was able to focus on colorful pieces a lot more than I usually do.”
The designers used Houzz Pro software throughout the design process. “We used Houzz Pro for every step of the proposals, client approvals and purchasing,” Hammel says. “I used proposals for everything from wallpapers to furniture to art to drapes.”
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Two Etch Design Group team members focused on the project. Cassy Lindahl served as lead designer, and Samm Hammel curated the art and accessories. “Our process starts with our clients sharing inspiration photos of rooms they like. We also present inspiration photos to home in on their tastes,” Lindahl says. “These clients were very contemporary people but also wanted to add warmth and softness through texture and shapes.”
In the entry, a pair of black metal console tables with marble tops echo the architecture’s crisp lines, while the rounded light fixture softens the space with paper-like texture. A leather-wrapped door handle adds another warm, tactile detail. Hammel selected earthy artwork that plays off the foyer’s palette and shapes.
“Curating the artwork for this house was really fun,” she says. “I was able to focus on colorful pieces a lot more than I usually do.”
The designers used Houzz Pro software throughout the design process. “We used Houzz Pro for every step of the proposals, client approvals and purchasing,” Hammel says. “I used proposals for everything from wallpapers to furniture to art to drapes.”
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
The entry opens directly into a living room anchored by a limestone fireplace wall that continues outside. “Our local limestone can skew kind of yellow, and we wanted something more neutral than that,” Lindahl says. “We helped the construction team cull through the stones on-site and select the ones that were more neutral for this wall. The fireplace surround has a plaster finish that adds softness through its texture.”
Beyond the wall, stairs lead down to the lower level. A deep blue painting by local artist Tyler Guinn marks the entrance to the powder room on the right and the primary suite on the left. “The husband loves blue, and the blues in this painting are amazing,” Hammel says.
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Beyond the wall, stairs lead down to the lower level. A deep blue painting by local artist Tyler Guinn marks the entrance to the powder room on the right and the primary suite on the left. “The husband loves blue, and the blues in this painting are amazing,” Hammel says.
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Lindahl chose furniture with gatherings of family and friends in mind: swivel chairs and deep, cushy sofas.
“We used a lot of high contrast in this house, such as with the black chairs here,” she says. “The coffee table has a nice oblong shape that pulls in softness.”
The open-plan room flows into the dining area and out onto a balcony that runs alongside both rooms. An outdoor fireplace echoes the indoor one.
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“We used a lot of high contrast in this house, such as with the black chairs here,” she says. “The coffee table has a nice oblong shape that pulls in softness.”
The open-plan room flows into the dining area and out onto a balcony that runs alongside both rooms. An outdoor fireplace echoes the indoor one.
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The dining room features the same ring chandelier as the living room. “I love the way the two light fixtures echo each other,” Lindahl says. “They are clean and simple. There is brass on the outside and the lights are inside, which provides really nice ambient light.”
A wood table with a twine-wrapped bar between the legs adds texture. “Our clients knew they wanted a wood table and they wanted it to have special details,” Lindahl says. A brass-toned buffet with an ombre finish sits beneath artwork that echoes its palette. “I love the colors in this artwork, and the ombre look in the paintings works so well with the faded ombre-ish effect on the buffet,” Hammel says.
The homeowners love to eat meals together as a family. The table has kid-friendly dining chairs on casters on two sides and leather chairs on the ends.
Art: Charles Stuart via Four Hands
A wood table with a twine-wrapped bar between the legs adds texture. “Our clients knew they wanted a wood table and they wanted it to have special details,” Lindahl says. A brass-toned buffet with an ombre finish sits beneath artwork that echoes its palette. “I love the colors in this artwork, and the ombre look in the paintings works so well with the faded ombre-ish effect on the buffet,” Hammel says.
The homeowners love to eat meals together as a family. The table has kid-friendly dining chairs on casters on two sides and leather chairs on the ends.
Art: Charles Stuart via Four Hands
This is the lake-facing side of the house. The upper floor is the main floor. The balcony off the living room and dining room is on the upper right. “We coordinated the ceiling fans on that balcony to line up with the ring chandeliers inside,” Lindahl says. The upper balcony on the left connects to the primary suite.
The lower level is kid central and includes a media room, bunkroom, a guest room and two full bathrooms. The house also has two guest rooms on the main floor, one of which the homeowners use as an office.
“The original plan was to landscape the area on the lower left,” Lindahl says. “However, our clients wanted a spot with Adirondack chairs where they could gather with friends to watch the kids play in the pool.”
Pool: Goebel Custom Pools
The lower level is kid central and includes a media room, bunkroom, a guest room and two full bathrooms. The house also has two guest rooms on the main floor, one of which the homeowners use as an office.
“The original plan was to landscape the area on the lower left,” Lindahl says. “However, our clients wanted a spot with Adirondack chairs where they could gather with friends to watch the kids play in the pool.”
Pool: Goebel Custom Pools
Open to the dining area, the kitchen offers lake views from the sink. The cabinets are rift-sawn white oak with skinny Shaker-style rails and a bevel detail. The island is reeded wood. Lindahl repeated reeded textures throughout the house. The backsplash is a zellige-look ceramic tile that brings creamy tones into the kitchen, and the countertops are plain white quartz.
“Like the fireplace surround, the vent hood is plaster that pulls in softness,” Lindahl says. The wicker pendant lights add more texture to the room. “These are actually outdoor lights,” Lindahl says. “I love the large scale, shape and texture of these pendants. They are large enough that we only needed two to fit the scale of the room.”
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“Like the fireplace surround, the vent hood is plaster that pulls in softness,” Lindahl says. The wicker pendant lights add more texture to the room. “These are actually outdoor lights,” Lindahl says. “I love the large scale, shape and texture of these pendants. They are large enough that we only needed two to fit the scale of the room.”
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Originally designed as cabinetry, the fridge wall became a bar for entertaining at the request of the first owners, a decision the new owners embraced. Black-veined quartz counters make a bold statement. Lindahl recommended black island stools to echo the black veining.
Lindahl played with scale in the powder room. “This might be my favorite room in the whole house,” she says. “The mirror is really big, about 4 feet in diameter, so you walk in and it wows.” The sconces have a reeded texture. “I love that these are heavier on top and lighter on the bottom. It’s an unexpected play on scale,” Lindahl says. The 8-inch depth of the countertop apron creates a strong black line across the wall.
The wife loves wallpaper and was excited to use it all over the house. “We needed to make the area above the sink waterproof, so we went with a tile wainscoting that continues across all four walls,” says Lindahl, who topped that patterned tile with contrasting patterned wallpaper. A slim black tile edging strip divides the two, creating a crisp line that echoes the hefty black line of the countertop.
The wife loves wallpaper and was excited to use it all over the house. “We needed to make the area above the sink waterproof, so we went with a tile wainscoting that continues across all four walls,” says Lindahl, who topped that patterned tile with contrasting patterned wallpaper. A slim black tile edging strip divides the two, creating a crisp line that echoes the hefty black line of the countertop.
The hallway to the primary suite features more reeded texture in a metal cabinet and art curated by Hammel. “The purple piece is also by Tyler Guinn,” she says. “It has itty-bitty paint strokes in all these different shades of purple. The smaller piece, by Ellen Dieter, has such a wonderful play of colors and the smaller square size was just perfect.”
The primary bedroom is soft and serene. “The wife really wanted wallpaper on the headboard wall,” Lindahl says. “The husband loves blue, so we worked it in through the blue rug in here.”
The ceiling is high, but the wood adds warmth and lends a cozy feel. “The drapes are 100% wool that’s so soft and creamy,” Lindahl says. Also bringing in softness is the pendant light over the bed, which is from the same collection as the one in the front entry.
The ceiling is high, but the wood adds warmth and lends a cozy feel. “The drapes are 100% wool that’s so soft and creamy,” Lindahl says. Also bringing in softness is the pendant light over the bed, which is from the same collection as the one in the front entry.
The bedroom wallpaper is an abstract pattern composed of brushstrokes. The lamps are sculptural and add soft lines to the space, as do the curves of the headboard and footboard. The nightstand handles repeat the leather-wrapped motif.
The primary bathroom finishes were mostly selected by the original owners, who wanted the space to feel like Tulum, Mexico, on the Caribbean coast. “Tulum vibes led us to choose terrazzo for the floor and a pendant light over the tub that is composed of pieces that look like shells,” Lindahl says.
The countertops are 4 inches thick. “The vanities float,” Lindahl says. “So I liked the idea of this heavier countertop thickness to counteract that. It helps balance out the scale of the vanities.”
The countertops are 4 inches thick. “The vanities float,” Lindahl says. “So I liked the idea of this heavier countertop thickness to counteract that. It helps balance out the scale of the vanities.”
Lindahl repeated the leather-wrapped motif seen on the front door handle and nightstands on the stair handrail.
The two designers planned the media room with kids and adults in mind. They upholstered the sectional sofa in performance fabric that will stand up to damp bathing suits. The 100% wool rug won’t be harmed by wet feet. “We wanted it to be good for kids but also look nice for adults,” Lindahl says. There’s also a bar with a sink and a beverage fridge.
“We said we went a little ‘Beetlejuice-y’ in here,” Lindahl says. The playful black-and-white striped coffee table is bone inlay. Hammel picked up on that when choosing the funky vases on the bar shelves. The backsplash tile is encaustic and has a pattern with a lot of movement and a 3D quality.
The two paintings on the wall above the shelves feature landmarks on Austin’s iconic South Congress Avenue. The rainbow cowboy print leaning against them is called Tired Cowboy and is by artist Fabio Coruzzi.
“We said we went a little ‘Beetlejuice-y’ in here,” Lindahl says. The playful black-and-white striped coffee table is bone inlay. Hammel picked up on that when choosing the funky vases on the bar shelves. The backsplash tile is encaustic and has a pattern with a lot of movement and a 3D quality.
The two paintings on the wall above the shelves feature landmarks on Austin’s iconic South Congress Avenue. The rainbow cowboy print leaning against them is called Tired Cowboy and is by artist Fabio Coruzzi.
“One of the very first things the homeowners said they wanted in the house was a bunkroom,” Lindahl says. “Their friends next door have one and they figured all the kids will be back and forth for sleepovers.” Although this room doesn’t have bunk beds, it does have trundle beds, which likewise accommodate two kids each. The designer pulled the area rug back from the beds so as not to impede pulling out the trundles. “This created a playroom area on the rug,” she says.
Hammel chose a colorful print of a cowboy and cowgirl by Alan Fears to add color to the room.
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Hammel chose a colorful print of a cowboy and cowgirl by Alan Fears to add color to the room.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Another bright art piece Hammel curated is this color-blocked print. The wallpaper is a fun element for kids called Too Much Texas Stuff. “When you look closely at it, it’s kind of like playing I Spy,” Lindahl says. “It has all these cute little Texas icons in it, including a Texas A&M reference.”
The colorful chairs are velvet and play off the colors in the artwork and wallpaper.
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The colorful chairs are velvet and play off the colors in the artwork and wallpaper.
More on Houzz
Read more home tour stories
Browse photos of contemporary homes
Find a local remodeling professional
Shop for home products
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the vacation home of a couple and their two young children
Location: Horseshoe Bay, Texas
Size: Five bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms
Designers: Etch Design Group (interiors), Kendle Design Collaborative (architecture)
Builder: Zbranek & Holt Custom Homes
The home is on the shores of Lake LBJ. The homeowners use the house frequently as it’s just over an hour’s drive from their Austin, Texas, home. Both homeowners are Texas A&M alumni and part of a group of college friends who also have homes nearby. They all love to get together at the lake.
From the front walkway, two stories of glass around the front door reveal views through the house to the lake beyond. The large front door pivots on the right side.
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