Modern Minimal Makeover of 90’s Residence atop Westlake Cove in Austin

Many people misinterpret modern minimalism as a style that lacks all color, personality, character and is mundane even at its very best. Apart from being completely untrue, this perception also keeps many away from the style when it could actually help them immensely. Transforming a home that was originally built in 1992 by David Shiflet on top of a lovely, private cove in Westlake, Austin, the into a modern masterpiece, this renovation by Mark Ashby Design shows that modern minimalism can be eye-catching and inviting when done right! The Westlake Hideaway sits on a vast, 4-acre lot and it took a whole two years to completely alter the persona of this extravagant Texas home.

Modern minimal family room with a lovely view of the outdoors and a comfortable cozy sectional at its heart








The interior now feels light, cheerful and every room of the home is bathed in ample natural light. The inherent high ceilings of the building and spacious rooms add to this air of luxury even as the décor choices, accessories and neutral color scheme usher in restrained minimalism. Wood and white along with gray accents takes over in most rooms of the house with shades of blue making an appearance in the bedrooms. Custom cabinetry, exquisite vanities and bespoke wall designs that wow with both textural and geo contrast put the final touches on this mesmerizing conversion.

Custom wooden accent wall and fireplace become the focal point of this spacious modern minimal living room
Dining area and kitchen of the renovated Texas home adopt a white and wood color scheme along with a dash of gray
Expansive living room and dining area of the renovated residence atop a secluded cove in Westlake, Austin
Skylights and glass doors bring a flood of natural light into the double height contemporary kitchen with an air of minimalism
Bespoke wall design adds textural and visual contrast to the fabulous den inside the home
Perfect place to rest and relax after a long, hard day!
Modern bedroom in white with ample natural light and lovely views

Working with Mark Ashby Design on our long-distance, extensive remodel helped make the process stress-free and we are thrilled with the result. Our ideas, vision, and preferences were always the top priority and our design team used this information, along with their expertise, to pull our dream home together.

Light blue walls along with the dark blue bed create a tone-on-tone look in the modern bedroom
Fabulous stone vanity for the stylish modern powder room
Extensive design of the custom vanity makes the biggest impression in this large, modern minimal bathroom
Modern entry of the extensively renovated Austin home that was originally built in the early 90’s

You’re reading Modern Minimal Makeover of 90’s Residence atop Westlake Cove in Austin, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Similar Posts

  • Best Cart-Style Open Islands for the Small Kitchen: Smart Space Savers

    We are always looking to save space around our home; even if we do not happen to live in a small or modest residence. The general tendency among us is to fill up the empty space around us with decorative and furniture pieces as time passes by. Sure, de-cluttering and decorating discipline helps. But you […]

    You’re reading Best Cart-Style Open Islands for the Small Kitchen: Smart Space Savers, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • Color your Home: How to Use Olive Green Inside your House

    When it comes to the trendiest colors of 2020, there is no doubt that Blue in its darker avatar leads the pack. And in times of difficulty, colors such as blue which lift the mood and paint a sunnier picture are perfect indeed. But a close second to blue is quickly emerging in early half […]

    You’re reading Color your Home: How to Use Olive Green Inside your House, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • Miner Road

    The clients are a couple of environmental scientists who, along with their two sons, relocated from the Oakland Hills to the warmer climate of Orinda. Their commitment to sustainability, including a request for net-zero energy performance annually, was evident in their thinking throughout the design process. A three-bedroom program began as a remodel of a 1954 ranch house at the foot of a hill next to a seasonal creek.  After finding the existing structure and soils to be unsuitable, the direction settled on reusing the existing footprint under the shade of a Valley Oak that had grown up close to the original house. The surviving portion of the original house is the fireplace which was wrapped in concrete and utilized for structural support. This made additional grading unnecessary and allowed the new house to maintain the same intimate relation to the old oak.  The family desired an open living layout that connected directly to the landscape. A mezzanine plan evolved with a double height family space nested with a master bedroom and study stacked above the kitchen and nook. A screened pacing deck for long phone calls shades the upper level from afternoon summer sun. Downstairs, secondary bedrooms along an extendable hallway, wrap an outdoor dining area situated between the kitchen and family room.  Construction materials and methods were considered in balance between first and lifecycle costs. The Corten steel rain screen for the exterior skin and interior wood were chosen to take advantage of zero annual maintenance cost and a shotcrete foundation allowed formwork to be repurposed for wood framing.  Single use material selections such as the Corten steel and shotcrete foundation reduced complexity in detailing and labor costs allowing a larger portion of the budget to be reallocated for upgraded mechanical, insulation, and glazing systems. The same attitude for interior finishes produced acoustically insulated, unfinished oak ceilings and walls. The sum total of the limited and landscape-driven materials presents a relaxed and quiet built environment that allows the senses to focus on the natural environment. A haptic connection to the rhythms of our planet is evident.  A 14-gauge Corten rain screen provides a no-maintenance skin. High levels of insulation and glazing efficiency reduce heating and cooling loads. An 8.1kW photovoltaic system provides on-site renewable energy and produced more electrical energy than the house used the first year. Rainwater is collected via a waterfall from the roof at the end of the hallway. Buried tanks store water for use in toilets and laundry. Greywater is collected separately and reused for irrigation. Electronically commutated motors and variable speed heat pumps are used to further limit energy use and control heating and cooling. An energy recovery ventilator is used to provide fresh air.