Thursday, May 31, 2007
Louise Epstein and John Henry McDonald are self-professed homebodies. Epstein, an entrepreneur and former Austin City Council member, even works from home.
"My objective is to stay home as much as possible," Epstein says.
That singular goal was the driving force behind the remodeling of the couple's 3,700-square-foot, limestone-clad West Austin house, which borders the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The landscape already set the scene for a peaceful, resort-style of living, but Epstein and McDonald spent a year adding more touches (such as the 25-yard, zero-edge swimming pool designed to look like a lake) that keep them content stoking the home fires. They can now find serenity at home instead of seeking it elsewhere.
But before all of that relaxing could start, there was work to be done. After buying the house in 2005, McDonald, founder and president of Austin Asset Management and 'the Finance Guy' from News 8 Austin, says they "gutted it down to the studs and moved walls." They hired Barley & Pfeiffer Architects to design their dream.
Builder Matt Oliver of Oliver Custom Homes was the original builder, and the couple called on him for the remodeling (Epstein says she gives him credit for everything). Oliver also suggested several unique finishes for the interior, such as the Massaranduba (or Brazilian redwood) divider between the living room and kitchen, a copper "pebble" back-
splash (pebble-shaped copper pieces are embedded in the drywall) that ascends from the brown and cream granite countertops to the ceiling, and distressed copper fronts on the stairs.
The neutral color palette highlights the couple's extensive art and modern furniture collections (a classic black Isamu Noguchi coffee table and several striking pieces of furniture by local artist and designer Hawkeye Glenn dot the living room) and views of the preserve, visible from almost every area when looking out of the wealth of windows in the back of the house.
"Art is what really gives the color to these rooms, and that's what it's all about," says McDonald.
Entertaining is a favorite pastime for Epstein and McDonald. They often host charity events for groups such as the Austin Lyric Opera, the Austin Classical Guitar Society and the Long Center for the Performing Arts. The balconies, decks and other outdoor spaces, surrounded by low-water, native Texas plants and wildflowers, as well as a small recirculating, goldfish-filled pond (a frequent mealtime stop-over for a blue heron living in the neighborhood) and other water features, offer a variety of choices for year-round gatherings or a simple party of two.
Epstein and McDonald continue to make subtle tweaks and changes to the house. Their philosophy is that this is an ongoing and organic process, so both are content to spend their weeks and months whittling and chiseling away at their private sanctuary.
"People travel for various reasons — the peace, the luxury," Epstein says. "I wanted to get this out of my home."
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