Modern Take on a Texas Farmhouse

A modern, gabled home in Austin is designed to feel like a "leftover railroad house that had been repurposed."

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When beginning construction, Austin-based contractor Royce Flournoy hoped that the simple, gabled structure of the farmhouse-style home he now shares with his partner would blend seamlessly into the urban space around it. Because their home is located near a metro rail stop, Flournoy imagined that the bronze windows, steel details, and simple, gabled structure "would feel like a leftover railroad house that had been repurposed," rather than a brand new, two-story home. The result was a simple, but unmistakably modern home, whose unembellished white exterior interacts well with the lively context of East Austin architecture.

The exterior of the new, two-story home in East Austin, Texas was designed with a minimal palette, bronze windows, and steel details in order to blend into the existing cityscape.

Flournoy collaborated with architect Patrick Ousey to create a timeless appeal for their interior space. The open kitchen and large windows invite plenty of natural light, and clever design details like a screened staircase with vertical steel slats filters light from above, elevating the structure from simple farmhouse to a well-considered, contemporary home.

The kitchen and adjoined dining space have a light, open feel, as does the rest of the home. Complementary design elements, like the low-slung steel bookcase next to the stairs, which Flournoy’s partner organized according to color, reappear throughout the house. Pops of color add an appealing break from the largely monochromatic palette, and reinforce the couple’s design aesthetic. The Bistro chairs are from Crate and Barrel.

Inside, Flournoy and his partner relied on simple materials and colors in an effort to design a space that would work as a blank canvas for their growing collection of art and furnishings. "I like seeing how good architecture compliments and creates a backdrop for fine furnishings and art," Flournoy says. "My collection is in its infancy, so as I collect, I was hoping the space would change without a need to change the architecture."