Austin houses run from 1930s cottages under old oaks to glass towers downtown, and each one needs a different kind of plan. River Jane & Co. is a residential interior designer based in Spicewood, about 45 minutes west of downtown, and we work across West and Central Austin, from Tarrytown and Clarksville to Barton Creek and Northwest Hills. Start with a free 15 minute call.
- From our studio
- About 45 minutes, 29 miles
- First step
- A free 15 minute call
- Consultation
- About an hour, in your home or virtual, depending on the project
- Design Strategy
- From $999, plan in 7 to 14 days
- Call or text
- 512-883-3767
Old West Austin: small rooms, great bones
Clarksville, Old Enfield, Pemberton Heights, Bryker Woods and Tarrytown are full of houses from the first half of the last century. Wood floors, original trim, plaster walls and windows with wavy glass. Also small closets, one bath for three bedrooms and a kitchen that was never meant for more than one cook.
The job in these houses is to keep what makes them special and fix what makes them hard to live in. Refinish the floors instead of replacing them. Keep the trim profile even if you paint it. Borrow space for a bigger kitchen or a second bath from a hallway or a porch that was closed in decades ago. And when you add on, make it look like it belongs. Our Tarrytown page goes deeper on older houses.
- Refinish original oak floors before pricing new ones.
- Match new trim to the old profile so additions don't stand out.
- Use unlacquered brass or nickel, finishes that fit the house's era.
Downtown high-rises
A condo in a downtown tower is its own kind of project. Walls of floor to ceiling glass, a view that's the main event, and building rules about deliveries, elevators and work hours. There's no garage to stage furniture in and no room for mistakes on sizing.
Measure the elevator and the hallways before falling for a sofa. Choose pieces that look good from behind, since the view wall means furniture floats. Plan shades for a lot of glass and a lot of sun. Motorized shades from The Shade Haus start at $399 a window and are practically required on a wall of glass that high up. Read motorized shades in Austin for more.
The West Austin hills
West of MoPac, the land climbs into the hills, and the houses change. Northwest Hills is mostly 1960s and 1970s split levels and ranches. Barton Creek, Lost Creek and Davenport Ranch skew toward the 1980s through the 2000s, bigger, with views and a lot of Tuscan era finishes. West Lake Hills and Rollingwood have everything, including a lot of new modern rebuilds.
Each has its own page: Northwest Hills, Barton Creek, West Lake Hills and Rollingwood. The common thread is hillside light, steep lots and houses that are ready for their second or third life.
Kitchens and baths in Austin houses
Kitchens and baths are where most Austin projects start. In an older house, it's about fitting modern function into a small footprint without losing character. In a 1990s or 2000s house, it's about swapping out finishes that date the whole first floor.
Our Austin kitchen design and Austin bathroom design pages show how we approach both. You can plan one kitchen or a whole floor, since a Design Strategy is priced at $999 per room to start.
A Hill Country palette in the city
Austin has its own style, and it's looser than Dallas or Houston. Limestone, white oak, handmade tile, vintage rugs and a little bit of art that doesn't match anything. Houses here look best when they feel collected rather than bought as a set.
Mix one or two old pieces into every room, whether it's a found table, a family chair or an old rug. Use natural materials that age well. Pick one bold move per room, like a colored tile or a strong wallpaper, and let the rest support it.
