On the north shore of Lake Travis, the view runs south across the water, which means the sun comes with it. River Jane & Co. is an interior design studio in Spicewood, about 45 to 50 minutes around the lake, and we work in Lago Vista, Point Venture and Jonestown, all in ZIP 78645. A free 15 minute call gets things started.
- From our studio
- About 50 minutes, 10 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
Facing south across the lake
From Lakeway and Hudson Bend, lake views mostly look north. The north shore flips that: from Lago Vista and Jonestown, the lake view usually faces south and southwest. That gives you sun most of the day, strong afternoon glare in summer and a lot of heat on the glass.
It's great for winter light and hard on fabric. Choose upholstery that's solution dyed or rated for sun, keep dark wood out of direct light, and plan shading as part of the room from the start. The Shade Haus, our own line, makes motorized shades from $399 a window for big view walls and cordless Roman or roller shades from $299 a window for the rest.
Lago Vista's stepped hillside houses
Lago Vista is steep, and a lot of the houses step down the hill in levels. You walk in at the street, go down half a flight to the living room and down again to a walkout by the pool. It's a fun way to live, and it can feel like three separate houses stacked together.
Tie it together. One flooring through every level, one trim and door color, one family of light fixtures. Light the stairs well, since they're the hallway. Give the lowest level the warmest colors and the most lamps. Around the golf course, the fairway view can set the palette, with greens and warm neutrals instead of lake blues.
Point Venture: small footprints, big ideas
Point Venture is a small village on its own peninsula, with townhouses, golf course homes and waterfront lots near the marina. Many of the homes are compact, so every square foot has to earn its keep.
In a smaller house we scale furniture to the room instead of the showroom: a sofa that's 84 inches instead of 100, a round dining table that seats six in the space of a four person rectangle, and built-ins that hold the lake gear. Mirrors across from windows bounce the lake light deeper into the room. Our lake house decor article has more small space ideas.
- Choose one large rug over several small ones.
- Use leggy furniture so you see more floor.
- Paint the walls and trim the same color to blur the edges of a small room.
Jonestown: cabins, additions and The Hollows
Jonestown has two faces. The older lake lots near the water have cabins and small lake houses, many added onto over the years. The Hollows on Lake Travis brings new custom homes and early builder selections. One needs stitching together and the other needs warming up.
For the older homes, the goal is making the additions feel like they were always there. For new builds, it's getting selections right before the deadline. Either way, the plan comes from a Design Strategy, $999 per room to start. Across the lake, see Hudson Bend, or head east to Volente.
