In recent years, the Austin, Texas real estate market has been booming. According to the Austin Board of REALTORS® Central Texas Housing Market Report, there was a 15% spike in home sales from April 2018 to April 2019.
As the world turns its head to look at this trendy new residential haven, designers are focusing their efforts on contemporary exterior design to gentrify some of the previously undesirable areas. Here are some of the home design trends you’ll love from the trendsetters in Texas.
Why Austin?
While many of the major cities in Texas have been booming in recent years, Austin is often viewed as the most surprising change in real estate trends.
The reasoning?
As Austin hasn’t been as targeted as Dallas or Houston in recent years, people can get far more value for their money. They’re seeing an opportunity to get more land and nicer homes at a more affordable price.
While this has benefits for the budget-minded middle class, people in the luxury market are taking advantage as well. Even the most expensive lakeside homes on Lake Austin offer more value for the money than similar luxury homes in other areas.
Exterior Design Influences
While Austin might be a modern, trendsetting hotspot, it’s still Texas! Design influences pull largely from traditional Texan styles, such as ranches and farmhouses. Some designers opt for a more Mediterranean, hacienda-style luxury design.
Here are some of the most sensational exterior design trends from Austin that you’ll want to incorporate into your next home.
Exposed Beams and Wood
Exposed beams and unfinished wood invoke the essence of a welcoming lodge. This contemporary twist on traditional Texas is prevalent in luxury homes and often paired with ultra-modern landscaping and infinity pools.
This style is incomplete without a front porch that offers a genteel twist on Southern charm. Inside, picture soaring cathedral ceilings with exposed beams, oversized fireplaces, and large windows to capture the light.
Eco-Chic Rustic
Texas is a deregulated state, meaning that the energy providers in Texas have an open market in which to compete. As a homeowner, you get to choose your energy provider based on your usage needs, budget, and values.
As traditional Texan values play into thriving on the land, it’s no surprise that Austin designers are enhancing their energy reduction efforts by creating beautiful eco-chic rustic homes. While the stylings may be reminiscent of old farmhouses, more efficient materials are used to incorporate various methods for reduced consumption.
These homes have subtle eco-friendly devices without sacrificing style. Rainwater harvesting and sun deflection are common approaches to exterior design efforts.
Modern House on the Prairie
Prairie-style homes were designed with powerful horizontal lines that were meant to become one with the flat landscape from which they originate. With minimal peaks, overhanging gables, groups of windows, and a recessed entrance, prairie style homes have long been favored in Texas.
Designers in Austin are renewing the look with contemporary accents, such as stone elements, to brighten the exterior walls and cleared pathways to highlight the recessed entrance. Many designers are even putting the focus on the porch at the entryway to make the traditional design more inviting.
Mediterranean Oasis
Having a pool is at the top of the list for Austin amenities. Creating a Mediterranean oasis is a challenge that few designers can pull off in the continental USA, but many in Austin have managed to do just that.
Stucco walls complement red clay-tiled roofs, with a backyard of marbled stone walkways surrounding an inground pool. Landscapers are incorporating hardy breeds of olive trees and grapevines to create a little piece of paradise.
Austin exterior design is a beautiful melting pot of traditional Texas and contemporary design elements. Peruse through the incredible homes in this area for some inspiration.
