Austin Home Revival: Historic Colonial Gets a Modern Update

Hidden in the northwest corner of downtown Austin, just a few blocks from the Texas capitol, the Judges Hill neighborhood is home to some of the city’s most significant architectural history. A mere four blocks wide, the area’s picturesque tree-shaded streets lead to erstwhile homes of notable justices, some dating as far back as the 1800s. So it only makes sense that when screenwriter and director Shana Feste and her husband, producer Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, decided to relocate with their three children from Los Angeles to Austin in 2023, they chose to restore and reimagine a 1927 Colonial Revival in the neighborhood instead of tearing it down.

Drawn in by its timeless curb appeal (and the fact that it was built the same year as their Spanish-style home in Los Feliz), the pair bought the place sight unseen. “It just looked like a classic family home, like the one from Father of the Bride,” Feste recalls. However, inside, it wasn’t so family friendly—at least not for current lifestyles. “The floor plan was a little like a maze—narrow hallways that led to tiny, individual rooms,” she notes.

So the couple partnered with local architects Annie-Laurie Grabiel and Arthur Furman of Side Angle Side to recast the house for modern life and simultaneously preserve its historic charm. This called for a total rearrangement of the interiors, top to bottom. To wit, what was once a cramped, dark kitchen became a bright eat-in space and the attic turned into a sprawling entertainment room. Interior designer Marie Flanigan helped the couple find the right roles for Feste’s lifelong collection of carefully curated antiques, producing rooms that feel as elegant and storied as they are livable. Here’s how the team of creatives gave this home a wonderful sequel.

Let History Lead

Designed by Austin architect Edwin C. Kreisle in 1927, the exterior changed very little in this renovation nearly 100 years later. From the outside, you can barely tell that every single interior wall moved or was taken down to the studs. “That was kind of the goal,” Grabiel says, “to keep the house and just paint it and clean it up.” To refresh the exteriors, the team coated the brick in a historic color mix.

Transcend Time with Florals

The dining room sets the stage for Feste’s love of pattern, particularly in the form of House of Hackney’s Flora Fantasia in Ecru, which channels the space’s former ambience. “There was a wallpaper here when we bought the house, and it was gorgeous,” explains Feste. “We tried to save it the best we could, but it became kind of impossible. This one reminded me of the original paper, the way it feels like an old botanical print.”

Turn the Corner

One of the more dramatic transformations, the kitchen was opened up to include a breakfast nook that has contemporary flair. “That steel window corner system was the only place that we broke from the traditional architecture and did something not of the home’s time period,” Furman says. “It’s not visible from the road, so we felt we could have some fun there,” Grabiel adds.

Carve Out a Sunny Spot

The couple requested plenty of cozy corners where they could escape to read or write. With a window seat and views of the backyard, the sunroom proved to be one of many ideal areas for that. In a nod to the original space, a “rug” fashioned with tiles from FLM Ceramics (based in Kavanaugh-Jones’ hometown of Petaluma, California) brings it all together.

Make a Place to Lounge

With the addition of proper insulation and air-conditioning, the former attic was made over into a family room for movie watching, drum practice, and simply curling up with a good book (or potential screenplay). “It’s amazing because the kids just disappear into that room,” Feste says. “We’re not afraid of screens. We’re filmmakers, so we have movie nights in there, and it’s just a really relaxed, fun space where we can all enjoy each other.”

Find Meaning in the Details

In the primary bedroom, serene white walls (painted Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee, OC-45) put the focus on patinated furnishings and pattern play. Around the fireplace, tiles by California artist Rebekah Miles reintroduce a bit of Golden State flavor. “My father was from Texas, and my mom’s from California, so I feel like I have kind of a split regional personality,” Feste explains. “Bringing in those tiles really reminded me of California.”

Pair the Unexpected

For a reading nook in the primary suite, they enclosed a sunporch and framed it up with a decorative casing. Inside, a work by artist Riz Riz Rizz takes center stage. “I love the way he paints women. They’re really powerful,” Feste says. The art pops against a backdrop of Hip Rose by Boråstapeter. “Mixing it with this floral wallpaper felt odd. You’d think it wouldn’t work, but it completely does…at least for me,” she says, laughing.

Remember to Look Up

“We couldn’t raise many of the other ceilings in the house, but in here, we could,” says Kristin Fitzgerald, a lead designer on Flanigan’s team. “We really embraced that by bringing in the vaulted ceiling, which allowed us to get those bunk beds in there and have it still feel spacious.” Set against another House of Hackney pattern, Trematonia, it feels extra whimsical.

Go a Bit Wild

“One of the proudest moments I have with this home is when people walk in and say, ‘Your house is so inviting and welcoming,’ ” says Feste, who displays unique artwork and collections throughout. “I just wanted to create an environment that felt a little quirky and fun and didn’t take itself too seriously.”