A ribbon-like glass chandelier complements the foyer s groin-vaulted ceiling. Johnson replaced the dark iron railing planned for the staircase with a contemporary stainless steel version. Inside the River Café by Isaac Maimon hangs above the chest. Opening spread Johnson s modern vision of the dining room includes a custom-designed table she commissioned from Austin craftsman Jonathan Clark. Bright blue upholstered chairs add lively color to the room. Four glass chandeliers maintain the space s openness. The glass gives just the right glow; it doesn t look buy to have it, says Johnson. The painting at left is Volume by Cande Aguilar, Jr. On the right hangs Ocas de Ohia by Álvaro Herrán. The old saying about judging a book by its cover can be reinterpreted for homes; don t judge a house by its front door. Austin-based interior designer Susie Johnson learned this firsthand when she reinterpreted a traditionally Texas Tuscan-style home for clients who had originally planned for contemporary architecture. Johnson is a seasoned designer with dozens of awards to her name; still, on her first visit to the home, as her clients car crested the sloped drive and rounded the circular court, she was taken aback by the façade rising up in her view. Since 2002, Johnson and her clients had been working with an architect on the design of a large contemporary home in Westlake. After a series of delays, the clients had decided to abandon the original plans and move to an existing home but everyone assumed it would be similarly contemporary. In spite of her surprise, Johnson trusted her clients instincts. The designer s relationship with the professional couple, who admit to being Austin residents since before the MoPac Expressway, goes back many years. They were mutually respectful of Johnson s opinion and had brought her to the home even before purchasing it. They asked, Can you make this work? Johnson says that her philosophy centers on interpreting her clients style along with a home s architecture, rather than relying on any predetermined trademarks or formulas. So, once she got past the front door, I knew that contemporary could work, she says. Her vision of the home evolved as she noted the clean lines of existing cabinetry and plumbing fixtures. The builder seemed to know that somebody contemporary was going to buy it. Johnson immediately began to adapt the past years work to the clients new framework. 62 Texas Home & Living May/June 2008
After deciding that the formal living room s sculptures would benefit from a textured backdrop, Johnson treated one wall with an applied rock texture, creating the illusion that the home s exterior stone continues indoors. A round stainless steel and bronze sculpture commissioned by the clients from John Richen hangs on the wall; Perpetuity by Lam Lee sits nearby. The hammered aluminum bowl on the coffee table is by Peter Trexler. The home s bones fit the family s needs, including large exercise and game rooms and his-and-her offices. In terms of interior design, I knew what their very specific needs were at that point, says Johnson. Where wrought iron and oil-rubbed bronze would have gone in a more traditional interpretation of the home s architecture, Johnson placed steel railings and sleek cabinet hardware. The designer says that even these subtle changes went a long way toward creating the space s contemporary end. The home s colors are rich neutrals augmented by punches of color from the clients extensive contemporary art collection. The juxtaposition brings each element into high relief. Large sculptures and vivid paintings resonate with the home s open archways and rooms, the art creating a foil for the architecture. Along with art, lighting was a major focus throughout the design process. It became one of the primary ways that Johnson introduced contemporary expressions in the midst of the home s Venetian-plastered walls and stone archways. Johnson says that she met with her clients nearly ten times about the breakfast table lighting alone. The resulting decision to install a quartet of streamlined chandeliers maintains the room s openness. In the kitchen, Italian-made lighting beams over the island and breakfast bar mimic the shape of cedar ceiling beams, which Johnson left unpainted. A space this large needs grounding, and if it were a white ceiling this whole space would just float, she says. Johnson had the advantage of choosing entirely new furniture, since the clients previous furnishings did not match the new home s scale. Many of the new pieces have a 64 Texas Home & Living May/June 2008
By adding glass-fronted cabinets and cleanlined hardware, We were really able to move it to contemporary, says Johnson of the Tuscan-style home built by Rick Kiroow. Contemporary lighting also bridges the divide between the home s traditional architecture and contemporary interior design.
It s big, but I think it really lives, says Johnson of the home she designed for longtime clients. Every space fits their needs. The home s living areas afford expansive views of West Austin s hills. Photography by Mark Knight. Facing page The study accommodates some of the family s large book collection. The custom desk is by Jonathan Clark. Over the fireplace hangs Chief of Staff by David Chapple. Outside the door sits Three Circle Swinger, a kinetic sculpture by Bruce Stillman. At either end of the main hall, a stained glass dome complements the quatrefoil ornament in the study and dining room, which mimic each other architecturally.
a geometric look, strong enough to have a presence in the large rooms yet with proportions that still grant the home its characteristic openness. In the dining room especially, Johnson took advantage of light and shape to create her contemporary take on the traditional dining room. She commissioned the creation of a modern dining room table. With lustrous wood and industrial round legs, the piece draws together the room s Old World influence and modern vibe. Above, another quartet of glass-and-steel chandeliers maintains the space s symmetry. Paired with cobalt blue chairs, the space hums with the color of contemporary paintings and art glass. I think blue really works in contemporary because it s kind of unusual, says Johnson, who kept her eye on those unexpected elements that would draw residents and visitors through the home unselfconsciously. It s not formulaic at all, says Johnson. We were reinventing it at almost every step. Johnson even got to add to the façade that at first seemed so daunting. In the front door she placed glass panels We thought the glass made it more friendly and with the addition of a modern take on a barrel-vaulted entry cover, the home s exterior now gives visitors a hint of what s within. Still, the element of surprise doesn t escape many. I have had people comment that you would never guess when you got inside that it would be like this and that it would work, says the lady of the house. They re amazed. It s been a challenge, admits Johnson, finally closing the cover on a story that has been years in the making. But when you do something hard, and it works, it s even better. Like the most treasured books, Johnson knows that the home s best attributes are in its unforeseen finale. It s almost better because it s so unpredictable. TH&L May/June 2008 Texas Home & Living 67