The Norris House began as a remodel/addition for a growing family in South Austin. The existing house already had the desired number of bedrooms and gathering spaces, as well as the appropriate amount of square footage, it just lacked a sense of openness and connectivity. As well, the homeowners did not connect with the aesthetics of the existing house.
The re-design was formulated to reuse most of the existing plumbing locations in the concrete foundation for the first floor, while leaving more design freedom on the second floor, where the Master Suite is located. The previous staircase was in the middle of where the new Kitchen and Dining Room would be located, so it was redesigned to be positioned as a sculptural element on an outside wall between the Kitchen and the Living Room. The open floor plan allows the family to stay connected through the kitchen, dining and living rooms; and also allows for large gatherings of family and friends in a brightly colored and inviting space.
A home office, and a large Master Suite was located on the second floor, along with a walk-out deck large enough to host several friends for morning yoga sessions. The exterior wall of the Master Bathroom faces West so the windows on that wall were minimized. Instead, a skylight was placed on a North facing roof slope to bring in an abundance of natural light.
The biggest impact on the exterior aesthetics of the house was the reimagining of the roofs, the exterior material palette and the landscape. The use of Hardie, an inexpensive and durable material, on the majority of the exterior, allowed for moments of Cypress and Metal siding to accent the house and give it a bit of character and charm. A utility easement along the right side of the property required that no eaves hung over the setback. Instead of fighting against this restriction, we turned it into a distinguishing design feature, setting the house apart without ignoring the established neighborhood character.The new roof geometry also allowed each of the kid’s bedrooms to receive a loft area for reading, dreaming and mini-adventures!
One of the more interesting parts to the story of the Norris House is the client’s involvement in the design and construction process. Several 3D models were traded back and forth between the client and architect while hashing through the redesign of the house. The client also enjoys welding as a hobby and fabricated the majority of the steel work, including the stair – by himself!
Material Used :
1. Don Young – Aluminum Windows
2. James Hardie – Hardie Plank Siding
3. Cypress Siding
4. Paint
- SW ProMar 200: Color match White Whisp (BM Color) for most of the walls in the house
- Sherwin Williams ProMar 200 Extra White (SW7006)
5. Tile
Kitchen Backsplash - 1x4 Gypsea Mydas
Master
Bath Floor - 12x24 Bedrosians Matrix Universe
Shower Floor - 1” Hex Black Matte
Shower Walsl - 12x24 Emser Jazz Bloom White Matte
Girls’ Bath (double vanity)
Tub Surround - 12x24 Elysium Hex Matte White
Floor - 8x10 Terra Hex Nero
Boy’s Bath (single vanity, stand up shower)
Floor and Walls - 12x24 Emser Strands Twilight
Shower Floor - 1” Hex Black Matte
Guest Bath
Shower Walls - 12x24 Elysium Leucothia Matte White
Shower Floor - Fujiwa Pebble 93
6. Grout
- Mapei UltraFlex #50 White
- Fusion Pro #60 Charcoal
- Fusion Pro #381 Bright White
- Fusion Pro #370 Dove Gray
7. Countertops
- Kitchen: Vicostone Onyx White
- Master Bath and Bath 1: Pacific Shore Stones Quartz Somoa
- Bath2: Silestone Kensho
- Bath 3: Silestone Niebla
