Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

A Cozy Cottage Surrounded by Trees Near Downtown Austin

A Cozy Cottage Surrounded by Trees Near Downtown Austin

Built in 1971, this four-bedroom house sits on a beautifully landscaped property along the Colorado River.

Nestled at the edge of a verdant suburb in Austin, Texas, this 3,950-square-foot house wraps around an octagonal communal space and complements the lush landscape. The secluded 0.65-acre property is just a 12-minute drive from downtown, and yet it feels like it belongs in an East Texas woodland.

Designed by local architect William Tamminga and built in 1971, the home offers peace, quiet, and cozy living with its high ceilings, exposed wooden beams, limestone walls, and oversized windows that offer picturesque views of the property. "This place truly feels like a treehouse," says listing agent Jennifer Ladner of the Thomajan & Ladner Group of Compass. "You’re tucked into the city in a way that I’ve never seen in Austin."



Although the house is 50 years old, it’s immediately clear from the stunning landscaped entryway that 2707 Valley Springs Road is anything but dated. A recent renovation has kept the home’s exterior and interior fresh and inviting.



The foyer features a 12-foot-high vaulted ceiling, limestone walls, and a polished concrete floor.

Landscape architect Alyssa James of Studio 8SC purchased the home with her husband in 2015, and she’s worked judiciously to maintain the stunning landscape while adding native plantings, such as a Texas redbud tree and a cacti garden.

"I’ve kept a lot of the area wild, and inserted plants that are more acclimated to the Texas climate." she says. "I’ve also looked for places where I could design a vignette-moments where, from inside the home, you get a small but beautiful view."



Dubbed "the octagon" by the current owners, the sunken living room is the centerpiece of the house. It features a stunning fireplace and large windows that overlook the creek out back. All rooms branch out from this central area.



Landscape architect Alyssa James has owned the property since 2015, and she loves the pops of green that can found throughout the house. To her, the color blends in nicely with the verdant exterior.

Alyssa’s old firm, Austin-based Word + Carr Design Group, worked with the previous owners in 2010 to reimagine the exterior environment as well. They added steel terraces, concrete and steel planters, a posterior balcony, a stone deck, and a new entrance, among other elements.

Local architecture firm Mark Odom Studio renovated the building itself by replacing cedar siding with stucco and mahogany, and swapping the composite roof with metal. The design team also added turf to the flat roofs, and upgraded the front door with a custom steel-and-mahogany piece.



A central courtyard shaded by a Japanese maple tree offers a refuge from the sun.



Each bright and airy room boasts windows large enough to let loads of light into the house.

Mark Odom Studio also refinished the concrete and wood flooring, introduced a complete kitchen remodel, and revamped the bathrooms while retaining the home’s period charm. New built-in cabinets in the hallway and primary bedroom provide extra storage.

The focal point of the house is by far the sunken living area-or "the octagon," as the family calls it. All rooms branch out from this space, and it’s impossible to not be sucked into its inviting aura, according to Ladner. "As soon as prospective buyers walk in the door, their jaws drop." she says. "The different textures and the warmth of the space hit you right away."



The primary bedroom has access to its own steel terrace.



Studio 8SC designed the guest suite downstairs, which has access to the greenhouse. Mend Services was responsible for the build-out.

When asked about her favorite design feature, Alyssa points to the pops of green that can be found throughout the home. From the kitchen backsplash to the wet bar counter, bedroom cabinets, and interior courtyard, the verdant hue interplays with the leafy landscape outside.

"I feel like many people see this color as quite garish and in your face," she says. "But when in this particular house, it melts right out the window and into the landscape."



"Keeping up the landscape around the house is a double-edged sword with all these heritage trees surrounding us," Alyssa says. "We have to keep them off the structure, but we also want to allow them to flourish."



A secluded property bathed in greenery and located near the city is a rarity in Austin.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×