Budapest Post

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

An Austin Couple Build a 200-Square-Foot Office and Guesthouse in Their Backyard

An Austin Couple Build a 200-Square-Foot Office and Guesthouse in Their Backyard

The couple behind Cedar & Oak Homes build a 200-square-foot ADU in their backyard.

Lauren and Holt Williamson of Austin, Texas–based design-build firm Cedar & Oak Homes knew that the backyard shed that held outdoor supplies, extra paint, flooring, and tile was destined for greater things. "When I started working from home, I dreamed about turning that unused space into a home office," says Lauren.

But before the Williamsons knew it, they found themselves designing much more than an office. "Holt quickly jumped aboard my dream train and instead of adding just a window and a desk, we found ourselves sketching a full-blown tiny house," Lauren says. "Anyone who knows us knows we don’t do things halfway."



Lauren and Holt Williamson of Cedar & Oak Homes designed and built a 200-square-foot tiny home in the backyard of their Austin, Texas, home.

Instead of recreating the existing shed, the couple devised an entirely new construction that could be used as an office, guesthouse, short-term rental space-The Back House. "Since the stay-at-home order was put in place, Holt and I’ve been using it as our office, but we’re eager to have friends, family, and Austin visitors come stay with us soon," Lauren says.



Clerestories brighten up the living area, which is situated between the bedroom and the kitchen-and-dining space of the open-plan home.

The Williamsons’ toddlers-three-and-a-half-year-old Aden and two-year-old Ellie-have been a part of the project since the beginning. "They watched the demo of the old shed from the windowsill, and they played and drew on the structural frame," Lauren says. "And they helped me make the bed and hang the towels. At least three times a week, Aden asks to go to The Back House to work with Dad. He really just wants to raid the mini fridge, but I think this was the start of our kiddos getting excited about our business."



Lauren arranged the living area with a fold-out sofa from Urban Outfitters, a sconce from Living Spaces, and artwork and a woven rug from Target.

Sided with bright white board-and-batten, The Back House is 200 square feet. "The property line setbacks for our house and our neighbor’s house left us with a very specific size and location," Lauren says. "We added a separate, gated entry from our front yard so that people coming to stay wouldn’t have to step foot in our backyard." And since The Back House replaced a shed, Holt included a bump-out on the tiny house’s rear facade, which faces the Williamsons’ backyard and stores outdoor equipment.



The Williamsons clad the tiny home with bright white board-and-batten and selected a dark gray tone for the entry door and the fascia.



A bump-out on the rear facade of the tiny home holds outdoor equipment, referencing the shed that once stood in its place.

Inside, wood-like vinyl flooring with a pale tone offsets bright white walls and a gray accent wall in the bedroom area. "We wanted an accent wall that would catch your eye right when you walk in the small space," Lauren says. "We carried the vertical shiplap from the kitchen backsplash to the back wall [in the bedroom] and painted it Pewter Green by Sherwin-Williams. It’s a fun pop of color in an otherwise black, white, and wood-toned space." To link the interior and the exterior, they painted the front door and fascia the same Pewter Green color.



The Williamsons named the backyard ADU The Back House.

The Williamsons created a fresh aesthetic for the kitchen and the bath using contrasting colors and textures. The Shaker-style kitchen cabinetry is painted with Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams that offsets the white vertical shiplap backsplash and White Zeus Silestone counters. "Because the bathroom and kitchen are both in eyesight when you walk in the front door, we wanted the color and texture scheme to flow effortlessly," Lauren says. "We carried the same vinyl wood floor into the bathroom to make it feel like a continuation of the space and painted [a portion] of the wall the same Iron Ore color we used on the kitchen cabinets."

To help distinguish the bedroom-and-living space from the kitchen and the bathroom areas, the Williamsons shifted the ceiling height and punctuated it with skylights.



The kitchen is outfitted with open shelving, gray-painted wood cabinetry, white Silestone counters, and a white-painted shiplap backsplash.



Shiplap, a wood vanity, and wood-style vinyl flooring lend texture and warmth in the bath.



Like the kitchen and the bedroom, the bath is outfitted in a palette of gray and white.

"Our ultimate goal was to make this space feel bigger than it really is," Lauren says. "I think we accomplished that with a design that flows from room to room, and the way the outdoors are brought in with lots of windows and natural light."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Unelected PM of the UK holds an emergency meeting because a candidate got voted in… which he says is a threat to democracy…
Farmers break through police barriers in Brussels.
Ukraine Arrests Father-Son Duo In Lockbit Cybercrime Bust
US Offers $15 Million For Info On Leaders Of Cybercrime Group Lockbit
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
Alexei Navalny: UK sanctions Russian prison chiefs after activist's death
German economy is in 'troubled waters' - ministry
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Tucker Carlson says Boris Johnson wants "a million dollars, in Bitcoin or cash, from Tucker Carlson to talk about Ukraine.
Russia is rebuilding capacity to destabilize European countries, new UK report warns
EU Commission wants anti-drone defenses at Brussels HQ
Von der Leyen’s 2nd-term pitch: More military might, less climate talk
EU Investigates TikTok for Child Safety Concerns
EU Launches Probe Into TikTok Over Child Protection Under Digital Content Law
EU and UK Announce Joint Effort on Migration
Ministers Confirm Proposal to Prohibit Mobile Phone Usage in English Schools
Avdiivka - Symbol Of Ukrainian Resistance Now In Control Of Russian Troops
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
Tucker Carlson grocery shopping in Russia. This is so interesting.
France and Germany Struggle to Align on European Defense Strategy
‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption Rights
Russia "Very Close" To Creating Cancer Vaccines, Says Vladimir Putin
Hungarian Foreign Minister: Europeans will lose Europe, the Union's policy must change drastically
Microsoft says it caught hackers from China, Russia and Iran using its AI tools
US Rejects Putin's Ceasefire Offer in Ukraine
The Dangers of Wildfire Smoke and Self-Protection Strategies
A Londoner has been arrested for expressing his Christian beliefs.
Chinese Women Favor AI Boyfriends Over Humans
Greece must address role in migrant vessel disaster that killed 600: Amnesty
Google pledges 25 million euros to boost AI skills in Europe
Hungarian President Katalin Novák Steps Down Amid Pardon Controversy
Activist crashes Hillary Clinton's speech, calls her a 'war criminal.'
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Trudeau reacts to Putin's mention of Canadian Parliament applauding a former Ukrainian Nazi in his interview with Tucker Carlson.
The Spanish police blocked the farmers protest. So the farmers went out and moved the police car out of the way.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy fires top Ukraine army commander
Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin raises EU concerns
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
Russia's Economy Expands by 3.6% Due to Increased Military Spending
Ukraine MPs Vote To Permit Use Of Dead Soldiers' Sperm
German Princess Becomes First Aristocrat To Pose Naked On Playboy Cover
UK’s King Charles III diagnosed with cancer
EU's Ursula von der Leyen Confronts Farmer Protests Amid Land Policy Debates
Distinguishing Between Harmful AI Media and Positive AI-Generated Content: A Crucial Challenge for the EU
Tucker Carlson explains why he interviewed Putin
Dutch farmers are still protesting in the Netherlands against the government, following the World Economic Forum's call for 'owning nothing.'
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stands up for European farmers and says, 'Brussels is suffocating European farmers.
×