26 January 2023
I'm so glad Austin is great.Inland Tribeza Touris back after a 2 year pandemic hiatus. On the day of the Sunday tour, I managed to see all 7 featured houses and included a picnic lunch in the 5 hours allotted for the tour, courtesy of my tour partner. Furious! Seriously, can't they start this at 9 or 10 in the morning? We need potty time, planner.
Anyway, let's get started with part 2 of my coverage (here is part 1) featuring one of my favorite homes on the tour, for its character and beautiful finishes, no matter what anyone else thinks: a gothic gem house (it works!) in the South Manchacan neighborhood.
Amity Worrel & Co: Richmond Avenue House
What can I say about this house designed byAmity Worrell & Co.? I was struck by his personality (which tends toward the supernatural and sinister), the color, and an extravagant use of Austin's own chain-stitch wallpaper.strong lonely, like the Moon Snake rhinestone pattern in the lobby. (Click to see itFort Lonesome's Awesome and Boring Wallpaper Line, which you can see locallysupply showroom.) A ball of white light surrounded by fluttering moths hangs high on the wall, like a moon. An Egyptian bust and a pair of glittering fangs greet you on a shelf in the alcove.
Next, you enter a casual dining room just off the kitchen with a watercolor style table (Cage'Smelting pot), rounded velvet chairs and a long padded stool. The same moon snake rhinestone wallpaper and matching fabric envelop the room in its moody hue and vibrant pattern. At the bottom of the wall, bats and insects are framed like a taxidermy.
A moon-shaped pendant hangs above the table, and teardrop-shaped lamps add more lunar energy.
The kitchen surprised me with spring green cabinets (I was expecting black), white tile, and white bar stools patterned with cherry red flowers or leaves. Designer Amity Worrel (in black) welcomes visitors in the kitchen.
The fabric of the bar stool is repeated in the wallpaper on the ceiling in the living room and draws the eye upwards. Mauve drapes and a purple rug reflect the hot pink pattern of the wallpaper. A chandelier made (I think) of thin flexible strips of wood hangs from the ceiling almost like a hanging flower.
A cabinet of Gothic curiosities anchors one end of the room, flanked by green armchairs that seem to slink away on bent legs.
I love the fabric of the sofa and the unusual color combination here: burnt orange and mauve.
Instead of finishing the blue wallpaper on the edge of the kitchen cabinets, the designers re-cut their design and let it float beneath the botanical wallpaper. Here, a spacious foyer with arched doorways invites a surprisingly long hallway through the rest of the house. I heard the designer say this was a special home when the owner bought it in 2021 and immediately tasked the design team with transforming the blank canvas and white walls with wallpaper and lots of character.
Hallway wallpaper —strong lonely's Dreamland in Mauve - accentuates the arch perfectly.
Dreamland wallpaper detail
See how it looks like stitched threads? Fort Lonesome specializes in custom chain stitch designs on fabrics, clothing, cushions, etc. They also make prints of some of their designs and turn them into artistic posters and wallpaper.
A round, spiked mirror in the hallway reflects a portrait of Sylvia Plath.
Next to her hangs Kurt Cobain, tragic fellow artists.
A dust bath takes a break from all the greasy wallpaper. Instead, black paint and a black sink make the art and lighting shine. A painting of Jesus hangs next to a glowing anatomical heart lamp - theSacred heart, skillfully conjured.
A gothic gallery wall features Morticia Addams, Dracula, Edgar Allan Poe, a haunted house and a hairless cat. I would soon see a resident hairless cat give me the stinky eye, one of several cats that roamed peacefully among strangers in his home.
Across the hall, a small study with black bookcases appears as you look up to see acid green snake wallpaper.
A living room that opens to the hallway displays colorful, abstract wallpaper.
The living room leads to an enclosed porch with a pink concrete floor with painted bugs, spiders and vines.
There's the hairless cat getting ready to jump on a purple glider with green botanical cushions.
Let's take a quick look at the path we came from. This spacious hallway with a custom leopard print rug and bold wallpaper reminds me of a boutique hotel with a modern Victorian vibe.
A small black vanity in a moody living room leads to the master bedroom (left) and bathroom (right).
A vintage head planter holds tulips on a diamond glazed windowsill.
The bathroom features Illuminati eye wallpaper and black accents.
Coat racks and watchful eyes
In the bedroom, black wallpaper with nude women holding hands in a circle (hidden energy I think) is paired with a jet black ceiling. A day bed by the window offers more space to lounge.
Continuing down the long hallway you come to a black bench and more intriguing art.
And then comes the media room with a shimmering iridescent pink and purple ceiling set against hunter green walls. Ka-pow!
Furnishings include a green and black patterned area with matching blinds and a marble coffee table with Ouija board.
Down the hall, two children's rooms border a play area with a bookcase, bunny art, and a play kitchen.
One of the children's rooms is pink with a tropical botanical wallpaper on the ceiling and black and white striped curtains.
The other shows leopards frolicking against a black background.
Portrait of a wolf cub
The boys' bathroom is richly colored with whimsical plant and dinosaur wallpaper, purple cabinets, and hot pink tile in the shower.
The sink faucets are matching purple. Bright red towels add even more color.
broken heart wallpaper and art detail
At the back door, in a storage room for bags and shoes, the hairless cat was waiting for me, motionless as a statue, staring at me. Was he even real? For a moment I wasn't sure.
Aaaah, a bit creepy! And fun!
One last look at a heavily wallpapered laundry room and off we go to the next house. What a wonderfully quirky house this was, with its black and white exterior (aside from a stencilled Gothic design on the front door) not giving any indication of what lies within.
Kopfer Taylor Interiors: Norris Drive Haus
In the next house, which is located in the Zilker district and was designed byKopfer Taylor InteriorsI admired a pretty dining room with a crystal bird chandelier and a colorful abstract painting.
A foyer features gold wallpaper with tropical flora and fauna framed by black cabinets.
A look into the backyard reveals a large cistern in a neighbor's yard (we saw another one in Part 1). Wisely, Austinites are very interested in collecting water. Gardening friends from California have told me that much less of this is happening in their drought-stricken state, and I wonder why it hasn't taken off there.
More funny wallpapers in a musical alcove with vinyl records and player, some books...
...and prayer votives for rock and roll stars.
An origami bison head hangs on a ladder.
And in a child's room, a rocket shoots into space on an accent wall.
Avery Cox Design: House in Clarksville
The latest home in the Clarksville neighborhood measures just 768 square feet. decorated byAvery Cox-DesignFor a "modern bachelor," the tiny 1920s-era bungalow has plenty of charm, thanks to restored fascia, windows, and hardwood floors, plus clean-lined, jewel-toned furnishings.
Surprisingly, a velvety green banquette seats about 8 people alongside an atmospheric peacock blue kitchen. (Watch theDesigner site for images..)
Green subway tiles and a marble shower create a chic scene in the compact bathroom.
Inside the closet, built-in storage and a stacked washer/dryer made room for a padded window seat and a window that lets natural light into the tight space.
The casita was literally swarming with tour-goers, and I quickly retreated to the lovely fenced-in front yard, where a display of succulents in Italian ceramics provided a lovely end to the tour.
for a reviewPart 1 of my favorite scenes from Tribeza Interiors Tour 2023, Click here.
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deep ditch
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Plan to attend theFestival and sale of budding plantsMarch 18 at John Fairey Gardenin Hempstead, Texas. Rare and distinctive plants are offered, as are art, pottery, jewelry, food, drink, music and other entertainment for the whole family. Members have early access and receive free admission. Admission for non-members is $5. Children up to 12 years old are free.
experience theSurreal garden at the Zilker Botanical Garden, a charming neon art display in the gardens, featuring food and drink, music and dance, surreal artists and interactive art sculptures. Desired surreal costumes! 25% of event proceeds benefit the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy. Runs April 6 (VIP Night), April 7-8 and April 13-15 from 6:30 p.m. m. to 11 p.m. m.
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