When I was in Austin last spring and snapped the picture above I was surprised by how many cranes marked the sky and how many condo projects were being built. Now another luxury project has been announced for the Texas city. The Star Luxe by Constellation Group with architects Marchese + Partners International is a collection of 18 penthouses being built on Lady Bird Lake. The Star Luxe residences have three designs: 'The Guitar', shaped by the lines of the instrument, 'The Salazar', fashioned after an imagined artist within the Art Nouveau movement, and 'The International', modeled after Marchese's signature ultra-modern designs.
The Star Luxe will be a full service complex with a 24-hour concierge. Each unit at Star Luxe includes a safe room with comprehensive surveillance, secure garage spaces, wine storage, water filtration system, and exclusive Italian kitchens with Gagganeau appliances. Moveable glass walls will blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces. The 4,000 square foot penthouses also have large balconies overlooking the lake. Amenities include a private spa, outdoor pool with BBQ, private cinema, pet exercise area and a Zen garden. No word yet on price or when the project will be completed.
The soon-to-open Kimber Modern in Austin, Texas eschews the typically quaint look of the standard bed and breakfast. Kimber Cavendish and Vicki Faust shared a dream of launching a unique hotel in the hip Soco area of Austin. Architect Burton Baldridge has created an angular retreat that offers six rooms, a tranquil courtyard and a light-filled common area that includes a multi-level deck. Breakfast is self-serve and available from 7 to 11 a.m. The Kimber Modern opens to guests on October 10 and is now taking reservations. Standard rooms are $295-$320 a night, suites, which include a seating area with a custom couch designed by Burton Baldrige are $350 to $395 per night.
The Lone Star State, which was part of Mexico until 1836, is not particularly known for its architectural treasures. There are some amazing estates scattered among its vast tracts, however, as author Lisa Germany and photographer Grant Mudford reveal in their excellent new book, Great Houses Of Texas (Abrams, $50). The Texan landscape -- "combined with the larger-than-life personalities who were drawn to the brutal hardships of the frontier and the architects who designed these extraordinary homes" -- is the unifying theme of the 25 houses, ranging from the intimate to the ornate, collected in the book. Among them is the beautiful Crespi Mansion in Dallas, designed by Swiss architect Maurice Fatio in 1939, pictured above; and the Nowlin House in Austin designed by Paul Lamb in 2002, which was partially based on Mayan ruins. See the gallery for more.
One thing I noticed when I was in Austin in March is just how much condo construction is going on.One of the most attractive condo building that is already completed is the 5 Fifty Five, a building of 99 residences ranging from approximately eight hundred to over five thousand square feet. There are just five residences left for sale in the building. This one is a two-bedroom, the last one available on the 31st floor.
The 5FiftyFive is above the Hilton Hotel but there is a private, secured entrance and elevators for residents as well as separate parking from hotel guests, access to hotel room service and 24-hour lobby attendant and 24-hour room service available. Residents can also join the Tower health club which includes the eighth floor rooftop pool and hot tub as well as a fitness center and spa treatments available.
This unit also has a private rooftop cabana. Details include granite counters, travertine tile, bamboo flooring and floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the view. The unit is two stories and includes a large living room with a wall of bookshelves and a dramatic staircase. It is listed at $1.795 million.
What attracts me to this home, billed as a "gentleman's ranch" in Spicewood, Texas, is the sense of space. The center of the home is anchored by a large great room that is ringed with limstone archways that lead to other rooms. The main house has been designed for two with the guests ensconced in a separate six-bedroom guest house. The main house is designed for entertaining on a grand scale. The kitchen is huge and there is also a 1,500 bottle wine room and a large pantry. The Owner's suite includes a separate living room and study, sleeping quarters and a hobby room. The master bathroom is a bit kooky with one of those round tubs which seems to be placed in front a shower area. The property is 18 acres total and the rest of the buildings are clustered around the pool and patio area which includes a summer kitchen with a grill, refrigerator, sink and granite countertops. The land also includes a six-car garage with attic and closet space plus a half bath. This home is listed at $4.25 million.
I've written about 21c, the supercool museum and boutique hotel that is part of the revival of downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Now 21c will be coming to Austin bringing another tower to the booming Texas town. The Austin 21C will be a 44-story building with a 209-room hotel, 202 residential units, spa, pool, museum, restaurants and other amenities. The $200 million project will also include an underground parking garage and each room in the hotel will feature original works of art. The restaurant will uses local and sustainable agriculture in American cuisine. The project will be located one block from Congress Avenue and one block fro mthe Austin Convention Center. The 21c project is set to open in 2010.
Wow, just wow. Today's find is in Austin, Texas, a ultra-modern renovation of a commercial building from 1860. The facade maintains the old look but that is all that remains of the building's former life. It is now a four-story contemporary home which is dressed to impress with luxury finishes. The home has four bedrooms, a library, home theater, three-car garage and the finishing touch, a fourth floor sky lounge with a lap pool, deck, spa and lawn. And look, you are conveniently located next to a Subway which is where you might be eating to afford this home. It is listed at $7.5 million. After the jump, your view of Texas politics.
The Austonian, based in you guessed it, Austin, Texas is first big tower I've seen in this city. The 55-story luxury condo tower was recently profiled in the Austin American Statesman for having a dog toilet. The 10th floor of the building is home to an urban garden that includes a lap pool, billiards room, outdoor movie screen and a dog park that has a self-cleaning dog toilet. The dog toilet is built flush with the floor, it has a chemical aroma that atttracts dogs and a pushbutton device scrapes the dog waste away. There are 195 condo units and the 53rd level features a skylounge. The building is being designed by Ziegler Cooper Architects of Houston and units cost betweeen $550,000 to $3.8 million
Today's estate earns its name, Soaring Wings, for its massive copper overhangs which help shield the huge glass walls from the hot Texas sun. This four-bedroom home in West Lake Hills, Texas was designed by Austin architect Winn Wittman. The home sits on a slope on a hill and has a modern feel. It has around 6,000 square feet of interior space as well as 3,500 square feet of outdoor living space in decks, balconies and patios. There is a heated saltwater pool of black granite with fiber-optic color lighting. The three-story house has a copper roof and outdoor steps made of Arizona pink sandstone. The house also has an elevator and a butler's pantry with a wine cooler, movie room and a wine cellar. The new home is listed at $4.8 million. After the jump, another amazing zen bathtub, a 3,000 pound granite tub in the master bath.
What intrigues me about this house in Austin, Texas isn't so much the exterior but what the owners have done with the interior. The home, built in 1926, is a classically elegant brick home. It was also, I suspect, a bit dark and formal before renovation. The current occupants seem to have a more contemporary bent and have taken some interesting steps to lighten the home up. They have used ecru wood paneling to create a more light-filled family room, have created an enclosed conservatory with a glass ceiling and striking chandelier and a modern sculpture and have filled the home and surrounding land with modern art. The four-bedroom main home also has a fitness studio, wine cellar, elevator and gourmet kitchen. The grounds include a pool with a waterfall and a separate guest home. Certain details such as a fluffy clouded blue ceiling are a bit much but overall I think the owners did the best they could to make a traditional home more to their liking. It is listed at $6.7 million. After the jump, as the new owner do you continue on the contemporary path or try to return the home back to it's more classic roots?
This French-styled chateau in Austin, Texas is on two acres and has city views. The home is tricked out with just about every conceivable luxury fillip and flourish from marble floors to a silver fresco dome and copper spires. It took five years to create this home which combines European architecture with Texas taste. The home has six bedrooms and unique spaces like the 1000-square-foot studio room which has marble and limestone floors, cathedral style stained wood arches and la private patio with city views. The fourth floor roof has a large observation deck and the library also serves as a media room with a screen that is easily concealed behind wooden doors. There is no pool but there is plenty of room to add one on.The home is listed at $6.5 million. The home has an extensive website with audio tours and pictures. After the jump, oh yes, everything's bigger in Texas.
