Home tour: inside a music industry icon’s pied-à-terre in Austin, Texas, celebrating the city’s creative spirit

Having worked with the homeowner on two previous residences—a legacy ranch in Texas and a primary home in Jackson Hole—Christina Simon of her eponymous design studio was once again engaged to create an artful pied-à-terre that reflects the energy and spirit of Austin’s celebrated cultural calendar.

“I aimed to create spaces that encourage creativity, curiosity, mindfulness and meditation,” recalls the founder and interior designer. “I wanted this house to be provocative for both the owner and his guests.”

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Together with Mark Richardson Architects and Red Tail Construction, Simon transformed the single-storey residence over two phases.

Once the homeowner had moved into the house following the first phase, the interior designer focused on shaping the home’s personality.

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“He loves inspiration, so I incorporated a vibrant mix of colours and imagery to keep him engaged and foster playful interactions with friends and family,” she explains. “I also wanted him to feel relaxed and cared for, with entertaining spaces that work well for hosting.”

To that end, Simon drew inspiration from the client’s impressive collection of works by Texas artists, including Houston artist Robin Utterback, San Antonio artist Matt Kleberg, and Austin artist Joe Swec, which became a defining feature of the 3,400 sq ft residence with its five bedrooms and five bathrooms.

“I’ve always been captivated by personal art collections that combine pieces passed down through generations with more contemporary works,” she muses.

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Additionally, Simon also drew inspiration from the interiors of the 1970s and ‘80s, recalling the elegant homes she visited as a child while attending parties with her parents.

“These homes had a layered, relaxed feel that seemed worlds apart from where I grew up,” she adds. “I wanted party guests to enjoy unexpected surprises and have a blast here, with everything designed to look cool under black light.”

Knowing the house would receive abundant natural light through its floor-to-ceiling windows, Simon created a warm, grounded environment with deep, bold colours and rich textures.

From the main living spaces wrapped in Inchyra Blue by Farrow & Ball to the complementary wallpapers throughout the bedrooms, every finish was selected to “evoke warmth, elegance and a sense of joy and creativity,” she says.

Materiality also plays an important role, with living finishes such as brass used for the bar and tapware, paired with distinctive natural stone. Simon explains, “I felt that incorporating these materials would enhance the vintage feel of the house, offering a touch of what might have been popular in 1915.”

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One of the standout features that lends the home its distinctive personality is the hand-painted mural in the homeowner’s office.

Conceived as a tribute to Austin and its community of artists, Simon originally envisioned a William Morris-inspired hand-painted wallpaper complete with hidden surprises.

However, when they met Austin artist Michelle Marchessault to discuss the concept, the design took on an entirely new direction.

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“I saw how excited he got about using it as his Zoom background, and I thought, ‘Let him work his magic,’” the interior designer recalls. “Originally intended to be subtle, the room evolved and grew more psychedelic with every step, and I leaned in with him.”

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The mural features meaningful family motifs, while the word ‘OFFICE’, rendered in gold leaf across the glass entrance transom, has the letters ‘C’ and ‘E’ melting away—a playful hint at the unexpected world beyond the door.

“Oh, to be a fly on the wall during one of those Zoom calls,” Simon quips.

Simon also wanted the home to feel as though it had evolved organically over time. One of her favourite expressions of this idea is the glass mushroom collection, acquired as a set from a collector friend.

“Comprising over 100 mushrooms that took him a decade to gather, the collection perfectly ties into the idea of collecting over time and integrating all these different interests,” she elaborates. “They also blend seamlessly with the client’s work in cutting-edge science for health and wellness, adding to the house’s psychedelic ambience.”

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The first phase of the renovation also encompassed thoughtful landscaping alongside a comprehensive remodel of the kitchen and primary bathroom, which is anchored by a 3,000-pound marble bathtub, custom carved from a single block of Breccia Pontificia marble in Italy.

“It was placed by art installers, who treated it as a sculpture, making the entire process feel like a work of art,” Simon says.

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The challenge, however, was manoeuvring it into the bathroom.

“The house is in a historic neighbourhood with protected live oak trees, and to preserve the trees’ critical root zones, the architect had to cantilever the bathroom addition,” she recalls. “It was a real feat, but we made it work, preserving the integrity of the trees while installing this extraordinary centrepiece.”

During the second phase of the renovation, Simon prioritised preserving the home’s newly introduced details.

“Despite the summer heat and lack of HVAC, we ensured the original craftsmanship was preserved,” the designer concludes.

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