Hill Country Houses: Inspired Living in a Legend

AnchoredbyAustinandSanAntonio,TexasHillCountryiscelebratedforitsfrontierhistoryandnaturalbeauty.Architectsandinteriordesignersbuildcontemporaryhousesusinglocalmaterialsanddrawingonthearea'sdiverseheritage--SpanishColonialmissionsandMexican-stylehaciendas,Frenchpioneers'logcabins,Germanstonework,andthelegacyofthe"newregionalism"espousedbyO'NeilFordinthe1930s--tocreateinspiredresidencesthatrespecttraditionandallowtheirownerstoenjoyexpansiveruralsurroundings.Thisvolumepresentsnineteenofthearea'smostremarkableprivatehouses,withlushphotographytoprovideaglimpseofhowlifeinCentralTexasisunique--fromrestoredVictorianhousesinbohemianSouthtown,toaglass-walledranchinBoernecanopiedbyoaktrees;fromfloatingstairsandsustainablesystemstothecasualeleganceofcountryantiques,screenporches,andlongleafpinefloors.Therollinghills,spring-fedcreeks,rivers,timberforests,andfertilegrass-coveredprairiesofHillCountry--alongwiththeirabundanceofnaturalmaterialssuchaslimestone,cedar,localpecan,mesquite,oak,andcypress--inspirearchitectsandinteriordesignerstocreatebeautifulmodernspaces.Theydrawfromthestrongvernaculartraditionofclassicfarmhousesthatoncedottedtheland,andthebuildingtechniquesthathavebeenhandeddownthroughgenerations.Thearchitectureandinteriorsfeaturedhereinbeautifulfull-colorphotographycelebratethewonderfulparticularitiesofthissingularplace.