Friendship Guides The Renovation Of An Austin Residence

When they first met as neighbors in the early aughts, designer Viki Chupik and her client developed a relationship that has since transcended seasons of life and changes of address. “We’ve been friends for decades now, which is a really special thing,” the client shares. “We have a genuine appreciation for each other’s design eye.” So, when she and her husband decided to move to a new home in Austin, who better to call than the woman who knew them so well?

“My mission is always to provide spaces where families can recharge, both spiritually and emotionally,” reflects Chupik, who designed the owners’ previous house. “But this project was also about friendship and building an even deeper bond through collaboration.”

The new residence, built several years before the couple purchased it, sits next to a wildlife preserve. “We’re surrounded by nature, but we’re not isolated,” the husband observes, noting how the home’s orientation optimizes the amount of natural light. “The front of the house is aligned to the sunrise, and in the evening, there’s nothing better than the colors of a Hill Country sunset in the backyard.” The wife also gravitated to the clean lines of the structure, which exuded a midcentury quality along with an inviting, contemporary scale.

Luckily, the house didn’t need much work. “It was about adding personality and quiet drama,” Chupik says. But as she and the wife began sharing images, they started dreaming about dinners by the pool, sleepovers in the casita and weekends with their adult children, who grew up together. And so, with residential designer Isabelle Bogran and builder David Wilkes, plans evolved from a fresh coat of paint to a full remodel.

“We fell in love with the home’s modernist-meets-Prairie style and really appreciated its materials, like the limestone used both inside and outside,” says Bogran, who collaborated with her firm partner Lowe Jones on the project. Their first objective was to enlarge the primary bedroom’s bathroom and closets, then update the kitchen and powder room and turn the pool house into a more comfortable guest space.

Bogran also elevated finishes as she went, including the artful fluted plaster details on the kitchen vent hood and living room fireplace. “Instead of stripping the character, we tried to complement it,” she states. “It’s easy to look at a home and say, ‘This doesn’t work, let’s start over.’ But these clients were keen on saving the authenticity of the house, which is the most sustainable approach.”

Chupik, too, found inspiration in the architecture (the fossil stone in the entryway sparked an “organic modern” theme), but she also focused on functionality to accommodate the owners’ lifestyles. “I work from home and love to float from room to room, following the light of the day or the best energy that will help me be productive,” the wife shares. To that end, the designer placed a small marble table and velvet chairs in one corner of the living room for an ideal Zoom spot. Foregoing a formal dining room that would be infrequently used, she instead created a seating area that looks out into the interior courtyard. “We envisioned it as a place where friends could enjoy a cocktail and talk well into the night,” Chupik muses. When holidays arrive, the four leather armchairs can be relocated to make way for a dining table. “There’s a subtlety to the layering of textures that effortlessly flows between the spaces,” she notes, pointing out how she carried the same materials—plasterwork, velvet—into the primary bedroom for an especially soothing cocoon.

That effortless circulation continues outside, where landscape architect Cameron Campbell kept the focus on views of the preserve while expanding the exterior living spaces. A fossil-stone fire pit creates the perfect spot for stargazing when the couple isn’t lounging by the pool. Meanwhile, a new dining pergola between the house and the casita offers a much-used alfresco area that has already inspired new traditions: Last November, the homeowners’ and Chupik’s families gathered under it for their first annual Taco Saturday. “It’s special to create a project like this with a friend, especially one you know will be around to enjoy it,” the wife says.

Reflecting on the process, the designer agrees, “The gift of this home was the hours we got to spend together. There was a synergy in designing this house, and the result is a wonderful sense of calm.”