Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Private Castle in Austin
An endless budget and team of artisans create over-the-top house you have to see to believe
It's safe to say that when designer Mark Cravotta first started working on this Austin home, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. What first started out as a design for a spec house he'd done architectural detailing for ended up becoming a 6-year long project, culminating in an extraordinary castle-like interior with stunning detailing that's almost hard to believe. Research on Tudor, Jacobean and Gothic architectural styles, as well as the clients' love for dark and macabre theater, inspired the décor and finishings for this Texas dream home.
While the luxury in this house seems unbelievable in many respects, every detail is an example of stunning artisanship and historical design. The clients encouraged Cravotta to go for it — and he did. Being able to create such in-depth designs is an unique experience, and Cravotta was thrilled.
The style in this house may be out-of-this-world, but the clients are anything but. This retired couple simply wanted to build their dream home and had the budget to do so. "They're gentle, kind and unassuming," says Cravotta. "Not at all what you might expect from looking at the house. They live a pretty solitary life, and spend a lot of their time at home. But once I had a sense of what was going to thrill them, I started dreaming big on their behalf."
While the luxury in this house seems unbelievable in many respects, every detail is an example of stunning artisanship and historical design. The clients encouraged Cravotta to go for it — and he did. Being able to create such in-depth designs is an unique experience, and Cravotta was thrilled.
The style in this house may be out-of-this-world, but the clients are anything but. This retired couple simply wanted to build their dream home and had the budget to do so. "They're gentle, kind and unassuming," says Cravotta. "Not at all what you might expect from looking at the house. They live a pretty solitary life, and spend a lot of their time at home. But once I had a sense of what was going to thrill them, I started dreaming big on their behalf."
The furniture is a mix of custom pieces designed by Cravotta, European antiques, and a few pieces from high-end manufacturers. The dining table in this formal dining room was custom designed by Cravotta to fit this space. Oklahoma sandstone lines the walls.
An upstairs bar with a balcony looks down over the kitchen and adjoined family room in the house. The flooring is rift and quartered oak with limestone tile. The fireplace was purchased from a European chateau, and its design and finish inspired almost all of the other millwork in the house.
French limestone was used for the countertops and backsplash in the kitchen, while the cabinetry is solid walnut. To keep with the castle-like look of the rest of the home, the appliances were paneled with the same walnut as the cabinetry. The result is a kitchen that feels current but could also be right at home in a French chateau.
The bar, which sits on the upper level above the dining room, kitchen and family room, was inspired by post-Renaissance and Gothic periods. All of the woodwork in this room is American walnut.
The home theater is one of the home's most dramatic rooms. A red carpet leads to an entrance made with custom cast-bronze doors. The doors are part of the vision that Cravotta had for the theater — a design based on elegant Parisian theaters during the Golden Age, taken up a notch.
Soft velvet chairs, custom millwork and hand-drawn details give this home theater a luxurious, Parisian-opera-house feel. Unlike many other rooms in the house, this theater wasn't based on specific imagery, just Cravotta's imagination.
A dark wood paneled billiard room adds a debonair air to the home's main floor. The wool carpet is one of Cravotta's designs — he also designed the carpeting in the bedrooms and the stairwells.
The home's lighting is a hand-picked combination of antique fixtures and Cravotta's own designs. "I went on exhaustive searches for just the right piece in every detail throughout the house," he said. "If I couldn't find it, I had it made." The chandeliers are British antiques Cravotta found at a dealer in Dallas.
The home's lighting is a hand-picked combination of antique fixtures and Cravotta's own designs. "I went on exhaustive searches for just the right piece in every detail throughout the house," he said. "If I couldn't find it, I had it made." The chandeliers are British antiques Cravotta found at a dealer in Dallas.
The bedroom ceilings are molded plaster. In this guest room, Cravotta based the design on ceilings in an Irish castle. While the walls in this room are also made of plaster, the unique shimmering effect comes from a top coat of mica-infused wax.
The ceiling detail in this guest room is adapted form a ceiling in an English estate. If you're thinking the bed frame looks like something from the Renaissance — you'd be right. This one-of-a-kind bed was made in the 1800s using wood panels from the mid-1400s.
The master suite includes a fireplace, hand-embroidered wallpaper, extensive closet and a hand-carved bedframe of Cravotta's design. This extraordinary space has a distinct mix of different patterns and textures, but the neutral color palette keeps the space calm.
Calacatta gold marble was used for almost every surface in the master bath, which brings to mind ancient Roman baths and overlooks a massive canyon.
This beautiful secretaire designed by Erika Brunson is one of the few new pieces in the house. While this piece might reflect a different era and style than the rest of the pieces in this guest room, the materials and styles still blend smoothly. "I'm not a purist by any means," says Cravotta. "So sticking to one style or period was never my objective, although the house has a definite English feel."
Cravotta scoured the internet for old books and manuscripts, ordered out-of-print copies and took meticulous notes to make sure every detail was accurate. Of course, the craftsman and artisans he worked with were a great source of information, he says. "They provided a wealth of knowledge and historical context."
A cellar at the bottom of the house holds the couple's impressive wine collection. Sandstone walls keep the space cool, while tables and chairs from Gregorious Pineo and Elijah Slocum give visitors a place to sit and have a glass.
More: Urban Castle in Pasadena
More: Urban Castle in Pasadena
The jaw-dropping fireplace in the formal living room is an example of the work that went into the construction. With the help of classically trained stone carvers Joseph and Holly Kincannon, Cravotta designed this limestone fireplace, which took a year to complete. The stone was given a unique aged look with olive oil, applied by hand.