With its rolling green hills and ancient stone-clad farmhouses, the Italian countryside has become the stuff of celluloid dreams, capturing imaginations worldwide. One family found a slice of this part of the globe in Austin, where they purchased a picturesque Tuscan-style abode perched on the hills above Barton Creek. Views overlook acres of treetops and undulating landscape. And inside its thick, rough-hewn walls, the villa seems to leave Texas far behind for the climes of Chianti and Val d’Orcia.
The family turned to interior designer Marcus Mohon to update the dwelling, which was a career highlight when he originally designed its interiors in 2007. He’d tirelessly obsessed over every detail of the original home and its interior architecture, collaborating with architect Gary Koerner and builder David Dalgleish. So nearly two decades later, when the new owners invited him to reimagine the residence to their taste, it was like returning to an old friend. “I remember every door and doorknob,” the designer says. “For me, the challenge was to create something that feels different but equally beautiful for a house I carried so close to me.”
His new clients adored the home’s old-world gravitas, opting to leave many of its original finishes untouched—like the limestone walls with deep mortar crevices, the wide-plank oak floors and the locally quarried Lueders limestone flooring arranged in a Versailles pattern. But to suit their more casual lifestyle, the couple wanted a “kind of relaxed, coastal approach, with a lighter, airier color scheme,” Mohon notes. So, the designer imagined transporting the house to the Etruscan coast—“maybe 100 kilometers west of where we envisioned it originally,” he says.
A few subtle gestures were enough to pivot the interiors toward an organic coastal mood. The oak ceiling beams went “from a rich espresso to a deep taupe brown,” Mohon observes. All of the interior doors were lightened to soften the thresholds, and the kitchen, which had already been designed in a timeless style, was refreshed with quartzite countertops, a coat of white paint on the dark cherry cabinets and an eye-catching flower-bedecked light fixture.
A lighter, easeful spirit also seeps into the gathering spaces, where Mohon curated a collection of European antiques and faithful reproductions, then dressed down their traditional mood with more casual, contemporary elements. This way, “The home can feel relaxed while still maintaining its elegance,” he explains. In the living room, classic Savonarola chairs and an ornately carved Gothic-style table live alongside a stylishly rumpled slipcovered sofa. These were matched with Belgian-linen armchairs featuring pleats fashioned to look as if an opera cloak had been thrown over them. Room by room, marquee lighting continues the mix of classic and casual, ranging from swooping French-style chandeliers to more avant-garde pieces such as the kitchen’s scaffolding-like fixture.
Classic and contemporary pieces, like an antique Gothic desk from Carol Hicks Bolton and millstone coffee table by Formations, mingle in the living room. Saladino’s Santa Barbara sofa and Trunk chair provide relaxed seating.
The front façade exudes Tuscan romance, with thick walls of native limestone featuring deep-set, wire-brushed mortar for added texture. The heavy custom front door was fabricated by Austin Woodwright.
More limestone clads the home’s exterior walls and staircase leading to the gardens below. Newly planted olive trees bolster the property’s original thick tree canopy.
Composing this eclectic mix is “like throwing a good dinner party,” the designer muses. “You need different kinds of guests to keep the evening interesting, yet these contrasting styles still share a dialogue with each other because of their authentic details.” Pieces old and new favor solid hardwoods, from darkly stained to gently whitewashed. Textiles embrace natural weaves “because I wanted them to all feel luxurious to the touch,” Mohon notes. Sofas and armchairs are dressed in linen or mohair upholstery and adorned with silk damask throw pillows; custom rugs warm the cool limestone floors. Sunlight filters through swaths of translucent drapery, such as the billowy unlined wool crepe surrounding the living room, while metallic accents, as in the library’s brass sconces, bring bright flashes of glamour. Meanwhile, more earthy elements, such as the living room’s custom stone mantel, keep the effect grounded.
Outside, casual entertaining is made effortless with generous picnic tables and deep-seated sectionals on the romantic terraces, which overlook tiered gardens originally designed by James Hyatt complete with olive trees, climbing vines and boxwoods planted among native live oaks. Limestone steps lead down the hill to a scenic pool complex with a guesthouse, also visible from the homeowners’ suite.
Though imbued with a breezy, buoyant mood, the home’s Tuscan romance remains intact. Each new piece weaves a cohesive narrative with the surrounding architecture, creating spaces that still conjure reveries of candlelight suppers, sprawling lazy afternoons and outdoor lunches on the sunlit terrace. “It’s like the house is wearing a different wardrobe, with different jewelry,” the designer says. “But it still has the same soul.”
Artworks and collectibles fill the library, including an abstract Tyler Guinn work whose colors converse with a piece from the owners’ collection above the sofa, which was reupholstered in white S. Harris mohair. New additions include a sheepskin floor covering by Marc Phillips and Porta Romana’s Lille sconces.
An antique stone sculpture poses next to the wool crepe sheer drapery that frames the entry to the living room. Spread across the limestone flooring is an antique Turkish rug from Madison Lily Rugs.
Classic and contemporary pieces, like an antique Gothic desk from Carol Hicks Bolton and millstone coffee table by Formations, mingle in the living room. Saladino’s Santa Barbara sofa and Trunk chair provide relaxed seating.
The oak ceiling beams were changed from a rich espresso color to a deep taupe brown instead, adding a bit more of the organic coastal style the family desired.
Furnishings of different eras again converge in the breakfast nook, anchored by an Eero Saarinen dining table and two antique Italian klismos chairs from 1stdibs. The custom banquette and high-back campaign chair are upholstered in Perennials and Link fabrics, respectively. A Porta Romana floor lamp provides cozy lighting.
An ethereal Water Lilies chandelier by Paul Ferrante crowns the refreshed kitchen. Quartzite countertops and newly lacquered cabinet doors originally fabricated by Kingwood Fine Cabinetry add a fresh face to the space, alongside its existing Thermador range.
Artworks and collectibles fill the library, including an abstract Tyler Guinn work whose colors converse with a piece from the owners’ collection above the sofa, which was reupholstered in white S. Harris mohair. New additions include a sheepskin floor covering by Marc Phillips and Porta Romana’s Lille sconces.
In the primary bedroom, upholstered paneling designed by Mohon Interiors surrounds the bed. A Porta Romana lamp provides a gentle glow from its spot on the bedside table, also designed by Mohon Interiors.
A Thassos mosaic marble floor brings characterful detail to the primary bath. Next to the original tub sits an antique-inspired chair by Kerry Joyce for The Fournir Collections and Rose Tarlow Melrose House tiered shelving.
The front façade exudes Tuscan romance, with thick walls of native limestone featuring deep-set, wire-brushed mortar for added texture. The heavy custom front door was fabricated by Austin Woodwright.
More limestone clads the home’s exterior walls and staircase leading to the gardens below. Newly planted olive trees bolster the property’s original thick tree canopy.
Overlooking Barton Creek, the outdoor patio provides a sun-kissed dining area for entertaining, complete with a custom zinc table covered in a Fortuny tablecloth. Folding chairs from Elegant Earth add to the rugged refinement.