In Austin, Texas, where creative living often spills beyond the studio and into everyday life, the Windsor Residence captures something refreshingly personal. Renovated by Clayton Korte, this early 20th-century brick home becomes a canvas for an artist’s way of living, shaped as much by travel and collection as by structure and space.
What was once a modest 1940s house is now a 2,100-square-foot composition of old and new. The renovation doesn’t erase the past. Instead, it layers onto it, introducing bold color, texture, and form in ways that feel both intentional and effortlessly relaxed.
Small Blue Volumes Transform a 1940s Brick Home
At its core, the transformation is surprisingly restrained. Two compact, modern volumes are inserted into the existing white brick structure, appearing as small blue boxes that quietly shift the home’s identity. These additions expand the kitchen and introduce a studio library, while the contrast between the original brick and the new forms creates a subtle tension.
A Curved Fireplace Wall Softens the Heart of the Home
The living room sets the tone immediately. A curved wall wraps around the fireplace, finished in reeded plaster that softens the space while adding texture. It’s a sculptural move, but one that feels lived-in rather than precious.
Natural light moves across the surfaces throughout the day, highlighting the materials rather than overpowering it.
A Light-Filled Studio Library Framed by Steel and Wood
The new studio library extends the main living area while introducing a quieter, more focused atmosphere. Custom wood shelving lines the walls, giving structure to the client’s collection, while floor-to-ceiling steel windows open the space to the garden.
An Open Dining Space Shaped by Light and Soft Earth Tones
The dining area emerges as a natural continuation of the living space, filled with light and softened by a palette of muted earth tones. This is where the home begins to shift visually, introducing subtle color transitions that lead toward the kitchen. The atmosphere feels easy, designed for everyday use rather than formal occasions.
Wavy Pink Tiles and Rose Quartz Define a Playful Kitchen
The kitchen is where the home’s playful side becomes more pronounced. Wavy pink floor tiles set the tone, complemented by rose quartz countertops that catch and reflect light in unexpected ways.
A curved zellige-tiled hood adds a handcrafted focal point above the stove, while a copper sink and custom millwork layer in warmth and detail.
A Creative Studio Designed for Flexibility and Expression
The art room continues the home’s narrative of creativity, acting as both workspace and expression zone. While the design remains consistent with the rest of the interiors, it allows for flexibility, giving the artist room to create without constraint.
A Moody Bedroom Wrapped in Green
Moving into the private areas, the palette deepens. One of the bedroom’s is wrapped in richer tones, shifting into greens and blues that create a more intimate atmosphere. Materials become more immersive here, with surfaces working together to create a cocoon-like environment that contrasts with the openness of the shared spaces.
A Skylight Brings Changing Light
A curved wall rises toward a new skylight, introducing a dynamic interaction with natural light. As the day changes, so does the room, with shifting tones and reflections creating a subtle sense of movement.
An Green Bathroom Anchored by a Copper Tub
The primary bathroom leans fully into its palette, wrapped in forest green zellige tile and darker green plaster-like finishes. A freestanding hammered copper tub sits near a window, offering a warm counterpoint to the cooler tones around it.
Bathroom with Terrazzo
In another bathroom, speckled terrazzo that adds texture to the shower without overwhelming the space, while ribbed glass filters the light, diffusing it gently across the surfaces.
Patterned Wallpaper Adds a Bold Layer of Personality
In contrast, another bathroom introduces wallpaper, adding pattern and personality in a more expressive way. It reflects the client’s adventurous spirit, showing that even smaller spaces are treated as opportunities for design exploration.
Black Penny Tiles Bring Graphic Simplicity and Texture
Black penny tiles bring a graphic edge to another bathroom, offering a clean yet visually striking surface. The repetition of the circular form adds rhythm, creating interest through simplicity.
Layered Garden Terraces Lead to a Terracotta Carport
Outside, the same sense of layering continues. Terraces step through the yard, filled with built-in planters overflowing with native and drought-tolerant plants. The landscape becomes an extension of the interiors, not a separate element.
At the edge, a terracotta-toned breeze-block carport introduces texture and warmth, completing the sequence of spaces between house and garden.
The Windsor Residence builds its identity through accumulation, of color, texture, light, and personal expression.