The first place 2015 ASID Texas Chapter’s Design Excellence Award for product design went to Laura Britt Design for a dining room quite literally like none other thanks to several custom-made pieces.
The room is notable for its unexpected textures and emphasis on a sense of balance around a table that seats eight. It caught the eye of judges from the local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, which is a community of designers, industry representatives, educators and students committed to interior design through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach.
Laura Britt Design is an Austin-based firm that’s focused on interior architecture and design for commercial and residential spaces in a way that offers owners a one-stop, turnkey experience.
“That means we’re there from the very beginning of architectural design to the last pillow placed on the sofa,” said principal Laura Britt, who holds a master’s degree in sustainable architecture. “We designed the whole home from the beginning stage of working with architects to choosing materials, lighting, furnishings, fabrics, rugs and paint.”
In addition to start-to-finish work, the design firm specializes in healthy, sustainable projects with natural or low-impact materials and furnishings. Britt produces furniture for Vervano, her eco-conscious furnishings line that’s handcrafted in the United States and fully dedicated to sustainability. The award-winning dining space is furnished entirely with custom Vervano pieces, one of which was designed and named after the homeowners’ son: theGrant credenza. The stylish Grant has touch release hardware rather than knobs and a textural front that complements the textural wall covering to add 3D composition.
All of the wood in the dining room is sustainably sourced walnut with low-VOC finishes and adhesives, from the Walter table to the covered Paxton chairs. Along with the walnut, the table has steel on its edges and base, which Britt says is “an interesting combo not often found. The table really grounds the space. It has a heft. The chairs have a lightness in scale, a delicate balance to the heavy mass of the table.”
The chairs also have functional details, such as hidden carved-in grooves used as fingerpulls to easily shift them away from the table.
A significant pop of color comes from a painting by Austin artist Court Lurie. And overhead hangs a custom chandelier made by Jean de Merry — an airy and ethereal fixture that Britt calls “a fanciful piece.”
“We like to bring counterbalance by hanging pieces with a delicate look over a heavy table,” she said.
In working on her custom furniture line, Britt starts the design process and her team works through the fabrication details. The furniture is sold through her firm and via other interior designers and architects, and she takes a good deal of pride in it. “It means a lot to have our colleagues recognize our work, not only for our interiors but also for our product design,” Britt said. “It’s very meaningful to our team.”
While the ASID award was granted specifically for product design on furnishings in the dining room, the rest of the house should not be overlooked.
With Shiflet Group Architects, the home was designed to allow light to stream in from large, square-paned windows at both the front and the back of the house. An open-concept plan works well for the lifestyle of the family that Britt said was quite involved in giving feedback for the design process.
“The clients were very happy with everything and that’s probably the most enjoyable thing for me,” said Sam Burch, the Shiflet Group project architect who managed the team working on this Austin home. “When you walk in, it feels like you can live in it. It’s not sterile or like a museum but it’s clean and elegant and it proves that in the end it’s a home you’re creating. We try to make it about the client every time.”
In the kitchen, quartzite tops the perimeter counters and expansive island, while a trio of lighting from Urban Electric hangs overhead. Low-VOC finishes were used on the clean-lined, Shaker-style cabinetry accessorized with a colorful collection of vases and other glass art. The adjoining living room features ample seating for a family with two growing boys. Britt chose a long pile rug and a coffee table that she describes as having a “light and airy nature to soften the space.”
The master bathroom is intended to feel calming like a spa. Similar to the textural touches in the dining room, the marble behind the tub has a three-dimensional basketweave effect to give visual interest. It’s a tranquil retreat for the homeowners, who were looking for a happy medium between contemporary style and livable comfort. An open master bedroom is light and bright with a surround of windows, but the focal point is the dominant custom leather headboard that still adds softness to the room with a neutral color palette. Throughout the home, they struck that balance with no-frills trims and neutral tones but without the severity often conveyed in homes with ultra-modern looks.
Add to that a few touches here and there to really convey their personalities. For example, the bold red in the media room is a nod to the uniform color of the family’s beloved Arkansas Razorbacks.
“They definitely had opinions about what they preferred and they wanted contemporary but not extreme,” Burch said of the homeowners. “It was meant to be something that could be really comfortable and lived in, something to remain classic throughout the years.”
INTERIOR DESIGNER Laura Britt Design | Laurabrittdesign.com 512.458.8963
ARCHITECT Shiflet Group Architects | Shifletgrouparchitects.com 512.328.2955