Escape To An Inviting Austin Home Nestled Among The Trees
Author:
— Photographer: /
March 12, 2025
Expansive glass doors blur the boundaries between the abode’s indoor and outdoor living spaces. For more privacy, the team conceived a sliding screen that can close across the façade.
Nestled among a grove of centuries-old live oaks is a home that sits so lightly on the land, it almost appears to be hovering. The trees, protected by city ordinances, made some buyers wary of the lot’s restrictions, but a little architectural ingenuity rewarded the homeowners, a young professional couple, with an inspired house that feels at one with its setting.
“Designing this home within the trees was a powerful experience,” says architect Megan Lin, who worked with her architecture partner and husband, Frank, on the project. Because they could neither dig down nor build up with ease, planning took an especially studied approach. “We needed the house to float above the sensitive root zones, so we mapped the trunk diameters and set up critical root zones based on city rules— we also needed to map the trees’ arms, which go everywhere,” Frank explains.
The resulting design, constructed by builder Brent Fannin, is a series of pavilion-like structures that surround a central courtyard and pool. Each is elevated above ground with an articulated roofline that “hugs the trees,” Megan notes, pointing out how natural materials including hemlock and slate further connect the home to the site.’
The architecture duo continued the exterior palette inside, most dramatically with slatted hemlock ceiling and wall panels in the main living areas. It’s a dynamic feature that adds texture and character. “The various woods and finishes used throughout the home, as well as the contrast of smooth and rough, light and dark, give the house a handcrafted feel,” Frank observes. The living room and kitchen, on axis with the courtyard for an easy flow, share a certain synergy, while the dining room is separated by a see-through fireplace. “Sometimes an open plan can be too open,” Megan muses. “People want different spaces again, and this fireplace connects the main rooms while still defining them.”
1 / 10
An oxidized-walnut table centers the dining room. The Pierre Jeanneret-style chairs are from 1stdibs, where the chandelier— a vintage piece by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos—was also sourced. The Zach Harris painting was found through Perrotin.
2 / 10
In the living area, a Dellarobbia modular sofa from Nest Modern joins a vintage Torbjørn Afdal chair from 1stdibs, travertine-and-oak coffee table from Yucca Stuff and Santa & Cole floor lamp. Art by Sidival Fila adorns the fireplace, which boasts plasterwork by Legend Stucco. Underfoot is a rust-hued rug from Armadillo.
3 / 10
Framed on one side by slatted hemlock, the kitchen features Gaggenau appliances and a backsplash of handmade tiles from Dunis Studios. A Brizo faucet sprouts from the island, above which Tucker added a brass pendant from Giffin Design.
4 / 10
In the wife’s office are a Vladimir Kagan sofa from Piecemeal Vintage, a light from Lana Launay and a rug from Les Editions de Tapis. A Bruder fabric from Supply Showroom was fabricated for the draperies by Plush Fabric Home Interiors, and the walls wear Farrow & Ball’s Card Room Green.
5 / 10
The primary bedroom showcases a custom bed built by EMC Interiors with a headboard covered in a Designs of the Time fabric from Canvas Showroom. A painting by Tahnee Lonsdale hangs against a backdrop of Bruder drapery from Supply Showroom.
6 / 10
A Native Trails tub anchors the primary bathroom paired with a filler and hand shower from Waterworks. Slate flooring from clé completes the scene.
7 / 10
The Roda outdoor dining table, from Scott + Cooner, bares a glazed-ceramic top in a dark green shade. The chairs, inspired by traditional Mexican equipal seats, were made by Moisés Hernández for Mexa and purchased at Meso Goods.
8 / 10
On the deck just beyond the primary bedroom, the designer placed twin teak loungers from Boxhill. Outside the wife’s office is a seating area with playful pieces from Gart, upholstered with Sunbrella fabrics.
9 / 10
Expansive glass doors blur the boundaries between the abode’s indoor and outdoor living spaces. For more privacy, the team conceived a sliding screen that can close across the façade.
10 / 10
Surrounded by heritage oaks, this Austin home was thoughtfully designed by husband-and-wife architecture team Frank and Megan Lin, with interiors curated by designer Ann Tucker. The front door pivots to reveal a bench from Dmitriy & Co and a painting by local artist Tyler Guinn.
With cues from the architecture, interior designer Ann Tucker applied an equally considered strategy to furnishing the rooms. “We worked to highlight the owners’ personalities and add material nuance to the project,” she reflects. To do so, she brought in subtle draperies that mitigate light while adding privacy. Tucker also focused on an earthy palette and textural fabrics like the slub linen used on the living room’s multisided sofa, a design chosen to elicit easy conversation with anyone in the kitchen and living space as well as engage with the pool area outside. “We didn’t want the traditional sofa-andchairs setup because this couple often cooks and entertains by the pool,” the designer elaborates. “More conventional furnishings would have been too static in this space.”
Key for Tucker, who worked with associates Anna Henry and Rebecca Brown on the home, was creating an arc of time. The team sourced design classics, such as a vintage Torbjørn Afdal lounge chair in the living room and contemporary editions of a 1950s Pierre Jeanneret chair for the dining room. “The clients wanted comfortable but great-looking pieces, and they were interested in acquiring things with history—they weren’t afraid of patina,” the designer remembers. In their bedroom, she paired a vintage leather chaise with a round painting by British artist Tahnee Lonsdale, which hangs on a drapery-covered wall for an unexpected backdrop. “I like a little surprise, something that engages the eye,” Tucker adds.
Another important factor was creating flexibility within the home. “Some spaces are fluid, with multiple functions, while others are programmed for a specific use, like the meditation room and a casita dedicated as the wife’s office,” the designer describes. “Having to leave the main house for the office creates a good mental shift in the day.” It also provides an opportunity to commune with nature. “The less ‘designing’ we do, the less damage we do,” landscape designer Brian Pearson says of his hands-off approach. “And because there’s a great microclimate under the oaks, we left the original lawn. It even survives summers without irrigation.” Pearson augmented the existing greenery with yuccas and grasses for softness and added Hill Country river rock for contrast. “It’s the oaks that really matter here—everything is subservient to them,” he says.
“A critical aspect of our work is evoking emotion, so we were conscientious about scale and creating rooms that felt like sitting in the forest,” Megan adds. “Everywhere you turn, you’re connected to the trees, and it definitely has a calming effect.”
Surrounded by heritage oaks, this Austin home was thoughtfully designed by husband-and-wife architecture team Frank and Megan Lin, with interiors curated by designer Ann Tucker. The front door pivots to reveal a bench from Dmitriy & Co and a painting by local artist Tyler Guinn.
