How Austin Influencer Jane Ko Turned a Creekside Lot Into a 5,000-Square-Foot Modern Treehouse
A floodplain surprise forced an engineering-heavy solution — then Ko surprised herself by designing the entire interior
When local lifestyle influencer Jane Ko and her partner, entrepreneur Josh Campbell, spotted a sprawling lot in Austin’s Cherrywood neighborhood — the equivalent of five city lots with a creek running through it — they thought they’d found the perfect weekend flip project. The property was unusually affordable, just 10 minutes from downtown and surrounded by mature pecan trees. There was just one problem: the creek that made it so charming also made it nearly impossible to build on.
The floodplain designation came up during closing, but Ko and Campbell weren’t particularly concerned. They had no experience with floodplain construction and didn’t understand why it would be a deal-breaker. It didn’t take long to discover why the lot had been sitting on the market. What followed was a three-year journey that would push Ko far outside her comfort zone and result in a 5,000-square-foot modern treehouse that defies every obstacle thrown its way.
The Floodplain Challenge
The property was subject to strict FEMA regulations, requiring any structure to be elevated at least two feet above the 100-year floodplain level. After 18 months of permitting, the solution emerged: install 73 concrete pilings underneath the home, elevating it four to six feet off the ground. Each piling — ranging from 15 to 25 feet tall — had to be drilled deep, steel-cased and filled with concrete.
The engineering challenge had an unexpected benefit. “It feels (like) we’re in a treehouse because we’re six feet off the ground, and because we’re surrounded by all these trees,” Ko says.
Jane Ko’s Unexpected Design Debut
As construction progressed, Ko interviewed several interior designers. Then Campbell suggested she do it herself. At first, Ko was mortified. She had spent years looking up to prominent Austin designers and didn’t feel qualified. But when Campbell jokingly threatened to design the home — and Ko started envisioning the furniture he might choose — she decided to take the leap. She found inspiration in advice from a friend’s mother, a former interior designer. “She said, ‘Let the house tell you what it wants,'” Ko remembers. “It really stuck with me. I just sat there for weeks when the construction was going up, and I was asking, ‘What does the house speak to me?'”
The answer came from the property itself. Surrounded by historic trees and elevated into the canopy, the home wanted to embrace its natural setting. Ko chose earthy tones, organic textures and design elements that would blur the line between indoors and out.
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DIY Determination
To keep costs manageable and prove to herself she could do it, Ko tackled labor-intensive finishes herself. She learned to apply Roman clay — a textured plaster finish that’s notoriously expensive to have professionally installed — and spent three weeks in each room perfecting the technique. The couple also limewashed the entire house themselves.
“As women, if we just take a leap, you’ll surprise yourself,” Ko reflects, saying her former self would have never believed she could have handled all the interiors herself.
A Home Inspired by Hospitality
Ko drew heavily from her experience as a food and lifestyle influencer, channeling hotels and restaurants into residential form. The primary bedroom features dual niches — a coffee station on one side, a cocktail bar on the other — complete with a mini fridge.
The 27-foot windows in the living room are dressed with custom green velvet curtains, Ko’s first bold experiment with color after years of favoring all-white interiors. “I was so scared of color before, and that was one of the first things I picked out,” she says. “I love the green velvet curtains because they just draw your eye all the way up.”
Throughout the home, Ko used Zellige tile — hand-cut Moroccan tiles in which no two pieces are identical. In the kitchen, she selected a nude shade that fades into the space without being overbearing. The primary bathroom, plastered and filled with plants, has become one of her favorite rooms.
The home’s connection to the outdoors extends to the pool deck, wrapped in bold black-and-white tile. With year-round sunshine in Austin, the deck functions as a second living room and has hosted events for up to 150 people.
Full Circle
This year, the home was selected as the VIP house for AIA Austin’s home tour — an honor that feels especially meaningful to Ko, who spent years attending the tours as a patron.
The project sparked a new venture: Howdy Homes, a development company through which Campbell and Ko are now building and designing multiple homes in South Austin. Ko handles all the interior design — a career she never imagined just three years ago.
“The hardest thing is just getting started, and the only person stopping you is really you,” she says.
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