How Rachel Roy Transformed Her Modern Austin House Into a Warm, Collected Retreat Full of Color and Texture
A fashion designer’s eye meets an old-world sensibility in Rachel Roy’s Austin home, where artisanal materials and collected global treasures transform a new build into a soulful escape
Fashion designer Rachel Roy has spent decades creating collections from couture to ready-to-wear designed to elicit emotions through color, texture and craftsmanship. Since relocating to Austin three years ago with her daughters Ava and Tallulah Dash, her favorite canvas hasn’t been the runway, but her home. When she bought the newly constructed house, it felt too modern for her taste. Since then, she’s completely reimagined the space.
When she first found the house, it wasn’t the architecture that won her over, but everything surrounding it. “The state, the city and the neighborhood felt right for this time in our lives,” she says. “The community and being near the water is what sold me.”
Then the work began. “I caught the bug of taking a house and making it a home,” Roy says. “The girls and I have changed almost every inch of both the inside and outside of the home.”
The result is a richly layered sanctuary that feels centuries older than its construction date. The house, affectionately named “Rolling Hills,” is filled with marble, handcrafted tile, antique treasures, thrift store and estate sale finds, wallpaper and rooms that, inspired by Roy’s travels, each transport you to a different place in the world. “I truly love it. It feels personal and reflects us so well,” she says.
Instead of hiring an interior designer or general contractor, Roy took on these roles herself, allowing her to allocate more money towards materials. “Serving as my own contractor allows for 80% more renovations than I thought possible,” she says.
Additionally, by serving as the interior designer, she has been able to maintain creative control — with a process driven more by emotion, global inspiration and personal taste than by trends. “I don’t worry about the whole house matching,” she says. “I find a rhythm for the home in the details. Each room reflects a side of me. The bathroom is sophisticated yet warm, the kitchen is old-world European in feel, the home office is a French drawing room, the scullery is British historical and the pool deck is Indian dreams.”
Roy says the small decisions were every bit as intentional as the large decisions. When asked about changes with the biggest impact, she shares, “Choosing a range hood in a bright earth blue and green transformed the feel of the entire home. Tile and marble floors greatly change a home, and I put marble on every bathroom floor. And paint. I try different finishes like limewash, plaster, roman clay and high gloss.”
Her favorite room in the house is the primary bathroom. “The oxblood handmade tiles with matching molding trim tiles, the slab of Calacatta Monet marble set simply against the wall, the beauty of nature is so pure and regal — yet wholly powerful. The outcome was the peaceful beauty I feel in exquisite European hotels, yet the tiles’ color makes it so personal to me. Each decision in this room’s design evokes a feeling of having always been here.”
Transforming the pool deck into an Indian-inspired retreat — dreamed up with her daughters and free from creative limitations — has been her favorite renovation. “Many people feel they have to design what they see neighbors or the masses doing, but that is not something I believe in. In fact, if I see too many people doing something, it is generally a turnoff for me.”
That appreciation for originality and the overall process of renovating “Rolling Hills” has inspired a growing collection of home pieces, including her bespoke Ancient Light collection, each piece one-of-a-kind, handcrafted from antique vases and finished with custom hand-sewn shades. “My home is a test lab. I see what works, what blends and what softens and eases the soul of a home. Home should be a place of safety, belonging and gathering in warmth and joy. I hope others feel that when they enter.”
Roy plans for this to be home for a long time. “Austin felt like home right away, but even more so now that our home reflects us,” she says. “I’m so smitten with this home. Each room feels like a hug.”