Page Paul Architecture & Interiors Paint the Rainbow at Austin’s “Skittles House”
Learn about this creative home featuring 19 different shades of paint and a color palette inspired by a fruit bowl
The pandemic certainly changed the way we live in our homes. For some, it meant rearranging a guest room as an office or decluttering storage spaces. For others, it sparked a major renovation. For a creative couple on the eastside, it was the latter. Their 700-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom home, built in 1961, was suddenly maxed out. He began working from home, and she, a local artist and DJ, started creating her mixed-media pieces from their shared bedroom — a short-lived solution for a dysfunctional floor plan.
Enter Page Paul Architecture & Interiors, a local firm run by husband-and-wife team Joanna Page Hartman and Jeremy Paul Olbrys. Tasked with envisioning a larger-feeling home on a budget, they started by updating the original structure to modern code and improving insulation and energy efficiency. Built on East Austin’s expansive clay soil, the home lacked the structural stability of West Austin’s limestone-supported homes. After taking the original structure down to the studs, they added a crisp 600-square-foot rear addition with wellness and durability in mind.
The couple was excited for the new layout, which separated public and private areas and included a new kitchen, primary suite, dedicated entertaining spaces and optimized outdoor space.
“They were fine hosting big dinners in their carport and prepping in their tiny kitchen until the pandemic changed their perspective,” says Hartman. Now, the home has doubled in size, refreshed with a vibrant palette and locally sourced materials.
In lieu of a traditional floor plan, an open-concept living area with nearly 11-foot ceilings creates a sense of expansiveness, contrasting the rest of the home’s 8-foot ceilings.
“We didn’t want the new addition to be hulking over the existing house,” explains Hartman. “The neighborhood is still very much a homogeneous block of small homes, thus a massive addition (by comparison) would’ve been inappropriate.”
The bathroom was updated with a skylight, bringing views of a towering live oak into the spa-like space. Their bedroom, which was previously transformed into an art studio, stayed as is because it offered ideal lighting for painting.
While the initial renderings included walnut-clad ceilings with white walls, something the architects assumed the artist would want as a canvas for her art, the design quickly changed. The wood flooring they had chosen was out of stock, appliances were delayed, and an IKEA kitchen was completed through 40 trips to the store — these were just some of the pandemic-era sourcing challenges.
While the budget was top-of-mind, this project offered the opportunity for Page Paul Architecture & Interiors inject creativity into every space, something that snowballed once blue kitchen cabinets were picked.
“We started talking about pink walls, a pink ceiling, accents of orange, yellow and green,” says Hartman as she explains that the color palette was not only inspired by the couple’s creative spirits, but also of a picture of a fruit bowl they had once seen in a magazine.
The result is a home they’ve lovingly deemed the “Skittles House,” featuring 19 paint colors, a Barbie-pink porch and tangerine accents, along with Clay Imports tile that brings even more personality.
In this 1,300-square-foot space, every room tells a story of resourcefulness, local craftsmanship and joyful design. It’s a home where every color sings, embodying the owners’ love for art and community.
Learn more about Page Paul Architecture & Interiors at www.pagepaularchitecture.com.