Ryan Street Architects Brings Austin’s Music Culture Into This West Rim Retreat
The firm’s interior design debut features art, Austin City Limits memorabilia, skyline views and bold color
While Austin-based Ryan Street Architects, or RSA, has been designing beautiful custom spaces throughout the city for nearly 25 years, the firm has only recently expanded into interior design. One of its first projects, West Rim, is a stunning West Lake residence perched high in the hills, led by interior designer Jennifer Sissom.
As one of the firm’s most significant interior projects to date, Ryan Street Architects had previously worked with the West Rim owners on a lakeside home. The vision for West Rim was to design a smaller home for the now empty-nesters, with the majority of living space accessible on a single story. Capitalizing on its stunning skyline views and leaning into its hillside aesthetic was a given for Sissom, who also embraced the couple’s love for color and the Austin community.
A nod to the “Live Music Capital of the World”
After attending the University of Texas at Austin together and spending years in the city’s live music scene, Austin City Limits has become a natural part of the homeowners’ story. The owners are passionate ACL poster collectors, and Sissom incorporated their love for Austin music history into the home’s decor.
The home even includes a room dedicated to music, featuring a blue palette, antique furnishings and a custom cabinet built to house a McIntosh Record Sound System. The backdrop of the room features a section of the original stage from the “Austin City Limits” television show, showcasing the iconic Austin skyline. This unique piece was once auctioned off in several segments, adding to its nostalgia and significance. Accented by comfortable swivel chairs, it’s the kind of place you want to sit and linger while reminiscing about all of the great musical artists who have come and gone through Austin.
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Throughout the home, Sissom has thoughtfully curated artwork by the talented Austin artist, Karen Hawkins. In the dining room, an enchanting hanging works of art, crafted from origami paper, create whimsical totem poles that draw the eye. This captivating motif gracefully extends throughout the residence, culminating in the stairwell, where Hawkins has also designed delicate origami paper nests that ascend the stairs.
“Their style reflects a sophisticated edginess,” said Sissom. “We got to be playful with the art, fabrics and colors that we chose, while still keeping the house comfortable.”
Designing with intention
As you journey through the house, other surprises await. The basement features a golf simulator, a workout room, a wine room and a private office. A two-story skylight provides a view into the wine room from the main level, allowing you to look straight down into the cellar. You can walk directly over this area, or you have the option of taking the spiral staircase, which adds a dramatic flair.
Sisson also notes that she played into the dichotomy of natural versus bright with the color palette, adding in pops of jewel tones to highlight the home’s surroundings.
“There’s a lot of blue throughout the home, from light fixtures to the kitchen tile,” says Sisson. “We tried to be very intentional, playing with old versus new and bright versus dark. The house definitely gets darker as you go upstairs, creating this cozy feeling.”
As for light fixtures, Sisson sourced one-of-a-kind pieces to round out the home, including finds from Round Top. In the kitchen, vintage Parisian light posts were turned upside down for a dramatic effect. There’s a tree stump table, an antiqued French commode with a black lamp and an old trellis table in the game room, balanced by other staple pieces the homeowners already owned.
“We tried to take things they already owned and place them in the new space, mixing in both antiques and found pieces,” says Sisson. “It was a challenge, but it turned out really beautifully.”
Stepping outside
Of course, the outdoor space is just as stunning as the indoor space. Cantilevered over a hill, West Rim embodies the ideal of outdoor and indoor living that many aspire to achieve. The perfect spot to entertain, host and relax by the pool, it feels more like a serene five-star wellness resort than a private oasis. The Ryan Street team left no stone unturned, literally. The backyard stones were hand-carved by an on-site mason in the West Rim driveway, designed to recreate the volcanic rock often found at Hawaiian homes.
Those rocks really are a reflection of the entire home – thoughtfully and intentionally curated to reflect West Rim’s unique aesthetic.
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