As soon as architects Annie-Laurie Grabiel and Arthur Furman (pictured above), the couple behind the firm Side Angle Side, completed the renovation of their 1939 Austin bungalow, they turned their attention to the outside. “It was almost like the day we finished the renovation, we realized we needed to have outdoor dining,” says Grabiel. The couple loved the H-shaped footprint of their house, and how it created intimate indoor-outdoor connections, especially with the patio between the two back wings. Inspired by the home’s emphasis on outdoor living, they extended the roof of one wing to create a dining pavilion off of the kitchen.
The rest of the yard, however, was a bit of a puzzle. Located in the path of a drainage easement, the yard had a moat-like channel, for managing stormwater runoff, crossing the sloped yard. The architects developed a plan to fit a pool, but they called on their friend landscape architect Cameron Campbell to give them a second opinion on what they’d designed.
Campbell saw possibilities that Furman and Grabiel had not. He drew up a new plan that completely reimagined the contours of the yard, building the pool into the slope through a series of terraces. “It was so much better than what we were thinking about that we had to do it,” says Grabiel. While Campbell’s design would require significantly more site work, the couple knew it would ultimately improve the flow and increase usable space.
Campbell designed the terraces, which are built from reinforced concrete masonry blocks that have been covered in chukum, a type of Mexican plaster, so that the stormwater travels through four levels, slowing down and filtering into the planting beds as it does. “He designed it in such a way that there are a lot of planting areas that soften everything,” says Grabiel. He also recommended native and climate-adapted plants—like native dwarf palmetto, bamboo muhly, and silver pony foot—that could create the lush, layered feeling Grabiel craved. In the area closest to the dining area, Grabiel sowed native Texas wildflowers, including coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and sunflowers to attract pollinators.
While Furman and Grabiel love how much more use they get out of the new yard, Grabiel is perhaps even more excited about how alive the garden is, buzzing with birds and bees. “Every little move we made, every plant, every tree–everything we did was a little invitation to insects and bees,” says Grabiel. “It just blows my mind how much better it got. Before it was just a hill of grass.”
Below, a tour of the reimagined, re-enlivened landscape.
Photography by Casey Dunn, courtesy of Side Angle Side.
Above: An all-glass front door hints at the couple’s desire to blur the line between indoors and outdoors. The Saltillo terracotta tiles (from Clay Imports) continue into the foyer inside.
Above: The H-shaped layout of the house creates miniature courtyard-like areas around the exterior of the house. Campbell says part of the magic of this project is that it’s not brand new and perfect. “It has this old Austin feel,” He says. “There’s a little bit of grit and a subtlety to everything they do.”
Above: The house transformation took place in two stages, with the dining pavilion and garden renovation happening after the main house. When they extended the gable roof over the dining area, they added a brick patio laid out in a herringbone design. They also replaced the kitchen window with French doors.
Above: Campbell says the small garden off the primary suite is a favorite moment. “Before it was like a no man’s land, and now it has become a little feature in the yard,” he says.
Above: “The aim was for it to be as simple as possible, not over-designed,” says Grabiel of the new covered patio. The couple planted many native trees, including desert willows, cedar elms, and four live oaks, including the one centered in the lawn. The lawn is subtly graded to convey the water away from the house, which sits on grade.
Above: Cameron describes walking over the lawn and taking the steps up to the pool as a “ritual.” “When you turn around and sit in the loungers and reorient yourself back towards the home. It creates a strong dialogue of how to experience the entire property,” he says. The color of the chukum plaster was chosen to harmonize with the existing limestone elements on the property.
Above: The plant palette is ever-evolving, and Grabiel credits Campbell with giving her the confidence to just try things. “Arthur and I walk just to see what’s thriving and we grow our repertoire of plants based on that,” she says. Most of the outdoor furniture they selected, including these chaises, are from DWR.
Above: Before and after. A fresh coat of Sherwin-Williams’ Peppercorn gives the exterior a less suburban feel.
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