The Rubins, a family of five with two children still living at home, turned to Sanders Architecture to design a space custom-tailored to their new urban lifestyle and tastes. “They were ready for a change — they wanted to live downtown,” Sanders says. “They wanted to change their aesthetic from their suburban Tuscan-style home to a more modern, contemporary downtown loft space.”
After the couple purchased one of the last remaining units in the W Residences that had not been occupied, Sanders worked closely with Cravotta Interiors and David Wilkes Builders to bring their new vision to life. Impeccable attention to detail and clever design solutions are evident throughout the revamped 3,100-square-foot, three-bedroom loft perched on the 33rd floor of the W Austin, with each space thoughtfully reconfigured to suit the family’s interests and desired way of living.
In the dining room, for example, David Rubin’s love of billiards comes to life with a mahogany table designed by UK-based Hamilton Billiards that seamlessly converts from a dining table into a billiards table. “Finding a dining table that could convert into a billiards table with the proper clearances around it was our solution for a smaller space, and it became a driving factor for the entire design,” Sanders explains.
As a formal dining room, Jim Zivic Design chairs surround the table. But when the dining table converts into a billiards table, the entire space transforms with it into game room, the ambiance enhanced by a custom chandelier featuring pendants that extend down from the subtly domed polished Venetian plaster and white oak ceiling above. A colorful Mondrian-inspired steel and glass wall flanks the table — a creative design collaboration by Sanders and Cravotta and executed by David Wilkes. “We had limited access to the condo located on the 33rd floor, which is always the challenging part, so the glass and steel wall had to be hand-engineered and constructed on-site,” explains Wilkes. “It took many hours of welding and staining and finishing. But in the end, it’s just a beautiful project.”
The bold, random geometric patterning camouflages openings within the wall including a door leading to one of the children’s bedrooms and a panel that opens up to reveal a television and speakers. “When it is all buttoned up and closed, those things go away,” says Sanders. “That whole room was really about transformation.”
American Black Walnut floors create warmth throughout the urban space, defined by an underlying design that embraces and celebrates the building’s existing infrastructure. “The W was a brand-new building so we didn’t have the luxury of working with old exposed materials you typically see in converted warehouse lofts as a starting point,” says Sanders. “Rather, the finishes were chosen to complement the architecture of the new building. They were intended to work well with the raw materials that were exposed during the demo phase, conveying the idea of urban loft living”
Stark contrasts between eye-catching finishes and raw materials are found throughout the loft. The open kitchen, for example, is defined by a glossy ceiling featuring highly lacquered dark blue panels that beautifully contrasts with existing materials that were exposed during the demolition process such as plumbing pipes, now wrapped in hand-stitched leather. A glass backsplash featuring a colorful, patterned Missoni Home fabric creates a vibrant statement in the otherwise sleek, polished kitchen.
“We thought a lot about the flow of the space and the sequence of arrival into the condo, which originally wasn’t configured the way the Rubins wanted to live,” says Sanders. “Melissa enjoys cooking and she wanted to be part of the family while she was cooking meals and still be able to look out to the views.”
The team flip-flopped the kitchen and existing dining room in order to connect all communal spaces and shift the views toward the expansive wall of windows overlooking downtown.
The home office, originally a closet/storage room, was converted into a usable work area by removing walls and opening it up to the corridor. European Oak lines the floors, walls and ceiling, and a concrete wall exposed during the demolition now serves as the background to custom bookshelves. “Rather than covering it back up, we celebrated the concrete and built illuminated steel and wood shelving to complement it,” says Sanders. “We also exposed some of the plumbing stacks, and again, rather than covering them up, we celebrated them and included them in the composition of the other materials. It really turned out to be a beautiful office.”
The main living area features a wood ceiling framed with a thin band of blackened steel that borders floor-to-ceiling steel framed windows leading to the balcony with skyline views.
Playful textures are found throughout each room, including the contemporary but comfortable master bedroom — a calm and serene space featuring a wool fabric wall from Phillip Jeffries and silk patterned rug.
“Exposing the natural materials of the building alludes to that whole idea of urban loft living,” says Sanders. “Beautiful new materials — the gloss ceiling and the colored glass —complemented the use of steel and concrete.”
In the end, Sanders and Wilkes concur the true success of the 8-month-long project was a smart design solution, a seamless collaboration and skilled execution.
“The Rubins are very happy — they truly enjoy downtown living and this space really worked out for them,” says Sanders.
Sanders Architecture
512-482-9258 | www.sanders-architecture.com
David Wilkes Builders
512-328-9888 | www.davidwilkesbuilders.com
Cravotta Interiors
512-499-0400 | www.cravottainteriors.com