Big Design, Small Spaces in Project House Austin

Bold designs can be achieved in small spaces. Despite the size of these three rooms in Project House Austin, designer Christine Turknett of Breathe Design Studio didn’t want to hold back. “This project is very bold,” she says. “Every space has its own identity.” Along with builder Michael Wray, owner and founder of MidCentury Custom Homes, LLC, Christine was able to infuse the newly built bathroom, butler’s pantry and mudroom with Mid Century Modern style.

Project House Austin butler's pantry exposed shelves teal mint and yellow accents — The butler’s pantry is located right behind the kitchen. It has a multiple functions, including storage, a desk/study area and a bar area. “I wanted it to be moody in there, but it’s a pretty big space, so I didn’t want it to be all blue cabinets,” says Christine. The white countertops from Architectural Surfaces break up the blue for a neutral surface to work on.

Big Modern Influences in Project House Austin’s Small Spaces

While Christine has a passion for MCM style, she also loves to blend it with other influences. In the main house, the Bauhaus movement inspired some of her design choices. “Because it’s not an old home, I asked myself how we are going to make mid century work with a new build,” she says. “I wanted it to be conducive to a newer look, so I merged the two designs.”

Project House Austin kitchen blue cabinets and abstract tile — To break up the moody blue cabinets, Christine included a raw wood open shelf. “I wanted to give depth to the space, and I like the warmth that wood brings,” she says. “It makes it less utilitarian and more stylish.”

The Bauhaus movement had a profound impact on Mid Century Modern and Scandinavian design with its simple color scheme, geometric shapes and artistic proclivities. “I tried to give this project transnational context and tie it to broader global references,” says Christine.

The geometric floor-to-ceiling tile in the bathroom and the artistic tile in the butler’s pantry are two such examples of this style mixing. With iconic mid century color palettes and shapes, the design styles flow seamlessly to create a fresh look.

Innovative Ideas for Small Spaces in Project House Austin

Along with mixing styles, Christine enjoys pushing the boundaries of ordinary design. “I want every room to have its own experience,” she says. “I want it to be provocative and graphic.” In the bathroom, for example, not only is there tile from the floor to the ceiling, it’s also all the same shape. “It’s the same tile pattern with a different orientation,” Christine says. The result is a bold and intriguing look that tests ordinary tile rules.

Project House Austin kitchen nook — The Bauhaus movement inspired some of Christine’s Project House design, including the butler pantry backsplash choice. “The Bauhaus movement strives to bring art into everyday life,” she says. “These tiles do that. They make you want to talk about them because they’re different, and they make a statement.” A small black sconce from Lumens provides light for the desk area.

She also changed the way we use an iconic mid century material in the mudroom. “Eichler siding is usually associated with exteriors, but we wanted to use it like shiplap,” she says. Using this technique indoors pays homage to classic MCM designs while continuing to push its creative function.

Project House Austin mudroom — The mudroom combines modern design with functional storage. Christine color blocked the bench area with the same color as the butler’s pantry cabinets and brought in Eichler siding for a touch of warmth and texture. The large mint storage cabinet lightens the space.

Because utility is one of Christine’s main priorities, she made sure to expand the function of the butler’s pantry located off the kitchen. Rather than design a simple line of cabinets, she turned the storage unit into a pantry, desk and bar. This is a better use of the space, and it helps to break up the blue cabinets. Now the area presents three different uses, while continuing to provide ample storage.

With passion, a vision and the bravery to be bold, the team paid homage to Mid Century Modern style in three new-build spaces.

A Door To Style

We asked Woodgrain Distribution, which supplied many of the wood doors selected for Project House Austin, for their professional advice on how to upgrade your home’s door style.

Modern Classic Doors

Router carved doors with simple minimal lines are trending and fit the mid mod style homeowners looking for a retro feel often seek. Single- and multi-panel glazed styles are great for adding interest and extra light. Woodgrain offers several custom glass styles including frosted, ribbed, narrow reed, cross reed and glue chip textures for a modern vintage style.

Woodgrain has been providing customers with high-quality millwork and home-building products for over 60 years, but the company has its finger on the pulse of today’s top door trends while being responsible stewards for the environment.

All Woodgrain products come from renewable resources. “Woodgrain is committed to its customers as well as the environment,” the company says. “We responsibly manage and thoroughly evaluate Woodgrain’s environmental influences and their consequences. This includes being mindful of our stewardship as a leading corporation in a natural resource-dependent industry.”

Woodgrain’s designs combine beauty and durability, and are built using high-quality, century-old craftsmanship. With thousands of designs, styles and configurations to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect door to complement your unique style.

Project House Austin bathroom with bold geometric tile and wallpaper — Deciding on a bold design, Christine covered the bathroom walls and flooring with beige and yellow tile. The tile has the same shape, but it was installed to look like two different patterns. “I like tile with a clean pattern.” The mint cabinet and pink vanity are a nod to a popular mid century color palette, while the Woodgrain door is white to let the bathroom shine.

bathroom with geometric wallpaper and pink vanity in Project House Austin — Along with the beige and yellow tile, Christine wanted to incorporate a pop of pink. “We made the vanity the pink moment in the room,” she says. The Lumens light has a fun, retro shape with a peach tone to tie in with the pink vanity. The Emtek doorknob and the sink faucet have a similar finish.

Modern Doorknobs

“Door hardware is the first interaction you have with a room. It’s a handshake you have with a space as you enter,” says Amy Switzer, marketing communications manager at Emtek. “It can be such a beautiful element when it’s a design choice that considers the rest of the space as a whole.” Here are three more doorknobs from our sponsor Emtek to elevate your space.

crystal knob by emtek — Bristol crystal knob

freestone knob in satin brass finish — Freestone knob in satin brass finish

White marble lever by emtek — White marble lever.

Want to see more of Project House Austin? Catch up by heading over to our Project House tab. And make sure to grab your copy of our summer issue where we reveal Project House Austin in its entirety! And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Atomic Ranch articles and ideas!