“Texas Modern” Homes More Common – Statesman.com
Sunday, June 15th, 2008 at 7:41 pm 
By Ryan BrownThere was an interesting article in today’s Statesman about the growing popularity of “Contemporary Homes” in the Austin area. Here is a snippet:
Custom homes take a contemporary turn
By Sue Durio, Austin-American Statesman
…Increasingly, Austin home buyers are adopting home designs that combine the clean lines of contemporary architecture with the natural materials and warm finishes of the Hill Country. The resulting style has been dubbed Texas contemporary, Hill Country modern, Hill Country regional, even Texas industrial. Regardless of the nomenclature, the look is catching on among homeowners seeking an alternative to Old World and Spanish-influenced home designs….
Check out the full article here: Statesman.com – Custom homes take a contemporary turn
The growing popularity of modern homes may not come as a surprise to readers of this blog, (see my list of Austin Modern Homes for sale) however the article is still worth reading. Several local builders and designers give their opinions on design characteristics of “Hill Country Modern” and why they think it is becoming more prevalent.
The article suggests that custom home buyers (rather than spec builders) are driving this trend. I think this is true at the high end of the market ($1M+), however there are several speculative builders and remodelers operating in the $250k-$750k range who aim for a modern aesthetic.
Another good quote, from Tracy Miller (of Miller+Greene Design Studio ):
"Tuscan is still popular, but it is getting overdone. I’m seeing a lot more direction toward contemporary. It seems to appeal to a lot more people and has a lot of staying power."
Give it a read, and let me know what you think! Is the “Coastal Influx” responsible for this trend? What % of your friends would prefer a Texas Modern Home?
