Austin’s Rosedale neighborhood is a coveted place to live, thanks to its central location and mix of timeless designs both old and new. It was the perfect place for Lauren and Holt Williamson—the husband-and-wife build/design team behind Cedar & Oak—to create their next masterpiece. “Our goal was to create a home that looked like it had been on the street for years and would age well with the neighborhood,” Lauren told us of the Modern English Tudor. The house is a new construction, so every inch was strategically and intricately designed to fit their family’s needs. “With each of our new builds, we desire to create an Old-World feel that balances tried and true design with modern functionality and ease,” she explains. “This project epitomizes this balance, with its European-inspired design elements, open-concept living spaces, emphasis on raw materials, and inclusion of handmade and vintage lighting.”
The entryway features a built-in nook, coated in Oil Cloth by Benjamin Moore and featuring a custom gallery wall. Just opposite of this space is the impressive, curved staircase. “It was truly a construction work of art,” Lauren explains. “The smooth lines and seamless curvature add both charm and visual interest in the most understated way. This staircase can be seen from the entry, the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen, making it an unexpected but necessary design focal point.”
In the kitchen, the Cedar & Oak team once again leaned on Old-World Euro charm. “Our designer, Aspen, aimed to create a home that felt ‘cozy, inviting, and authentic—reminiscent of a true English Tudor home,’” Lauren explains. “The custom turned island legs, the kerf island detailing, the neutral cabinets (painted Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak), the ogee arch plaster range hood, and the unlacquered brass accents were all very intentional design decisions that work together to create an approachable and inviting space.” For additional charm, a built-in dish rack speaks to the overall aesthetic goals, as does the mix of marble, soapstone, and unlacquered brass.
The first floor also boasts a full bath with a floating soapstone vanity, a mudroom that connects the garage to the main living spaces, and a walk-in pantry that leads to a hidden laundry room. “Hiding the machines behind built-in cabinetry and adding picture lights makes the laundry room feel both cozy and somehow elevated, creating the illusion that it isn’t a modern space,” Aspen notes.
Upstairs, the primary suite is a relaxing, spa-like retreat for the homeowner to unwind. It’s tucked away in its own wing and features sweeping windows that soak the space in natural light. “The bathroom floors are coated in a mosaic tile from Ivy Hill Tile, and the shower walls are clad in this glossy tile from Rango USA,” Lauren tells us. “The walls of the home are painted
in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove, which beautifully reflects the light.”
From start to finish, this home took about 18 months. “We worked out a lot of kinks in the beginning that allowed for the building process to roll,” Lauren recalls. “We tell our clients that houses are living and evolving all the time. Especially with new homeowners in this space, our hope is that make it their own.”
Take a tour in the slideshow.
