Downsizing is a decision that sounds simple and rarely is. This couple was leaving behind significant square footage and a traditional aesthetic they had lived in for years. The new house, designed by Barley Pfeiffer Architecture and built by Matt Risinger, was modern and smaller. The work was to make it feel as considered as everything they were leaving, without recreating it.

The living room fireplace wall is black granite with vertical oak strips dyed black. It functions as a piece of sculpture, anchoring the room whether the fire is lit or not. Color appears throughout in careful doses, each instance deliberate rather than decorative. Every material was chosen to hold up to an active life and still look like a decision was made.

Featured in Austin Home. Architecture: Barley Pfeiffer Architecture. Builder: Risinger Homes.

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