05 Nov Modern Ranch + Urban Downtown = Hacienda Austin
As many of you who follow this blog know, last week I had the pleasure of attending Austin Home Magazine’s “Industry Networking Social” (See blog post HERE) at a local home boutique HACIENDA. After meeting the owner, the delightful NYC transplant Jessica Beattie, I decided to interview her to understand more about what she brings to, not only Austin, but the home decor industry, with her interpretation of the “Modern Ranch” lifestyle.
But first a brief introduction. Jessica Beattie, born in Jersey and raised in North Carolina, has that southern hospitality charm in her for sure. She was a gracious host to Austin Home Mag’s event. Jessica left a 13 year financial analyst gig in NYC for the charmed life of Austin with her husband and twin children. Oh, and a few horses too! Check out my interview below with Jessica and what she has to say about her life in Austin and her new brand “Modern Ranch” at HACIENDA. And be sure to stop by the store at 204 Colorado Street, visit their website HERE, and follow them on Instagram @hacienda_austin and Twitter @haciendaaustin. Till next week, XO PG
Owner Jessica Beattie with some of HACIENDA’S vintage rugs.
PG: First off, it was wonderful to meet you at Austin Home Magazine’s industry social last week and see your charming store, as I had heard about it and saw your ad with a horse in the middle of 2nd street. I’d never seen a horse on 2nd street before…is that your horse? Do you have a ranch here?
JB: That was Brody in the ad, and yes, he is my horse. He has essentially served as HACIENDA’s mascot since we opened but he’s also my baby. I’ve used his image for some of our original artwork and it was my daughter’s idea to feature him in the ad. My daughter also has a horse but they live in Spicewood at Westridge Farms. I wish I had a ranch here! We’re building on a larg-ish lot now in Westlake and I have plans for horse sleepovers if my husband and the HOA will permit it, but that’s it for now. Getting into the barn lifestyle with my kids is one of my favorite things about relocating to Texas from New York.
PG: As we all know, Austin is experiencing a major growth spurt and I’ve read how you traded Wall St. for 2nd St. How exciting for you, congratulations! Please tell our readers why you opened Hacienda in Austin versus Telluride, where you have a ranch. And why you chose that name for your store.
JB: Telluride is spectacular, but one of the main reasons I was ready to leave New York is I could not handle the winters anymore so for a year-round destination I wanted something warmer. My husband and I loved Austin’s vibe and thought it offered the best of everything for our kids to grow up here and hopefully stay here.
The word HACIENDA has a very classic connotation of a large estate and I wanted to play with the idea of that image and working that into an urban setting to create a modern ranch lifestyle boutique.
My whole adult life has revolved around juxtaposing my urban “home base” with “escapes” to wilderness in far-flung places and finding treasures along the way. Austin is the perfect home for HACIENDA because we exist downtown but bring in influences from around Texas and really all over the world.
PG: Ranch home décor has a long history in Texas and it has historically had a certain, in my opinion, “dated” look. Lots of leather, brown and beige. It’s quite bold of you to swoop in from NYC and present a new version of this look, as you call it, “Modern Ranch” right in the heart of Austin. What kind of reception and feedback have you received? Also, please tell us more about your vision for that lifestyle look, the colors and design choices you make for your store, and what exactly you mean by “Modern Ranch”.
JB: One of the awesome things about the people of Austin is they really value authenticity and originality. It’s been wonderful to be embraced by the community for taking chances in our own designs and investing in local artisans. Coming from NYC I’m certainly not going to bring anything new to the table about classic Texas ranch style.
But as Austin evolves, and possibly because of the influx of other newcomers, I see a real thirst for a style that can reference the rustic charm that drew all of us to Texas but ups the sophistication and can work in a more modern or eclectic space.
The building blocks of “Modern Ranch” pieces to me are still the natural materials…but all reinterpreted into sleeker forms:
- reclaimed wood,
- steel and other metals,
- exotic leathers,
- natural cotton, etc.
For example one of our core pieces is a dining table made in Austin with raw steel legs and vintage Douglas fir wood from a Wyoming barn for the top. The shape is very linear and slightly narrow and the steel lends a very raw effect, yet the wood is finished in such a way that it can stand up to any kind of entertaining situation and looks just as good with one of our modernist vases or serving bowls as it does with a casual outdoor brunch spread. I can see such a table bringing a real statement to a starter condo and later transitioning to an office or kitchen in a family home.
When we design pieces at HACIENDA, versatility is key because we believe in investing in special pieces to last a lifetime. Layering in something new with a vintage find or a special piece of art gives every “ranch” a degree of intrigue. To me that is modern ranch.
PG: It seems you have a broader definition of the term “ranch” more of as a home anywhere…out in the Texas Hill Country or in an urban setting too, correct?
JB: Yes, I call every home a ranch. But I feel like we’re in Austin, so if home is a white-walled condo downtown, there is a way to put a little character into it so it feels like home. That’s what I always tried to do in NY and HACIENDA is about bringing that ranch feeling – indoor/outdoor living, entertaining, casual elegance – to any space.
PG: I love your version of “ranch” being equal to that of any home! The 2nd street Shopping District , where HACIENDA is located, has really come into its own as the hub for modern décor, especially once the W hotel arrived. Rather gutsy of you to open downtown, and have front and center a pink couch that is completely different than the everyday modern home décor we see here in Austin. What made you think your unique “Modern Ranch” concept and vision would work in downtown Austin? What kind of market research did you do before you opened?
Unique pink and purple sofa by Kim Salmela at HACIENDA.
JB: I had visited Austin several times before moving here and had friends recommend Burnet Road or South Congress, but I felt like the downtown area was the most dynamic. It might be because I was coming from NY and the idea of a walkable downtown corridor, uniting permanent residents with tourists and businesses, seemed natural to me and the 2nd Street District is unique in that regard. Since I was fairly recently a tourist myself, I felt a pretty high degree of confidence that downtown needed a “must see” shop to find a one of a kind memento that really reflects Austin in a more chic “downtown” way than what already existed in the market.
I actually looked at buying an existing independent shop in the area as a way to “learn retail” but when the old Milk and Honey space became available I felt like I could renovate that space and really convey my vision for HACIENDA there. Plus, I have a habit of biting off a little too much and just jumping in on instinct. It’s amazing to see the rate of development in and around the 2nd Street District already in our first year, creating a real center of gravity in downtown Austin.
I love that we at HACIENDA are a place people can pop in on a lunch break, or after-brunch stroll, to find a “special gift”, and now with all the activity downtown there is enough going on for people living further out to venture downtown too.
When we thought about what furniture we wanted to create I really wanted our pieces to exhibit a cohesive style that was distinct from what our neighbors were already doing, but that hopefully would still resonate with the same consumer.
Layering in natural materials and a few bold colors can give some much needed texture to a modern pallet and we at HACIENDA wanted to bring that to the table.
As we grow our collection we continue to evolve, but I still ask myself “Do I want this in my home?” and for a piece to join our collection the answer has to be “yes.”
PG: I understand Hacienda likes to support and carry the work of local artisans, but you also have introduced your own home line. Please tell us about the Austin artists you support and how your new line fits in with Austin’s creative-meets-modern vibe. How do you feel like you’re creating your own special niche in “Modern Ranch” home décor?
JB: I had started working on the HACIENDA Collection line before opening the boutique so we do still work with partners around the world on some of our pieces. But I always hoped we would find a way to partner with the homegrown talent right here in Austin.
We love developing collections in partnership with local artisans and we have done this with furniture, body care, accessories and artwork. Here are a few of the local lines we carry:
- Cambria Harkey leather accessories
- Newton Supply Co. Canvas leather handbags and accessories
- Latika Soap manufactures our body care line
- Local jewelers like Chesley Mae, Liz James, Taylor Mosely, and rifle + radford
- The Distillery Market
- 4th Edition furniture
Locally made is always in demand and rightfully so, but we also want our pieces to be unique. Having our own line helps define a look for HACIENDA so we can work with artisans on little capsule collections that are exclusive to HACIENDA and are designed with our style in mind, effectively extending our proprietary collection. In addition, product development takes a long time and I really like keeping a steady tide of fresh product to add to our collection to keep it interesting for our regular customers and our local partnerships really make that possible. For the artisans, we can offer a great platform downtown for locals and tourists alike to see their pieces. I think our own home line helps these efforts because we invest in the design process and we care about being a good partner.
The result is HACIENDA is really an unparalleled destination for local home decor and gifts in Austin.
Patrick Landrum, Deborah Main, and HACIENDA owner, Jessica Beattie.
PG: It was my first time in your store at the Austin Home Magazine Event (which was lovely by the way!) and also for my friend, interior designer Patrick Landrum of PL&D/Patrick Landrum Design. It was really great of you to host an event for designers, and I understand you host trunk shows too. Patrick had this to say about Hacienda,
“I really love Jessica’s design aesthetic. It’s fresh, new, and offers a sense of individual expression that has been lacking in Austin’s modern retail offerings”. – Patrick Landrum
Do you feel that HACIENDA offers this unique opportunity for individual expression that no other store downtown has? Please tell us what your store has to offer interior designers? Do you have an interior designer on staff and/or how do you work with interior designers and architects and their clients?
JB: It was so lovely to meet you and Patrick and we would love to do more events reaching out to the design community. Ultimately I curate our collection and I’ve always been a bit of a square peg. “Quirky” was an adjective once used in a professional review of me at KKR, my private equity firm employer, and I’m not sure that was a compliment…and I do not expect to please everyone. However, I really believe we offer enough diversity that everyone can score a “find” at HACIENDA.
For an interior designer, that could include our own wood and steel pieces, which we can customize and build to suit, or one of our lines of upholstery or lighting that are not found elsewhere in Austin and we do offer designer commissions.
Our HACIENDA’S steel shelving units (above) were made in North Carolina, where my family lives, from a local welder there. We used wood from a barn that was demolished to build a gas station. But we managed to salvage the wood for these fabulous projects!
We have trained designers on staff as well but they do not compete with professional designers. Rather they are happy to assist with design specifications and renderings and stay on top of the order fulfillment. Sometimes chasing down an individual artisan to make a custom piece can get dicey and we are happy to run that process to make it feel seamless between the designer and the client.
PG: Well, “quirky” IS a compliment here in Austin! So I hope you’re feeling right at home. You offer such a wide range of home and gift items at Hacienda that I was ooohing and aaahing over at the event. But, I bee lined it to your fabulous vintage rugs, because I love everything vintage and just did a post last week about turning vintage rugs into decorative pillows. (See post HERE). Can you tell our readers more about your collection of rugs, including having reproductions made for your home line?
JB: We started out with leather rugs, including a modern twist on the classic hide rug and our own version of a woven leather and suede style, and then I experimented with some cotton woven rugs with hints of metallic leather to offer that luxe detail but at an even more affordable price.
As with so much of our collection, the vintage rugs were inspired by my travels. I found a spectacular 1890’s Navajo rug when I was trolling through dealers in Santa Fe this summer that jumped out at me and set me off on a whole new direction.
It’s funny how simple geometric prints in a bold color can read modern as a piece of art on a white wall or work just as well at the foot of a classic bed on the floor. We have that piece hanging on our wall where my steel horse sculpture used to be (I need to make another one of those at some point) and since we don’t have that many items in the store in that price range I expect it will one day end up in my home.
However, using that textile as inspiration I worked with Ira Seret, owner of a storied rug enterprise in Santa Fe, on a one of a kind collection of vintage and reproduction flat weave rugs for HACIENDA. The antique dhurries are all unique and we also have a few vintage Navajo saddle blankets that I found on an original Native American trading post. But for those that want something a little more crisp, I’m so excited about our indigo line (below). Some are vaguely tribal and some have streaks of burnt orange, which I love against the blue, and they look different than anything I have seen anywhere. We made up some dhurrie rug patchwork pillows and sold them all in one day so you are on point there and I think we need to get back to the lab for those.
Our cowhides are from Brazil and we like the whites, greys and the metallic acid etched varieties as a twist on the old fashioned splattered cow. Based on requests from customers we now offer stitched mosaic patterns that can be customized to suit and a range of accessories like pillows and ottomans in a bunch of fun colors. We’re getting some of those new pieces in over the next few weeks and I’m excited to add them to the collection.
Jessica and interior designer Patrick Landrum of PL&D/Patrick Landrum Design looking at HACIENDA’s rugs. (Apologies for blurry quality of photo, but still wanted you to see it)
PG: Well, you have quite the collection of vintage and new rugs to offer homeowners and interior designers! And I love that you carry local work by Austin Artisans. I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview, but I have one last question. If you could pick one characteristic you’d like consumers to know about your brand, the one thing that differentiates your store from other 2nd street home décor stores, besides being “Modern Ranch”, what would that be?
JB: I am most proud of all the one of a kind products we have in our store and that we can offer gifts that are special and sophisticated in a huge range of prices, so there really is something for everyone.
When a customer buys a lavender mint essential tin, there is a story to go behind that, of me loving the combination of scents I noticed in my garden by planting those two herbs together, and also wanting an organic product that could multi-task through the day and stay in my purse through airport check-in. We made everything locally in Austin, right down to the packaging. I’m not aware of any other store in the area that puts that level of thought and personal investment into each product they offer but for me that’s the whole point of HACIENDA.
PG: Well that sounds perfect, and the quality of your products really shows through in your store. We love products that have a story with them! Thank you for sharing that and for taking the time to do this interview!
(Note: This is not a sponsored post. All views and images are my own, except where noted. Hacienda photography by, and with permission from, Hacienda. Thank you to Jessica Beattie for the interview and thank you for reading our blog)
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