22 Feb Curious About Architecture and Home Staging? Modern Home Tours Showcase it All!
Modern Home Tour home by Newcastle Builders and Matt Fajkus Architecture at 5511 Avenue H. #5 on Map
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting SUPER excited for the upcoming 2018 Austin Modern Home Tour this weekend, for 5 important reasons!
The tour is on Saturday, the 24th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. But don’t forget, there will be inspiring design events all day Sunday the 25th. You can find details on the 15 featured homes, design special events, and tour map HERE , including tickets to the tour (use promotional code DMAIN for a discount) right HERE.
Deborah Main pillows on the Modern Home Tour in 2010. Photography by Gregg Cestaro.
Five reasons I’m SUPER excited to be involved as a sponsor of the Austin Modern Home Tour and why you should attend:
- Our studio, Deborah Main Designs, staged a home in the very first Modern Home Tour back in 2010 during Austin Fashion Week (see image above). I remember Krisstina from Goodlife Luxury well and the inspiring design panel discussions. And there will be more design events on this year’s tour!
- It’s the 10th anniversary! So it’s fun to know we participated in the very first one, and that it has grown to tons of cities. Wow, how time flies!
- This year, our pillows are back in the Austin Modern Home Tour as part of the staging by Ruby Cloutier of Vazzo Spaces for the Newcastle home, and I’d love you to see them. See interview with Ruby below, and
- There are 15 AMAZING homes on this tour for you to see, two by architect firms I greatly admire, Bercy Chen Studios and Winn Wittman Architect, and
- Austin is just the first tour of several that Modern Architecture and Design Society (MA+DS) produces all across the country. For many of you who are not in Austin you can enjoy the tours in cities like Seattle, San Diego, Denver, Houston & more. See full list and schedule HERE.
Now let’s get on to that interview with Austin native, Ruby Cloutier of Vazzo Spaces for the Newcastle home by Matt Fajkus Architect.
PG: Austin Modern Home Tour has so many amazing homes on it, but the one you’re staging, the SideSTEP Home, built by Newcastle Homes and Matt Fajkus Achitecture on Avenue H, is in one of Austin’s coolest historic neighborhoods. What’s unique about this home and how did you connect with Newcastle?
RC: Yes, I love the Hyde Park neighborhood, it still has that original Austin feel to it. The sideSTEP House is incredible! In addition to the green-building features, this home has several unique qualities:
- ranging from high ceilings,
- use of clean lines inside and out,
- seamless indoor/outdoor living,
- open floor plan, and
- expansive windows (my favorite quality for letting all the natural light in).
I was connected with NewCastle Homes in 2013, as they built my first modern home in East Austin. I LOVED that home!! Everything about the design, was so well thought out – true quality craftsmanship.
Modern Home Tour in Hyde Park neighborhood by Newcastle home and Matt Fajkus Architects at 5511 Avenue H. Interiors staged by Ruby Cloutier of Vazzo Spaces. #5 on map.
PG: I know you grew up in Austin, moved away, and came back. What brought you back? Can you share a little bit about your background and what your business Vazzo Spaces offers homeowners, architects and builders?
RC: Yes ma’am, born and raised in Austin Texas. I moved to Houston to pursue my studies in Fashion Design, where I met my husband, Pierre. I was a Fashion Stylist for 6 years before deciding to stay at home to raise my daughter, Mila. After our daughter was born we moved to Montreal, Canada for a year before relocating back to Austin and starting my business, Vazzo Spaces.
Prior to Vazzo, I had staged our East Austin home which sold before hitting MLS for over the asking price. I also was approached to stage/style our Montreal condo for a magazine. When I moved back to Texas I had a few realtors asking me to stage their properties and thats when Vazzo was born.
Once Vazzo began, the business grew very quickly all by word of mouth at first, which is wonderful! Vazzo offers homeowners full service consultations preparing their home for sale, as well as Interior Staging for homeowners, realtors and builders. Another feature Vazzo spaces offers for Architects and builders is Luxury Styling for Interior photo shoots.
Modern Home Tour home by Newcastle Homes and Matt Fajkus Architect at 5511 Avenue H. #5 on map.
PG: I don’t know if you know, but I staged a home with our luxury pillows on the first Modern Home Tour in 2010. So I’m really excited to be involved with this Modern Home Tour as a sponsor and partnering with you to have Deborah Main Designs pillows as part of your home staging. What are you excited about with staging the Newcastle home? Do you stage a lot of model homes?
RC: Thats amazing, Deborah, and so are your pillows!! What excites me most about staging The sideSTEP Home for this event is giving people a chance to see my work. I am also excited to be partnering with some of the BEST in Austin, such as (yourstudio) Deborah Main Designs, Four Hands Furniture, East Co. and Jo Hyman Art.
I’m really excited for people to get to know these amazing vendors and artists!! It important to me to support others and to remind Austin residents to shop local. Yes, I do stage a lot of model homes, flips and vacant homes ready to hit the market.
PG: Thank you Ruby. I’m excited to have our pillows be part of your work. Take us into the mind of a home stager. How do you approach a project like the Newcastle Home, what’s the goal? You’re partnering with Four Hands Home, so I’m assuming all the furnishings in the home will be from them? Or, as a stager, do you have an inventory of items as well?
RC: The goal for staging a modern home is bringing a warm, cozy and inviting vibe to the home. I achieve this by adding wood elements, greenery, and different textile textures to the decor. Yes, I am partnering with Four Hands for this home. I really wanted people to have an idea of the furniture they provide and how it compliments any modern home. There will be some of my own furniture from my warehouse too. For example, the dining area will be from my collection. Yes, Vazzo Spaces has a full inventory for furniture leasing, staging and styling.
PG: For all the people that will be seeing the Modern Home Tour here in Austin, what do you want them to come away with after seeing the Newcastle/Matt Fajkus Architecture home?
RC: I hope if anything they can take away some inspiration and tips for their own home. They can see how talented the NewCastle team is and get to know more about myself and my business. I want it to be an overall enjoyable experience for everyone. I hope people come in and laugh, have fun and take lots of pictures! (Photos at the discretion of the homeowner).
Thank you so much Ruby for educating our readers about all that goes into staging a modern home. I can’t wait to see the SideSTEP home and your work and all the other fantastic homes on Austin’s 10th anniversary Modern Home Tour. To learn more about the history of the tour, please enjoy this video below. Till next week, grab your tickets now right here (use promo code DMAIN for discount) and, come rain or shine, we’ll see you on the tour! XO PG
(Note: This post is sponsored by Modern Home Tours. All images, except Gregg Cestaro’s, are from the builder and architects mentioned. Opinions my own.)
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