01 Mar Mad About Mid Century? 5 Reasons You’ll Love Starlight Village + Modern Redux

WOW!! The 2019 Modern Home Tour was over the top FABULOUS!!!  Not to mention we had a gorgeous sunny day and the piece de resistance was a fun Block Party out at the NEW Starlight Village in Leander.  I took hundreds of photos and am so excited about sharing everything with you!

But while editing my images, I realized there’s absolutely NO way I can squeeze them into one post. Lucky you!  You’ll be getting THREE posts out of this fantastic Tour produced by Modern Architecture + Design Society.

Today’s post on Mid-century modern will be a tad short (okay, we all know, my posts are NEVER really short, no matter how hard I try!), but with inspiring photos, because I want you to learn more about Starlight Village Homes and the GRAND OPENING this weekend of the Austin store Modern Redux.

Please see flier below. It’s both Saturday and Sunday and you will not believe all the Mid-Century Modern gems they have. It will be a lot of fun and you get a discount if you attended the Mod Home Tour last weekend. I know I’m looking forward to it!

I don’t know how I missed this home at Starlight Village staged with fantastic, collectible pieces from Modern Redux, but I have some pics further down of another model home they staged for the Tour as well. If you’re local, would love to see you this weekend at the Grand Opening,so let’s connect!

 

PILLOW GODDESS TEASER:  Since you won’t see all the homes till next week’s post, here’s two of my fave homes on the Modern Home Tour last weekend. One is a new build, but from “Mid-Century bones”. The other I’m kind of biased…(you’ll see why). And while it’s not Mid-Century at all, it shares features, like built-in shelving and textiles.

The rest you’ll have to wait for, as I’ll share more images over the next two weeks in my 10 Pillow Goddess Modern Picks and 5 Styling/Staging tips (with Ruby Cloutier of Vazzo Spaces). So be sure to sign up for our blog and you won’t miss a thing!

Deal?  I thought you’d agree!

MF ARCHITECTURE + GINGERWOOD HOME – This stellar modern home of “Mid-Century bones”, by architect Matt Fajkus and luxury interior design firm, Gingerwood Design, was amazing for several reasons.  It was not only huge with jaw-dropping architectural details and interior design features – not to mention several intriguing levels and views – but it had warmth.  Sleek on the outside but cozy on the inside.

This is a new trend I’m starting to see in modern homes and ties right in with Mid-Century modern home furnishings.  I started to see it last year on the 2018 Modern Home Tour you can read HERE.

Cold modern spaces OUT. Warm modern spaces IN.

Of course, it always depends on personal preference, and whether or not you’re a minimalist, but the 2019 Modern Home Tour showed that homeowners are wanting all the features of a modern home, sleek architectural lines, kitchens, pools and views, and not to mention the latest tech, but they also want to enjoy living there. They might even have some vintage Mid-Century modern furniture they’d like to use in their home.

As evidenced below with the interiors of the MF Architecture and Gingerwood home, I’m seeing more built-in shelving, cozy sofas, warm-colored wooden ceilings, and art, creating lots of warmth.

I learned that the Gingerwood Design firm collaborated with local artists and artisans to create a custom interior, with layers of texture and natural materials, like warm-stained cedar ceilings, as to “complement, not compete, with the surrounding views.” (Which you’ll see more of in next week’s blog post.)

The family living room (in above image), with an open kitchen and patio, centers around this incredibly cool, and so Mid-Century modern, custom-designed sofa/bench/side-table/bookcase unit that anchors the room.

 

As interior designer, Amanda Stephenson, of Gingerwood Design (whom I had the pleasure of meeting), states:

“Royal blue wool upholstered cushions on the sofa and an integrated walnut bookcase pair beautifully with a pair of vintage Thayer Coggin rocking chairs. This creates a cozy position for viewing the quartzite fireplace or concealed retractable flat-screen TV behind the fireplace.”

The artisan geometric shelving (below) in the entryway immediately caught my eye the minute I walked in! As well as colorful and textured art and other furnishings throughout the home that were very unique.

I promise, you’ll see a lot more fantastic images next week of this home (like the FAB bathroom wallpaper between these two shelving units!) because the pool, dining room, kitchen and views were dreamy!

NEWCASTLE HOMES – This is where I’m a tad biased, because it’s the 2nd year that Ruby Cloutier of Vazzo Spaces has incorporated Deborah Main Designs luxury pillows into the staging of the entire home. And, as many of you know, our studio has a vast collection of Mid-Century modern textiles and we love making pillows with these geometric patterns!

I love collaborating with Ruby, Newcastle and artist Jo Hyman!  This modern home, called uCRANE, was also unique because of its small environmental footprint as well as SMART home automation.

You can easily see below the warmth + cozy factor that Ruby and the builder instilled in this small (less than 1,000 sq. ft) Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in both the living room, with built-in shelving, and the master suite with Jo Hyman’s art and Deborah Main pillows.

 

 

 

Now onto the Block Party at Starlight Village Homes.  It was so much fun!  The homes were super cool, the vibe even cooler and it all felt so open. I was so glad I made the effort after a full day of seeing 12 homes, to drive up to Leander to Starlight!

Check out the interview below with co-owner Theresa Kopecky to learn more about Starlight Village,  and Modern Redux upcoming event SATURDAY.   Plus see some cool images I took below of the living room and staircase of the Telstar 4-bedroom home which is furnished by Modern Redux. (I actually can’t believe they turned out so nicely, as the sun was setting when I was in this home.)

 

STARLIGHT VILLAGE HOMES is a community of 29 homes, with  the 30th structure the pool and pavilion, built by husband and wife team, Michael and Theresa Kopecky of Austin.  The pool area called “Lido” was THE first thing different that I noticed when I drove in. Okay, maybe not the first thing.  The vintage baby blue Thunderbird jumped out at me first.

Celebrating Community

I spoke with Theresa Kopecky to get a little more information for you behind this unique Mid-Century modern village in North Austin, Leander, Texas. I wanted to understand why this NEW Starlight Village Homes, with newly-constructed Mid-Century homes and Mid-Century modern furninshings, is so focused on community.

PG:  Theresa, thanks for taking the time to chat with me.  What is special or unique about Starlight Village Homes?

TK:  I’m happy to share information with you Deborah. We wanted Starlight Village to be a place to draw everyone out.  We wanted all the homes to be facing each other, with a loop road.  We carefully planned no garages and instead built Porte-cocheres so that people who normally step inside their door will instead stay outside. 

Starlight Village was specifically designed to draw residents out of their homes – have parties in their driveways and celebrate the community with their neighbors!

PG: What a novel idea, right?  I know it captures a neighborhood feeling from my childhood, but a lot of the architectural inspiration is from your husband Michael’s childhood right?

TK: Absolutely. Yes, that’s right. My husband, Michael Kopesky, was an “Airforce Brat”. Because of that, he took away something very special from growing up in the 1960’s base housing.

Michael wanted to recreate that community feeling he felt as a kid. Something was magical about that time for him.

PG: I think for any of us Baby Boomers who played outside and built forts, indeed have fond memories of a special time. Michael’s experience was different from mine, as I grew up in homes built in the 1700s and Victorian era, but my mother had Mid-Century modern furniture, like a burnt orange sofa. Tell me what was most unique to Michael’s experience?

TK: Michael fell in love with the architecture, the space race to the moon, and the optimism of that period. With the rally cry that America can do it, we can dream it.  Well, we did it. We sent men into space! It was a very optimistic time period in America.

PG: Yes, that was an amazing time period.  Many Americans were united, took road trips, the whole Route 66 thing too.

TK: Yes, and all the architecture, from houses to gas stations, and rooflines to gravity design. It all fostered an unbridaled enthusiam where America was testing out new ways of using common materials. This is what stuck with Michael and inspired Starlight Village.

PG: Do you have an architect you could tell our readers about as an example of this “unbridaled enthusiasm”. Boy, do I love that phrase and do we ever need more of it in our current times!

TK: Yes. One example that comes to mind is architect Paul Rudolf. He was in the navy in World War II.  They would preserve naval ships with a sort of shrink wrap and he incorporated this thinking into his designs by using floating structures and lighter materials.  The big thing about the Case Study program (you may have to look that up if you’re not familiar with it) was that designers used common materials in uncommon ways. The whole point, after wartime, was to make modern architecture cost effective.

 

Fast forward to the 21st Century

PG: So what prompted y’all to take on this huge undertaking of building an entire Mid-Century modern village?

TK: Mike was retiring from the Air Force and he wanted to do something he always dreamed of.  He started a family business with me, his wife, and his father.

Austin is the fastest growing city in the U.S. and Leander the fastest growing in Texas. Mike wanted to be part of that. All the houses today in developments are all the same,  all tan and brown. We wanted to create something different, unusual. 

Our vision of optimism, dreaming and connecting with people in this way, helps us help others feel that they can share in these feelings too.

PG: WOW Theresa, that’s so beautiful how you put that.  It feels like part of the American Dream and the kind of “unbridaled enthusiasm” we need right now in our country. Thank you for sharing this with me and our readers. 

TK:  Thank you. It’s a really special project to us, important to our lives, and our children’s lives.  We hope people will come out to tour the homes and feel the sense of community we do.

PG:  Great! When can they do that?  And did you say that you also partner with some other Mid-Century local businesses?

TK: Yes, we would LOVE to have people come to our Open Houses, every Saturday, from 1 – 4 p.m. If they can’t make it on a Saturday, they can also call and set up an appointment.

Yes, we do have several partners throughout local Austin businesses.  Almost everything is sourced locally.  Every home gets an interior and exterior lighting package by Hip Haven.  When they purchase a home, and want to do a custom chandelier, they can arrange a consultation meeting with the owner, Kelley Sandige.

Modern Redux has furnished a couple of the homes. They offer a 20% discount to any homeowners, and they can hunt down a favorite piece for you and fully restore it if necessary. We also have partnered with Copenhagen and Design Within Reach; both provide preferred pricing.

PG:  That all sounds like some great Austin business collaborations.  I look forward to talking further about a Mid-Century cocktail party sometime this spring or summer.  Thank you Theresa for your time.

TK: Absolutely! And let me stop by your studio sometime to see all your Mid-Century modern textiles.  Perhaps we can collaborate too.

PG: Would love that! 

 

Everyone, if you live in the central Austin area or are visiting, please be sure to stop by the Grand Opening of Modern Redux on Saturday and Sunday and visit the Starlight Village Homes too.

I know both of these businesses will be happy to share their love of Mid-Century with you!  If you haven’t figured out why yet, here are 5 reasons you’ll LOVE Starlight Village and Modern Redux.

1. The homes. 29 high-quality modern homes designed specfically with incredible Mid-Century Modern architectural details.
2. The pool. It is the centerpiece of the village! You can’t beat that, when you know the community will have parties there every day for the kids and in the evenings for the adults. I don’t know about you, but I’m already dreaming up a Mad Men cocktail party and I have the perfect poolside vintage cocktail dress for it!
3. Location. Location. Location. Starlight Village is so easy to get to. So much that even I, a South Austin gal true and true, fantasized about living up there.
4. Furniture, home accessories, art. With the partnerships Starlight has with local businesses, particularly Modern Redux, well, that store will basically furnish your entire home for you with authentic period pieces. (Stop by their Grand Opening Saturday and Sunday to start making your selections.)
5. Quality of Life. Who can pass up this idyllic vision of the American Dream? I’ll be honest, at the end of Modern Home Tour last weekend I was not looking forward to driving to Leander. But boy, am I ever glad I did. I LOVED it!! And you know I am not just saying this, I truly felt the community vibe. And being surrounded by friends who love Mid-Century Modern as much as I do was really a cool feeling. These homes AND the Modern Redux furniture made a lasting impression on me.

 

But don’t take my word for it, go see for yourself!

Till next week, when I share tons more photos from the 2019 Modern Home Tour, please enjoy photos below of furnishings by Modern Redux at Starlight Village Homes and stay warm.  Austin got a nasty cold front today, but by Saturday’s Grand Opening for Modern Redux we know the sun will be out again, right? XO PG

Note: All images and opinions are my own, except where noted.

 

Incredible mustard yellow modern sofa from Copenhagen Austin, a furniture collaborator with Starlight Village Homes.