A Historic Austin Bungalow Rides Again After a "Surfer Cowboy" Revamp

Upon returning to his native Austin after living for a decade in Los Angeles, Scott Ballew set his sights on the storied Travis Heights neighborhood. Just steps from downtown, the area is known for its bohemian roots and historic craftsman homes. "It’s where the artists, gypsies, and misfits used to gather," says Scott of the locale where he bought a home in 2016. Committed to maintaining the bungalow’s historic character but needing more space, Scott enlisted friends and neighbors Annie-Laurie Grabiel and Arthur Furman to design a sensitive addition.

"It started with me inviting Annie and Arthur over for cinnamon rolls and coffee and casually asking for advice, without prying too much," says Scott, who directs documentaries and short films but has been moonlighting as a songwriter of late. The home’s shotgun layout wasn’t working for Scott, who loves hosting meals and jam sessions with friends. "The layout was asking a lot from a small space—it was a living room and music area, but also a dining room and kitchen. Something had to go," says Grabiel, who co-owns Side Angle Side with husband Arthur Furman.

Drawing on Marfa modernism and the aesthetic of artists like Willie Nelson—who owned a studio in the neighborhood in the 1970s—Scott envisioned a compact new dining room bump-out extending from the kitchen and connecting to a new screened porch. "I was inspired by films like Heartworn Highways and videos of musicians like Townes Van Zandt and Willie Nelson sitting around dining tables with guitars in sun rooms," says Scott. "I wanted a space that could be a hub for creativity in the house."