The building has been used for a saloon, a printing shop, retail clothing store, a café, and most recently as an Asian restaurant. From 1891 to 1894, D.T. Lamme of Lamme’s Candy fame, leased the building for his Red Front Candy Store. 811 is also known as the Von Boeckmann house, named for its most prominent owner, Eugene Von Boeckmann who purchased the building in 1894 and began a printing business. He was the publisher of the Texas Historical Association’s Quarterly Review and was recognized as the state printer. The building received historic landmark status in 2001, recognized as an outstanding example of commercial architecture built in the decades following the Civil War. Noteworthy features include the cut stone façade, stone and brick rubble sidewalls, and arched window openings with segmental arched lintels and keystones.

When Dennis Karbach purchased the residence in October of 2000 it was abandoned. Each floor was dark; fire damaged, smelled of pigeons, and was covered with bat guano. The challenge of the historical renovation and creating a comfortable residence fell to architect, Tim Cuppett and interior designer, Tracey Overbeck Stead. Karbach’s needs were clearly defined-convenience, space for entertaining, private space as well as space for his daughter and guests. “ I was living downtown in a space which was too small. There was no privacy and I needed space for my daughter. I knew I wanted to live downtown and several people-Eddy Safady-The Hellers were also beginning to renovate at the same time. I really don’t think anyone ever knows what they are getting into with a historic building until they are into it.” Featured on the HGTV series, Renovation Generation, the residence has won several awards including the prestigious Texas Society of Architects Design Award, for staying true to its historic roots at the same time morphing into a stunning example of modern design.

Architect Tim Cuppett responded to the challenge of the eccentric 21’ wide and 150’ deep space in this way: “My favorite quote of which this project is a perfect example,  ‘Consult the genius of the place in all…” by Alexander Pope. In this case I wanted the owner to experience the eccentric proportions of the building, and at the same time, feel comfortable in his home.” The concept was to embrace the length and height of the building. A long stair runs from the Congress Ave. entrance up through three floors for living to a roof top cabana and pool. Upon reaching the top by stair or elevator, one is confronted with stunning views of the Austin skyline beyond the pool and garden. Natural light is transmitted down into the building through skylights in the pool floor. Most of the original pine timber and stone structure remains, but has been strengthened with a new steel skeleton. Contrast is expressed by the juxtaposition of the old structure and new modern interiors.

For fourth generation Austinite, interior designer, Tracy Overbeck Stead, it was an honor and a responsibility to work on such a unique historical gem. For her the challenge was making sure the adaptation from commercial to single-family would result in a warm family environment while historically preserving the space. She accomplished her goal in several ways. The first way was to sandblast one side of the limestone shell to make the stone shine and add a lighter feel on the walls. The stone on the opposite walls were covered with drywall to soften the shell so it wouldn’t feel like you lived in a cave, Next, a long drywall fur down was installed on the ceilings of floor 1 and 2 to bring the scale down to a comfortable level and give space to add many architectural and decorative lights to brighten the space. She also used warm quarter-sawn hardwoods on the semi-private and private floors in a medium stain and wax. Lastly, to bring the scale to a comfortable residential level, a walnut band and fur down was added around the kitchen cabinetry to delineate the kitchen from the dining and to add a cozy texture and color into the cabinetry while preparing meals.

The first floor is for public gatherings. Dennis and Robert love to host benefit galas so the first floor is open and airy to provide entertaining for large groups.
The second floor is a semi-private space for friends and family. The living room is designed with modern furniture mixed with antiques to give character and warmth throughout.

The third floor is the private floor with the master suite including the master bath and bar. This floor also houses two guest rooms for family visits. The light pours onto the third floor from the glass bottom swimming pool above installed on the 4th floor to provide a ton of natural light. The master bedroom is a handsome and richly textured bedroom. It features dark wenge stained built-ins used for the headboard, a platform bed with custom bedding, a deep red rug for a punch of color, electronically controlled red velvet drapes, and a minimal leather chaise and side table for reading the newspaper.

Lastly, the fourth floor is the party floor with a ‘sky lounge’ for indoor cooking and relaxing by the fireplace and an outdoor oasis with a Jacuzzi, glass bottom negative-edge lap pool and an amazing garden overlooking Congress Avenue. This floor is a true Austin gem.

With more than 8400 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, and 3 living areas, the home might seem imposing. Instead it is remarkably livable for a space of its size. Karbach, an independent technical consultant and Brown, a development manager for the Long Center frequently entertain and host large gatherings for several causes and organizations they actively support. Of the home, Karbach says, “ The rooms are large and very open.we have 2,000 square feet on each floor and we live in the entire house. Some things are over the top-we have 4 dishwashers in the house, but everything in this house was designed for comfort and convenience.” Brown agrees. “We use this house and we love it. I think my favorite spot is the sky lounge and sky deck overlooking Congress. We have dinner parties or watch DVDs with friends in the theater. We host a lot of events for non-profits and political organizations.”

Recently Karbach and Brown have purchased and are renovating a Victorian House in the Castro section of San Francisco and plan to split their time between the two cities prompting them to place 811 Congress on the market. Buyers can continue to write the script on this storied home for a cool $6.5 million.

1) Install a water filter. Clean, safe water without all the waste: Brilliant. Bottled water produces a mountain of waste and its expensive! You’ll use fewer plastic water bottles, which means using less energy and fewer resources to make the bottles and less fuel to ship them around for delivery, and create less waste.

2) Fix leaky faucets and toilets. A leaky faucet or shower that loses water at the rate of one drip per second can waste 3,000 gallons of water a year. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water a day! Most replacement parts are cheap, readily available and easily installed.

3) Bring in houseplants! Houseplants literally grow fresh air by producing clean, fresh oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide and chemicals such as formaldehyde and benzene. The EPA estimates that indoor air is 2 to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air. Two small plants or one medium-size plant per 100 square feet will provide fresh air and healthy, mold-free humidity in any room so everyone can breathe deeply with ease.

4) Use power strips and unplug appliances. Power strips are our friends. Save energy and money by plugging your electronics into power strips that can be turned off when components are not in use. TVs, stereos, game consoles, computers and accessories all have a hefty “phantom” draw of energy (called idle current) even when they are turned off—about the same amount of energy as a 60-watt light bulb burning continuously.

5) Shade your air-conditioning unit and clean the filters regularly. An air-conditioning unit in the shade uses up to 10 percent less energy than one in the sun. Planting bushes or trees on the south side of the unit will do the trick. Just be sure they don’t block the airflow. Clean filters regularly. Check them once a month, especially during heavy-use months in the heights of summer. At a minimum, change the filters every 3 months for maximum performance.

6) Go for a natural gas on-demand water heater for tankless water heating. Heating water on demand with natural gas is one of the most efficient means around. These systems use loads less energy, offering instantly hot water at a fraction of the cost of water heaters that store hot water in a tank. Consider that the water heater is one of the biggest energy hogs at home. While hot water storage tanks fueled by natural gas are much more efficient and much less polluting than electric water-storing heaters, on-demand water heating trumps storage heating by 30 percent.

Color analysts are pointing toward soothing spa colors of blues, greens and lavenders as the newest and freshest colors for 2009, but they also include the neutral, warmer colors of taupe, honey, and even warm, mustardy yellows. These colors all soothe and recede from the eye, creating a calming effect.

While wall colors are staying relatively neutral and simple, the “pop” comes from adding bold accents and accessories. Neutral walls are a great base for bold artwork and let the art become the point of interest in the room. Red continues to be a popular color, whether in textiles or wall art. It also serves as a sort of “bold neutral” in the way that it plays well with both cool and warm tones. It can easily serve as the unifying factor in the design scheme of a home.

Dark wood tones continue to be the trend in floor, as well as furniture design. The desire for natural textures and solid, enduring materials reflects the global atmosphere. What better way to create a sense of security and a connection to the earth than by bringing natural textures and warm wood tones into your home?

So when you are embarking on your spring cleaning and have a desire to “bring in the new,” remember, you may not have to look much farther than your own backyard for inspiration.

Because draperies add volume, depth and punches of color, they can have a big impact on the look and feel of any space. Custom drapery can make a room feel intimate and cozy, or large and grand depending on the fabric, style and options you choose.

If your room is in need of a quick makeover, consider adding or updating your window treatments. To get started, below are three easy tips from the experts at Levolor, in addition to advice for the pre-planning and shopping phases of the process.

Pre-planning Advice
To ensure that you choose the right window treatments, you should first evaluate your needs. For instance, consider whether you plan to open and close your window coverings for increased privacy, light control and extra insulation, or if you just want decorative side panels. Custom draperies offer great versatility, but your needs will directly impact the style you choose in step one.

Three Easy Tips
Choose your style. Drapery styles range from the traditional goblet pinch pleat for a formal room to a sleek grommet for a contemporary space. When choosing your style, keep your needs in mind since some styles are better suited for homeowners who plan to open and close their draperies. Finally, consider adding a cornice or valance for added depth and dimension.
Choose your fabric. Levolor offers over 100 fabrics in four lifestyle themes, including traditional, eclectic, casual and contemporary, to ensure that homeowners can achieve the look they desire.
If you want a layered look, you can select a sheer fabric and pair it with heavier drapery panels.
Consider your options. Because you will want to coordinate your look throughout the entire room, try using your chosen drapery fabric for accent pillows, tablecloths or other accessories. In Levolor’s custom drapery line you can order up to five yards of extra fabric.

You can also embellish and accentuate your drapery with decorative drapery hardware to add finesse to any room. Add fabric tiebacks to update existing panels.

Shopping Advice
Once you determine the right type, fabric and options you want for your new window fashions, make sure you shop around. Some stores let you take sample books home, while manufacturers such as Levolor let you order free fabric swatches and offer interactive displays in-stores, as well as online tools – all so you can see how the product will look in your own home.
No matter what your style, you’ll feel great about giving your room the finishing touch it deserves with custom draperies.

To find out more about how adding window fashions can enhance a room, or to order free sample swatches, visit www.levolor.com.

–Courtesy of Family Features