Fab home of Austin design favorite reflects singular aesthetic with a personal touch

If you’ve lived, worked, gone out for food or drinks, bought clothes, or had your hair done in Austin, chances are you know the work of interior designer Joel Mozersky. The longtime Austinite is known for his acclaimed work on now-iconic restaurants and bars including Uchi, La Condesa, Juliet Ristorante, the Highball, Rattle Inn, TacoDeli, and many, many more; he’s also responsible for the distinctive look of José Ruiz hair salons and Birds Barbershops, office and retail spaces, and Native Hostel, one of his more recent projects. Mozersky, in other words, has been a major force in defining Austin design—and putting it on the map.

It’s more than a little exciting, then, to learn that Mozersky has put his Highland Hills residence, where he and partner Ted Allen have lived for more than seven years, on the market. The two-story, 2,723-square-foot home has three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms—all of which display the rich combinations of color and texture, always with a few surprising elements—that are Mozersky’s trademarks, as well as the owners’ personal aesthetic and love of collecting.

The house was built in 1968, but its style references older French architecture with a slate mansard roof, bronze divided-light windows, and a brick exterior covered in fig ivy. Locals Jeff Neal Design can be credited for the the low-maintenance landscaping, which features a mix of native grasses, ornamental trees, and perennials.

“I designed the stair railings when we moved in,” said Mozersky. “It’s a tribute to the style of designer Charles Hollis Jones and uses lucite rod and brass fittings.” The home features ebony parquet floors in the two living rooms, formal dining room, open kitchen/breakfast area, utility room, and powder room downstairs.

Mozersky designed a new light fixture to “spread a warm glow overhead in the kitchen,” he said. It hangs over an eat-in island he made by repurposing a librarian’s vintage card catalog. The kitchen also features honed Carrara marble counters and top-of-the-line appliances.

Upstairs is a master suite with private bath, as well as two guest bedrooms and a second bathroom. Both bathrooms have been updated with floor-to-ceiling Carrara marble, scalloped floor tile of the same material, and high-end faucets and hardware in unlacquered brass.

The home also has a private backyard with an inlaid brick patio, an outdoor dining area, and a heated plunge pool.

• 5801 Highland Hills Drive [Annette Patterson, SEED Property Group]