Modern farmhouse combines diverse materials and influences

Award-winning Austin architecture firm Alterstudio has consistently demonstrated its uncanny talent for combining influences, materials, functionality, and a few surprises in its refreshing approach to local residences. This unique and spacious home is no exception.

It’s inspired by a thatched-roof, Nordic barn and set on almost five acres off Bee Caves Road in the Cuernavaca neighborhood northwest of the central city, but the space, inside and out, displays on a variety of looks that balance the rural setting and influences. There are sleek, open modern spaces as well as areas where exposed and simple materials create a more “rustic modern” look.

The two-story home has four bedrooms, three full bathrooms and two half-bathrooms, and four living areas. It also has a two-story studio with a powder room and lofted spaces that could serve a variety of functions.

A wall of doors and windows allow the main, open-plan living area to blend with the yard and pool with an outdoor kitchen.

Artisanship is foregrounded, with everything in the home handcrafted on-site. The wall of windows and doors that opens the back of the house to the view are by Salado-based blacksmiths Fenestration Metalsmiths.

The home’s steel panels, beams, doors, railings, bunk-bed barracks, balustrades, and other metal work were hand-welded by Austin Iron.

Floors and ceilings throughout are wide-plank hickory pecan. In the kitchen, raw black walnut cabinets and counters are juxtaposed against those made of sleek stainless steel.

Other artisanal touches include refurbished vintage light fixtures. Built-in shelving and bookcases in the studio are custom-built duplexed plywood.

Raw and painted birch can be seen in shelving and storage spaces throughout the house.

Stainless steel and black walnut counters, as well as black-green soapstone can be found in the home’s various bathrooms.

The inventive mix of influence is particularly apparent in the clean but soft-lined exteriors, contrasting with the boxy studio, which brings in more modern lines and exposed concrete blocks.

• 810 North Tumbleweed Trail [Eric Moreland, Moreland Properties]