Lockhart, a small town 30 miles southeast of Austin, has long drawn carnivores as a barbecue mecca. Black’s, Kreuz Market, Smitty’s, and newcomer Barbs B Q put Lockhart on the map with their brisket, ribs, and sausage. More recently, as musicians and artists priced out of Austin have relocated to Lockhart, the town has become known for its art (LockhART can be spotted on bumper stickers) and music scene. New businesses — an art gallery, restaurants, bars, bookstore, gift shops, and more — have revitalized the town square and made it a tourist destination even for those not on a BBQ pilgrimage. And now it’s showing off interior design chops too.

Or so it seemed on last Saturday’s Lockhart Holiday Home Tour, which featured 7 beautifully decorated homes plus a luxury cabin rental complex. Proceeds benefited the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) program, which provides books and promotes literacy for children. Here are my favorite design moments from the tour.

The Red House

The Red House (the exterior is now painted white) is a historic home owned by the Black family of BBQ fame. The interior is all wood plank with updated farmhouse details.

I love the dining room’s mural-like, monochromatic wallpaper against the old wood trim.

In the kitchen, red ribbons turned the cabinet doors into Christmas presents.

Colored, diamond-paned windows admitted light into the wood-paneled stairway.

A Christmas tree was glowing at the top of the stairs.

Santa mug on a drink table

And a droopy, Charlie Brown-type Christmas tree

W. Prairie Lea Street

One of my favorites on the tour, reflecting the warm personality of the owners, was a 1918 home with soaring ceilings, beautiful wooden pocket doors, and wonderful art, including this piece by Austin artist Patrick Puckett.

Sitting area with plants and art

Wise words

Fun wallpaper in a powder room

Art in the hall included a digital collage by Austin artist Dave McClinton.

A gallery wall and stacks of books made the wide staircase a destination in itself.

On the top floor, attic space has been transformed into a playroom/bedroom for two lucky little girls.

Carlisle Guest House

At The Carlisle, a short-term rental owned by Donna Blair and Tamara Carlisle of Commerce Gallery, I spotted another painting by Patrick Puckett.

A bar alcove in the living room was dressed up with floral wallpaper and blue paint…

…and a brass armadillo.

A quirky juxtaposition caught my eye: a taxidermy deer and portrait of a pensive woman, both staring off into space.

A cool snake lamp

Boldly patterned wallpaper with painted trim

Casa Suerte

Another favorite of mine was Casa Suerte, or house of good luck, the home of ceramist Celeste Quesada and her musician husband, Adrian Quesada of the fabulous Black Pumas. A ranch home built in 1972, Casa Suerte is decades younger than most of the other homes on the tour. I adored its retro, thrifted vibe, starting with a dramatic monkey-and-floral wallpaper in the small dining room.

An avocado-green bookshelf made a casual divider between the entry and sunken living room.

In the kitchen, open cabinets displayed colorful pieces of Fiestaware. The graphic tile on the backsplash…

…reappeared throughout the home, including in the hall bath. Retro crane wallpaper added more bold pattern.

I can’t remember if this pretty vignette on a bedside table was at Casa Suerte, but I admired the silver teapot with dried white flowers against the black wall.

San Jacinto Street

More black walls appeared in this Folk Victorian home, setting off a contemporary green sofa.

A rustic dining room table was a simple choice under a sputnik chandelier.

St.Leger House

Lockhart artist and architect Christopher St.Leger designed his family’s home, a recent construction, and was the general contractor. It had a very livable feel.

I admired green floral wallpaper on one wall of a sitting room.

Foliage and birds and a cute Christmas tree

In the bath, mossy green, color-drenched walls contrasted with terracotta tile floors.

Christopher’s art studio at the back of the house had lots of display and storage space for his streetscapes of Lockhart.

The Leona

My last stop was The Leona, a compound of recently built luxury cabins — a boutique hotel — along a spring-fed creek with a waterfall.

Lake | Flato (which designed Austin’s Central Library) designed the four cabins (more are in the works across the creek), and we were allowed to tour three of them.

Rialto Studio designed the lush, mostly-native landscaping. Mexican bush sage, Turk’s cap, and grasses were in bloom during the early December tour.

The eclectic interiors, with each cabin uniquely decorated, were created by Sarah Stacey Interior Design. I enjoyed every little detail.

I’ve seen this fabulous griffin fabric in a home designed by Amity Worrel, another maximalist designer whose work I admire.

A cozy bedroom with retro wallpaper and green-checked quilt

A fringed bedside lamp with a leopard base is from Anthropologie.

In another cabin, a glowing blue glass chandelier draws eyes upward.

It was magnetic.

In the bathroom, green ruled the day with a ceramic sink basin and square tiles.

In another cabin, floral wallpaper and colorful art paired with a Vertigo pendant lamp.

The kitchenette in burgundy and black won me over with sun-patterned wallpaper and quirky art.

A smiling water tower print is by Austin photographer Sandy Carson.

A bouquet of wire and glass flowers is fun too.

A snake candleholder and crane wallpaper make a sinuous echo.

Forest wallpaper and a green quilt cozy up another cabin.

Wallpaper detail

After the tour, I stopped at Old Pal for fried chicken and admired the courthouse Christmas tree before heading home, my head full of design inspiration from little ‘ole Lockhart.

I welcome your comments. Please scroll to the end of this post to leave one. If you’re reading in an email, click here to visit Digging and find the comment box at the end of each post. And hey, did someone forward this email to you, and you want to subscribe? Click here to get Digging delivered directly to your inbox!

__________________________

Digging Deeper

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Read all about the Season 8 lineup here!

All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.