Name: J. Angelo Design Build
Address: 1101 S. Capital of Texas Hwy Bldg K, Ste 100, Austin, TX, 78746, US
Telephone: 512-996-5071

A Winner of the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin's 2025 MAX Award

Project Overview

Surrounded by five acres in the Austin Hill Country, this stunning custom home with a casita offers breathtaking valley views and luxurious living. The grand room, with 15-foot ceilings and a majestic stone fireplace, is often drenched in breathtaking sunlight.

The detached casita provides an ideal space for guests and for anyone working from home. The details and finishes match the main house, making the entire property feel tailored to the owners.

Below, we've included all the details about both structures and how we used our real estate services to help these homeowners find the ideal piece of land.

2025 Winner: Custom Home/Project Design

2025 Winner: Custom Kitchen

2025 Finalist: Custom Bathroom

Architect: J Christopher Architecture
Interior Design: HouseMill Design

Extensive Retaining Walls

Office Attached to Casita
Casita
Grand Room with Stone Fireplace

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Stone fireplace featured in living room with lots of natural light

An Iconic Custom Home in Austin

Tucked into Austin’s rolling hills, this custom home pairs iconic Hill Country architecture with resort-style amenities and smart, livable design. At J. Angelo Design Build, we stand by every project, but we are particularly proud of this one. In fact, it won 2025 MAX Awards from the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin.

This custom home brought together the full spectrum of our services, and we can't wait to show it off. Our clients wanted a house with a casita, room to host, plenty of natural light, and high ceilings, all while working into the natural hillside. We used our process to identify our clients' every need and goal and got to work.

Finding Land

Before we even began construction, we helped this couple find and acquire the land for their home since a member of our team is a licensed broker. This enabled us to advise our clients on the right piece of land from a construction standpoint and helped save them the hassle of choosing a plot that didn't go with their intended design. As Austin continues to grow, being able to work with a team that can help you find just the right lot is an incredible benefit.

Open-Concept Layout

The lot had plenty of slope, so we designed a winged layout to step the home into the site and minimize the tall foundation walls typical of hillside builds. The main house offers 3,500 square feet of living space, opening onto a wrap-around patio with an outdoor kitchen and multiple places to relax and entertain. Inside, floor-to-ceiling glass brings in natural light and frames wide Hill Country views.

Luxe Primary Suite

The owners wanted their primary bedroom and bathroom to feel open and connected to the outdoors. We designed the primary suite with two separate vanities, a large steam shower with ten-foot glass, and a stone feature wall that continues out to a private patio. From there, the owners have direct access to an outdoor shower, cold plunge, and sun deck. A custom closet with built-in storage keeps the suite feeling clean and organized.

White Oak Kitchen Cabinets and More

The kitchen was a top priority for this family, so they asked us to make it practical but beautiful. This important room is strategically placed to effortlessly connect the dining areas, living rooms, and the wrap-around patio. It uses expansive floor-to-ceiling glass to create visual continuity and make it an easy place to socialize.

We installed white oak cabinetry, cleverly hidden appliances, and a concealed coffee bar to keep the space clean and functional. A large island with a flush cooktop and downdraft vent anchors the space, making it perfect for cooking, gathering, and hosting friends. Our clients chose the Dacor appliance package for guaranteed excellent performance, and the design and construction of this kitchen made it more than just a cooking space.

A Detached Casita

Our clients also wanted a dedicated space for guests and work, so we designed an 800-square-foot detached casita. It includes a small kitchen, living area, bedroom, bathroom, and laundry. We added a private office with its own entrance and bathroom, giving the owners and their guests space to work without interruption. Large windows and a covered patio help the casita feel bigger than its footprint.

Don't let the square footage make you think of limited living space. This casita has a living area, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and laundry closet. It even includes a separate home office with its own private entrance and bathroom.

Perfect Placement

The casita is positioned just steps from the main house, echoing its architecture and materials. Stone walls, a standing seam metal roof, and floor-to-ceiling windows create a cohesive look that ties the structures together and blurs the boundary between indoors and out. A wrap-around patio extends the living space, offering plenty of room for guests to enjoy the surrounding landscape.

A stone privacy wall separates the guest suite from the office, creating two distinct zones while maintaining visual harmony with the home’s exterior finishes. This detail is intentionally designed to upgrade both privacy and the overall architectural style.

Whole-House Water Filtration

Both the main home and casita share luxe features designed to optimize everyday life, including a whole-house water filtration system. Tall glass doors in the grand entry vestibule welcome guests with floor-to-ceiling glass on both the front and rear of the casita, a gesture that makes the space feel even larger and more connected to the outdoors. Inside, 15-foot ceilings in the main living area maximize volume and Texas sunlight.

Every inch of this property was designed with the homeowner’s lifestyle in mind, from the three-car garage and houses with wings layout to the multifunctional kitchen and kitchen coffee bar that make entertaining and everyday life easy.

Why Choose Us as Your Trusted Custom Home Builder in Austin

This project perfectly exemplifies what happens when design, construction, and real estate services come together under one roof, showing how we can serve our service area. Initially, we helped this couple select the perfect hillside home site, and we worked as trusted advisors through every design decision and construction milestone.

You can check out our projects to see more of what we can do and imagine what's possible. If you love your current home and our work, you can access our guide to remodeling costs to see what your project might cost.