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Premiere Issue

DAM ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS

LOOKING SKYWARD

A home in the clouds

Interior designer Mark Cravotta has created an oasis atop the citys skyline thats livable, eclectic, and creative.
Written by Canan Yetmen Photography by Paul Bardagjy

For interior designer Mark Cravotta, limitations presented by the constraints of existing architecture and building standards can be liberating: They free me up to focus on surface cosmetics and furnishing details, he says. The elegant, eclectic design he completed for a client in the Four Seasons Residences on the shores of Lady Bird Lake clearly express the carefully choreographed experience of texture, color, and detail he pursues with, in his words, unyielding attention. In their raw state, units at the Four Seasons Residences are simply appointed and orthogonal featuring basic finishes that encourage buyers to make significant aesthetic customization. In this case, the client, a single gentleman whos permanent residence is a ranch outside of Austin, told Cravotta he had

the Texas country thing covered and wanted something more modern and imaginative, but not stripped-down or stark. He wanted us to dream up something special for him, said Cravotta. Thus began the design process: engaging in many conversations that led to an interpretation of clients desires, lifestyle, and aspirations into a narrative comprised of furniture, art and materials, curated to create a whole story. The client brought a single, beautiful painting by Chinese artist Fang Xiang that is featured in the living room the rest was designed, sourced, composed and built by Cravotta Studios. Cravotta approaches projects with an eye for the overall composition, determining what one will experience when moving through the space, then focuses on the details to create

Opposite 1.  Living room with skyline view 2.  Interior designer Mark Cravotta This page 3.  Hallway to master study 4. Entry area 5.  Desk detail in master study 6.  West-facing view from patio

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Downtown Austin Magazine January & February 2013

Downtown Austin Magazine January & February 2013

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We wanted this to feel like home, where guests feel welcome, where there would be a sense of exploration in the details, art, and objects without it being overwhelming.
layers of discovery, with the intention that each space results in a balance of texture and visual stimulus with a sense of harmony and ease that enlivens spaces, makes them at once sophisticated and completely livable. While Cravotta is a self-described enthusiast of minimalist design and modern architecture, his work consciously avoids the trappings of being overly distilled, which can make a space feel cold and disconnected. We wanted this to feel like home, where guests feel welcome, where there would be a sense of exploration in the details, art, and objects without it being overwhelming. We strove to make this a space where people want to linger, he says. Directing all aspects of design from construction to sourcing furniture, accessories, and art, down to the minute details of books, bedding, towels, flatware and toiletries Cravotta and his staff work closely with craftsmen and artisans to bring exacting vision to life. Cravotta designed many of the large pieces of furniture himself. Among his favorites are the rosewood and mahogany dry bar in the living room and the guest bed made from leather-wrapped steel. Throughout the home, every gesture embodies the creativity and ingenuity of the designers vision. The master bedroom wall covering is composed of hand-cut, handmade paper adhered to the wall to create soft ephemeral tile effect. The living and dining room ceiling is adorned with a hand-painted Venetian plaster paper. Brick veneer, applied to a wall spanning the entry

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Downtown Austin Magazine January & February 2013

Downtown Austin Magazine January & February 2013

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and living room, leading down a narrow hall to the custom wine room, results in a warm, inhabited look that surprises and delights. Antiques, such as the show-stopping 1940s mahogany sideboard thought to be designed by modernist Ico Parisi, are artfully mixed with new and custom pieces, resulting in an eclectic home that appears to have been collected over time. The Four Seasons Residences expansive windows and generous terraces provide additional visual interest, connecting interiors to the surrounding hills, the lake and the ground below. In this unit, one terrace, located off the living room, provides a true outdoor room for relaxing or entertaining. Tall, custom fabricated steel planters replicate the effect of traditional hanging baskets, add height and visual interest, and help define the space. A terrace off the master suite features custom interlocking steel planters that screen views from neighboring residences and create a more private, intimate space, designed in

collaboration with Monique Capanelli of Articulture Designs. Two chaise lounges can be pushed together to create a bed, transforming the terrace into a fresh interpretation of a traditional Southern sleeping porch. Art and objects throughout the home complete the composition. Cravotta brought in art from many galleries, both local and national, made initial selections and installed the art he thought best fit the space and the client, who kept all but one piece. Ranging from old masters to East Austin artists to antique Asian artifacts, the assorted collection reflects the clients simultaneous worldly sophistication and adventurous nature. The entire process, from concept to completion, took nearly a year, which is typical for most of Cravotta Studios projects. But Cravotta maintains that every project, no matter the budget or the style, receives the same time and attention because of their exacting commitment to designing spaces and furnishings that last. DAM

Previous 7. Path to wine gallery 8.  View to media room and study 9. Bedroom details This page 10.  Dining area with north and west views of Austin

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Downtown Austin Magazine January & February 2013