Project Details
Interior Designer: Cathryn Lindsey of Cathryn Lindsey Design Studio
Kitchen Design: Jean Stoffer Design
Location: Austin, Texas
Client Review: This shared boys’ room was inspired by the family’s Texas roots, featuring vintage cowboy charm through a modern lens. We started with a cowboy wallpaper that was customized to resemble a vintage toile print, then layered it with antique cane headboards, personal family heirlooms, and incorporated a mix of modern patterns and natural textures. This resulted in a space that feels both playful and refined, striking the perfect balance between whimsy and sophistication.
Design Aims: I love to design houses for the people who live in them. I’m not going to tell someone to put something in that makes no sense for their lifestyle. A lot of that was just balancing real life with design. I also love to work with clients who also love design. It makes it so much fun for me.
My clients wanted a lot of layered patterns and materials. They didn’t want anything that felt too modern, but wanted a mix of vintage and modern, so it all felt balanced. They were also conscious of making sure [the décor] felt true to the home. We like things to feel a little bit historic, but it doesn’t need to be a full museum. Nothing is too precious: They like to host friends and family, so they didn’t want anything to feel like you couldn’t touch it. Still, they wanted some parts to feel more elevated than others.
From the Designer: I love this room so much. The wallpaper from DW Bespoke Studio To Go was the jumping-off point: We explored so many custom base colors for it, but wound up with something they came out with halfway through the process. It’s a stock color, but we sized it down so it looks more like a toile.
We found these vintage caned headboards, which I was so excited about: I love the color and the texture you get from them. From there, I didn’t want to feel overly “grandma” or overly vintage. The striped dresser, which is covered in a textured fabric and trimmed with leather, brings out the cowboy. I love the graphic stripe against the toile. The big armoire is a lacquered cabinet, so it has this gloss and a little more of a modern edge to it.
The curtains were existing, and we thought they worked just fine. There’s also a hand-knotted rug from Loloi and these little stools, which I thought were so cute. This is why I love clients who love design: I kind of threw the stools into the design thinking and she went with it.
The rocking chair is an heirloom, so we worked that rocking chair into the design with a big hide rug under it. We ended up doing more modern bedding from Crate & Kids by Jeremiah Brent so it’s a little bit fun and funky for the kids. The client said she always wanted longhorns in their room. When I lived in Texas, I would go to Round Top all the time and found those big longhorns to put over the bed. It was the last room that came together because the wallpaper is one of the last ones to arrive. But when it did come together, it was so exciting.
Photography by Madeline Harper Photography.
Styling by Melanie McKinley.
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