My wife and I are embarking on an exciting new journey: building a new house. But it's not just any house—we're aiming to create a new house with an old soul. And while we're not quite breaking ground yet, the dream is already taking shape.
About two years ago, the opportunity to build a new house where we currently keep my wife's horses presented itself. It's a five-acre lot about twenty minutes from downtown Austin and about ten minutes from our current home. That's something of a unicorn itself if you're familiar with the Austin real estate market. I’m surprised [insert latest comedian to move from California or New York to Austin] didn't snatch it up first.
My wife has leased the land her horses and barn are on since she was a young girl, and when her parents had the chance to buy it a few years ago, they jumped at it. Shortly after they bought the land, I began lobbying to convince my wife and her parents to let us build a new house there. It turned out to be an easier sell than I anticipated. My wife was quickly on board, and her parents joined soon after. The key points I made were simple but powerful: we could take care of the horses and other chores more easily and be closer to her parents. The next hurdle was getting the city of Austin to rezone the land from unincorporated to residential.
While it sounds straightforward, this task took us 18 painstaking months and only finally happened after the city enacted a new ordinance. This process confirmed my frustration with bloated bureaucracies. However, during this time, we met with a draftsman to draw up our custom home plans. I had never heard of a draftsman before and still assume they're a working man's architect, but he was significantly cheaper than any architect's quote I received. It took some work to get him to understand of our vision of a new "old house" but his affordability made him the perfect choice for our project.
As we navigated through this bureaucratic maze, it gave us ample time to reflect on what kind of home we wanted to build. We knew from the start that we wanted something that felt timeless—something that would blend seamlessly with the natural beauty of the land and honor the rich history and traditions of southern living. We envisioned a home that felt like it had been there for generations, with all the modern comforts but none of the sterile, cookie-cutter aesthetics of many new builds.
The draftsman we hired was confused by our request for a new "old house" at first. But after a few meetings and inspiration photos from my Pinterest page (mainly Gil Shafer photos) he helped us translate it into blueprints. We spent countless hours poring over every detail, from the layout of the rooms to the materials we wanted to use. The floor plan was a marriage tester and I'll go into it in my next post, but we settled with an open floor plan. We opted for a traditional farmhouse, wood paneling, and a tin roof. We want our home to tell a story—a story that started long before we arrived and would continue long after we're gone.
One of the most exciting parts of this journey has been the opportunity to incorporate elements of classic southern style into our home. We’re planning wide, inviting wrap around porches where we can sit and enjoy a cool evening breeze, perhaps with a glass of sweet tea or a bourbon in hand. The kitchen will be the heart of our home, designed by my wife for cooking big family meals and hosting gatherings. It will feature a large farmhouse sink, open double ovens, a butlers pantry and a breakfast nook.
In addition to the aesthetics, we're also paying close attention to the functionality of our home. Given that we'll be on a property with horses, we need space that accommodates our lifestyle. A mudroom with plenty of storage for boots and outdoor gear is a must. I look forward to the days where I don't have to walk from the road all the way to the back of the property where the barn is to feed horses when its muddy. We're also discussing updating the barn including adding a new tack room and ample ground level hay storage, making it easier for us to care for the horses.
The land itself is another crucial aspect of our project. We're committed to maintaining its natural beauty and integrating our home into the landscape rather than imposing on it. We plan to keep as many of the old oak trees as possible and to plant native plants and flowers that attract local wildlife. Ideally, we want to place the house right behind two giant oak trees. Our garden will be an extension of what we have now, a blend of beauty and practicality, with vegetable beds, herb gardens, and fruit trees alongside flowering shrubs and perennials.
Building a new house with an old soul isn't just about the physical structure; it's about creating a place that embodies the values and traditions we hold dear. Southern hospitality, for instance, is a cornerstone of our vision. We want our home to be a welcoming place where friends and family can gather, relax, and feel at home. This means designing spaces that are comfortable and inviting, with plenty of room for people to spread out and enjoy themselves. My future study and office will be a place to work during the day and relax or host at night.
We've also been thinking a lot about the traditions we want to carry forward and the new ones we hope to start. For example, we're planning to host an annual summer barbecue and a Christmas open house, events that will bring our community together and create lasting memories. We're also looking forward to the simpler, everyday traditions—morning coffee on the porch, evening walks around the property, and driving down the road in a golf cart for Sunday dinners with the family.
This journey hasn't been without its challenges, but it's also been incredibly rewarding. Every step, from the initial decision to build to the endless meetings with city officials, has brought us closer to our dream. And while we still have a long way to go before we move in, the process has already deepened our appreciation for the home we're creating and the life we want to live there.
In the coming months, I’ll be sharing updates on our progress, from the groundbreaking to the final touches. I hope you’ll join us on this journey and maybe even find some inspiration for your own home projects. Whether you’re building a new house, renovating an old one, or just looking to infuse your current home with a bit of classic southern charm, I believe there’s something we can all learn from the process of creating a home that reflects our values and aspirations.
Stay tuned for more updates and stories from the build site. I'll be sharing everything from our favorite design elements to the inevitable hiccups along the way. And of course, I'll be looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences as well. Here's to building a new house with an old soul, one step at a time.
My interest in menswear and the personalities involved is deeper than your average clothes horse. For example, for a short time I consumed and read everything I could on Sid Mashburn. Youtube videos, podcasts, articles, I'm not exactly proud of it I'm just reporting the facts. I was obviously brought in by his style which he says the goal is to have a wardrobe that will take you from Mississippi to NYC to Milan. Sid rocks a slimmer cut and embraces patterns and colors which speaks to my southern soul. But the more I learned how he runs his stores I really became a fan. In one interview Sid shared that he encourages his employees to "hug people with your eyes" when folks come in. It was the most southern thing I ever heard. It should be on your grandma's mixing bowl or on a sign in your mom's kitchen. But seriously, I love that saying and have stolen it for my own life. It encourages warmth when dealing with others and we can always use more of that.
However, I was a long time watcher but didn't buy anything substantial because I wasn't sure Sid's style would work for me. Sid is a tall slim guy and all his stuff looks like it's tailored for those kind of guys. I'm the opposite; short, broad, tree trunk thighs, etc. and I was worried anything I bought from them would look like it was from baby GAP. But I stopped by thier Houston store while I was in town for a wedding and tried one of their polos on. Kyle and the Houston Mashburn team are great by the way. I tried on an XL and it fit great. Plenty of space in the chest and wasn't hugging on me. I was surpreised that their OTR polos fit so well.
The polos give off vintage Ralph Lauren vibes like the polos my Dad wore when I was growing up. The texture is a little rough when you run the shirt between your fingers which I love. I hate polos that almost feel synthetic. The design is simple. Made in Italy, it has a breast pocket and a small embrodierd "SM" on the lower left hem. The collar resembles what I've seen from Criquet shirts with a slight nod to retro but it's the kind of shirt you can wear 30 years from now and you wouldn't look out of place. I walked out with 4 or 5 that day. They come in bunch of different colors and need to be ironed after washing (as God intended). And yes, I've channled my #cashmereKeith and worn them golfing. If you need to re-up on polos like Dad used to wear Sid has my full endorsement.
Also, despite my fear for Sid being to "tight" for my body type I took the plunge and ordered a MTM shirt and suit with Kyle from the Houston store as well. I'll cover those in a couple of different posts.
Well, another U.S. small business with over 100 years of history closed its doors forever. I learned about J.W. Hulme, a leather goods shop founded in 1905 in St. Paul, Minnesota, through Matt Hanrek, the founder of WM Brown Magazine, during his epic train trip on the Royal Scotsman. You can read about it here via GQ and The Rake or through Matt’s magazine, The WM Brown Project. He gifted tote bags to his band of misfits who joined him for what looked like a hell of a time. The tote bags looked great, and they fell within my comfort zone of $80-$90. I was #influenced and bought one.
Recently, I posted an Instagram story with my feet squished against a plane seat and my tote bag underneath. Someone asked about the brand of the tote bag, and I responded with J.W. Hulme. I then decided to see what they were up to. Unfortunately, I quickly found out they had shut down out of the blue. I wasn’t the only one caught off guard by J.W. Hulme’s sudden closure.
Maraya King, for Pioneer Press, wrote that Chuck Bidwell, a minority owner in J.W. Hulme, was "surprised to see that they were totally closing down." King also reported that J.W. Hulme changed ownership a few times since 2009, first to a private equity firm and then to a company that runs ShopHQ, a home shopping network. I'm not sure if that gave J.W. Hulme the best shot for long-term success, but I'm on the outside looking in. Again, I'm just bummed to see a heritage company go under seemingly overnight.
Despite the unexpected closure, I must tip my hat to the folks at J.W. Hulme. I genuinely enjoy and use their tote bag almost every day. The stitching around the logo is a little frayed, and it has collected dirt, dust, food, booze, etc., but structurally, the tote bag is a damn tank. It's a tangible piece of the legacy they leave behind, and I'm grateful to have been part of their journey.
