My Houzz: Homeowners Get Creative in a Farmhouse Renovation

“We were looking for the perfect place to feel creative and be inspired,” says Harper Quill, an event planner and a real estate agent, about her and husband Jimmy’s house hunt in the Austin, Texas, area. A rough farmhouse that had been moved to 6 sprawling acres in South Austin turned out to be just the creative haven they were looking for. When they found the house, it was a diamond in the rough but, Harper says, it “was one of the most photogenic houses we had ever seen, literally from every angle. We had to have it.” Also on the property now is a recording studio that she and Jimmy, a musician and record producer, built themselves and rent out.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Harper and Jimmy Quill; their 10-month-old daughter, Tallulah; Harper’s son, Max, 16, and her daughter, Teva, 19, when she’s home from college; and their dogs, Dallas Austin and Breezy
Location: South Austin, Texas
Size: About 4,000 square feet (372 square meters); 4 bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Year built: 1911; restored in 2008

“We had to take every precaution to make sure what materials we used and bring into the home are aesthetically right but environmentally safe,” Harper says. “Being mindful of how we want to live and stay healthy is of the utmost importance, and we considered all options of projects before we moved forward. It’s a lot of property to take care of inside and out, especially in our Texas Hill Country climate. We always say, ‘If you don’t like the weather here, stick around. It will change.’”


The Quills were conscious of making smart updates to the farmhouse without compromising the vintage look. One example is the porches, where the floors are traditional beadboard while the steps are made of Trex, a composite wood alternative that is low maintenance and lasts for a long time.

Siding: Hardie board


The back of the wraparound porch can hold many guests and is a favorite hangout spot during good weather. It also boasts a rare view of downtown Austin in the distance.


“We like being our own designers, because we work so well together and finish each other’s sentences designwise,” Harper says. “We are open to other ideas and opinions and are willing to try a piece or an idea several different ways until we find what works best for us and the flow of our home. Jimmy likes to constantly rearrange the art. Sometimes I will walk in a room and the art is completely different. It certainly keeps me on my toes, and the rooms never get dull and stagnant.”


The often-rearranged art displayed throughout the home is an eclectic mix that shows the couple’s love of music and ’50s pinup art.


Jimmy and Harper painted many of the interior walls in bold colors, like this cheerful yellow in the living room.


Harper says the renovation was a lot of work. “We remember buying pulls for all the drawers in the kitchen,” she says. Jimmy dipped these very old pulls in sulfuric acid to change their look slightly. “It took days to install, which was worth it, because now guests always seem to notice them,” Harper says. A 120-year-old light fixture, salvaged from a dining car in an old train from South Texas, is the showpiece of the kitchen.


The yellow paint on the eat-in kitchen walls is bright and welcoming. A vintage poster from the Retail Fruit Trade Federation hangs above the zinc-topped kitchen table.


Harper and Jimmy frequently entertain and host guests, especially the musicians who rent their recording studio. The dining room boasts a classic 15-foot-long farm-style table, which was salvaged from a hospital in upstate New York. The dining chairs are from the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. The Quills always have the table set and ready to entertain guests at a moment’s notice.


An antique icebox-turned-bar is the spot for making a cocktail before or after dinner.


Vintage rock posters mixed with newer original art pieces decorate the wall in Max’s bedroom. An old iron bed frame and vintage European furniture complete the space.




The Quills enjoy searching for one-of-a-kind treasures at the semiannual Original Round Top Antiques Fair, which is the biggest flea market in the country. Many of the pieces in this bedroom were found at that fair.


The goal for the master bedroom was to balance the elements to create a room that they both enjoyed and that felt warm and comfortable. With that in mind, they went with European farm furniture, with its simple, linear designs; dark and deep indigo walls to add some masculine elements; and a vanity from the 1920s plus a 1930s curvy iron headboard for a touch of feminine style. To tie it together, they like to keep the bedding neutral.


The light fixtures upstairs are all from the early 20th century.


“Our favorite things in our home are usually things that people always ask about,” Harper says. Many of them are mistakes that turned into different projects, such as a vintage car they finally gave up working on that yielded a mirror for the bathroom. During the renovations, the Quills add bathrooms to all of the bedrooms so each room would feel like a comfortable and private suite for their many guests.


The Quills also vaulted the ceiling in the master bedroom, which amplified the acoustics and created an airy feel.


Their youngest daughter, 10-month-old Tallulah, occupies a corner in the master bedroom. To keep with the old-mixed-with-new vibe and add a bit of whimsy, they incorporated a new changing table that they distressed to look antique. Then they painted tree limbs on it and decoupaged it with bird illustration prints from the 1800s.


The guest bedroom has items from Japan that were handed down from family members. Vintage farm furniture from Germany and Russia fills the rest of the space.


A vast cane collection gathered by Harper’s father during his travels abroad occupies a corner nook in the guest bedroom.


The stairwell gallery wall displays a wall of photos and family mementos, including a photo of Jimmy’s great- uncle Dan Quill with future president Lyndon B. Johnson, taken when Dan was the best man at LBJ and Lady Bird’s wedding. The couple enjoy showcasing Texas history throughout their home.


They built the Red Horse ATX Recording Studio from scratch. A musician himself, Jimmy wanted to create a space where musicians and artists could be creative. It’s both an analog and digital recording studio and has also been used as a set for films and music videos.


The studio is primarily an open space with a boho vibe and vintage rugs to warm up the floors. It also has two isolation rooms and a tracking room with recording gear behind the glass.






Every artist who visits the recording studio signs the bathroom walls, which are painted with chalkboard paint.


A renovated vintage Spartan trailer next to the recording studio serves as additional accommodations for musicians. The Trex decking around it should withstand years of weather and use.


The vintage trailer has two sleeping areas, a small kitchen and an eat-in area.


A handcrafted and hand-painted sign guides guests in the right direction, whether to the studio or to the main house.


The 6 acres of land surrounding the farmhouse offer views of downtown Austin.


Harper, holding Talullah, and Jimmy say that even though the idea of living in an old farmhouse is romantic, especially when you are inspired by movies like The Notebook, old farmhouses aren’t necessarily laid out to function for today’s lifestyle. Their goal with the renovation was to make the house new and fully functioning from the inside out without losing the aesthetics, soul and character of the original structure.

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