2011 Idea House Preview: Framing Stage

Welcome to the 2011 Texas Idea House at Escondido. This private lakeside golf preserve is located in the heart of Texas' hill country. View photos from the construction site and track our progress.

• Meet the creative minds behind the 2011 Idea House. (Left to Right)
• Jennifer Burkholder (Marketing, Michael G. Imber Architects)
• Marcus Mohon (Principal/Interior Designer, Mohon-Imber Interiors)
• Bill Bauer (Landscape Architect, Garden Design Studio)
• Michael G. Imber (Principal/Architect, Michael G. Imber Architects)
• Kristen Payne (Director, Southern Living Homes Group)
• Brandan Moss (Idea House Project Manager, Michael G. Imber Architects)
• Frank Craige (Idea House Manager, Southern Living)
• Erin Schneider (Interior Designer, Mohon-Imber Interiors)
• David Mitchell (Project Principal/Builder, Casa Highland Construction)

Located along the waters of Lyndon B. Johnson Lake (or Lake LBJ) in central Texas, the design of the house was inspired by the large and rambling villas of Europe, but it’s still right at home in this idyllic Texan landscape.

Quarried from deep in the heart of Texas, this ancient sandstone is now the façade of the Idea House. Rich in color and texture, the gold sandstone exterior coordinates with the style of Escondido, and it gives the house a strong and distinct presence against the waters of Lake LBJ.

Framing is the skeleton from which the rest of the design develops. A loft overlooks the main area of the living room, and windows span both levels of the space.

A curving staircase leads to the loft. Floor to ceiling windows drench the steps in a glowing, natural light.