Building a Hill Country Style Custom Home
Texas is home to several distinct regions, each with its own style and aesthetic – especially when it comes to architecture.
The Texas Hill Country is an area that sits atop a layer of marine deposits of limestone, sandstone, shales, and dolomites in a region called “Edward’s Plateau.” This extremely popular nature-rich area, filled with natural springs and lakes, came to develop its own unique style of architecture.
In this article, we define what a Texas Hill Country Style custom home is and highlight the most common design elements.
Let’s start with the basics –
What Is a Hill Country Style Home?
Instead of the classics that Texas is most known for – southwest, ranch, and colonial style homes, a Hill Country Style home matches the aesthetic of the local geography outside the traditional desert landscape.
The Hill Country style is influenced by Texas’ world-class vineyards, endless expanses of rolling hills, and even a sprinkling of limestone cliffs. This rustic and charming atmosphere lends itself to architecture that incorporates these natural elements, using materials like native timber and cool limestone.
By using materials associated with the surrounding landscape, the home feels like a natural extension of nature and lasts for generations. Despite the rustic elements, most of today’s Hill Country Style homes look modern thanks to clean lines and skilled architectural planning.
Texas Hill Country Home Exterior Design & Architecture
While some modern home architecture boasts large floor-to-ceiling windows uninterrupted by a single pane of glass, a Texas hill country home tends to have divided light windows that feature multiple smaller panes of glass.
Another signature feature of Texas Hill Country homes is the prevalence of white limestone, which is abundant throughout the Hill Country region of Texas.
Two-story homes are also quite common, rather than sprawling single-level residences. The reason for this is because the Hill Country scenery is so beautiful that it only makes sense to maximize what the naked eye can see from within the home.
Common Hill Country home exterior features:
- Facades featuring wood pillars, rafters, railings, and accents
- Metal or composition roofs, often with gable rooflines
- An emphasis on beautiful and spacious outdoor living
- Unique design elements inspired by the natural beauty of Texas Hill Country
- Outbuildings
The use of outbuildings is still prevalent, though for a different purpose than originally intended. Today, many homeowners choose to continue the tradition of including outbuildings to provide guest cottages and home office space.
Unique Hill Country Home Interior Design Elements
Many of the same design elements you see on the exterior of Hill Country homes can also be found inside. Both the exteriors and interiors of Hill Country living spaces are influenced by the Germanic style. This influence resulted from an influx of German immigrants choosing the Texas Hill Country to call home.
Common interior design elements for a Texas Hill Country custom home:
- Genuine dark hardwood floors
- Exposed wood ceiling beams
- Stone flooring and accents
- Large kitchen islands
- Beautiful Fireplaces
- Large family-style entertainment spaces
To further emphasize the area’s natural beauty, many choose to incorporate different types of wood found in the region for flooring, ceilings, and custom home design accents.
Native woods include:
- Oak
- Cypress
- Mesquite
- Red cedar
- Mountain cedar
- Pecan
With all the Texas Hill Country has to offer, the options for building a unique and exquisite custom home that seamlessly blends in with the landscape are truly endless.
Picklo Homes: We Know Hill Country Style Homes Better Than Anyone
If the Hill Country Style Home aesthetic is something you’re interested in for your custom home build, you’ve come to the right place! Picklo Homes has been a family-owned company for over 40 years, and our tradition for luxury and quality has spanned two generations.
If you want to build a luxurious custom home inspired by the heart of Texas Hill Country, we invite you to contact us at 281-252-4447 for a complimentary consultation with our expert custom home builders.
