Barton Creek Living Magazine

When an Austin couple feels like getting away from it all, they simply walk down the meandering stone staircase leading from their Barton Creek home and pass through a gate to be transported to another place.

Nestled on their property and tucked away from the rest of the world, a sparkling pool flanked by green grass spills out from a European-inspired cabana surrounded by lush trees and uninterrupted Hill Country views, creating an outdoor oasis that feels more like a far-flung resort than an Austin backyard.

"Everyone who comes here says, 'I can't believe we're still in Austin or in a neighborhood,'" says one of the homeowners, who are empty nesters with four grown children and two grandchildren. "It's situated for complete privacy and beauty. The pool and cabana really do take us to a faraway place."

More than anything, the homeowners desired a magical and relaxing experience that's less about the swimming and more about the joy of being with the ones they love. So they hired Marcus Mohon Interiors for the architectural and interior design of the pool and cabana.

"The owners wanted to be transported," Mohon recalls. "The whole house and the cabana have a southern European vocabulary—there are genuine architectural details that come from both France and Italy, but it is not completely Italian or completely provincial. It really transports you somewhere else."

To achieve this, Mohon created a backstory to the cabana, treating the addition as if it had once been the gardener's cottage. The cabana and the adjacent pergola have the same authentic southern European aesthetic as the main house but with a less refined and more relaxed feel. Exposed reclaimed antique timbers harken back to a European structure, providing old-world charm much like the antique Spanish gate the homeowners found at Round Top. Lueders limestone surrounds the pool and is used for the patio while antique French tile from Chateau Domingue makes up the flooring inside the cabana.

"We wanted the cabana to feel like it was situated in some other place without being gimmicky," says the homeowner. "The home has southern European roots, so we wanted the cabana to feel the same."

A NanaWall system opens up the cabana to the outside, allowing the family to wander in and out freely or step right into the water from the living space. The cabana's living room serves as a warm and cozy gathering spot, featuring a custom coffee table and ottoman designed by Mohon, and leads to an inviting porch that looks out on the palatial pool. A pergola spans almost the length of the water, enhancing the poolside paradise with an additional shaded lounge area featuring white chaise lounges and a limestone table also designed by Mohon.

One of Mohon's favorite spaces is inside the cabana—a wine room wrapped with a racking system mounted in the stone wall panels.

From the design drawings to the furniture selections, the entire project had to be finished in time for the homeowners' oldest daughter's wedding. Mohon laughs recalling how he installed the finishing touches as the wedding party arrived, and the homeowners will always have fond memories of dancing the night away beside the glimmering water with their friends and family, a few who even took a dip in their cocktail attire.

"A lot of projects can be great," Mohon says, "but there, we made magic."