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Bring the Outside In

Austin design experts reveal top trends for your outdoor living space

Allie Teegardin
Oct 19, 2016 | 2:38 pm

It is no secret that Austinites love being outside. With relatively temperate weather year-round, Central Texas offers a climate that can be enjoyed most of the year — and homeowners are taking advantage of this by transforming their outdoor living spaces.

This fall, as many homeowners gear up for cooler weather, they are making plans to get more functional use from their outdoor space. We spoke with a couple local experts about the outdoor living space trends they are seeing in Austin this year. The consensus? The trend is moving toward bringing the outside in.

“People want to expand their living rooms with sliding glass panels that disappear into wall pockets and connect seamlessly to outdoor spaces,” says Charles Travis, president of Chas Architects, an Austin architectural firm. “People still prefer their outdoor spaces be protected from rain but want these spaces as open as possible to the outdoors.”

Speaking of protecting outdoor living spaces from the elements, Chris Risher, principal of award-winning custom home builder RisherMartin Fine Homes, says that a top priority here in Austin is ensuring the area is free from bugs and direct sun. “Screened porches with nice lighting and ceiling fans are very popular as they make the outside every bit as nice as the inside,” Risher says.

Risher also says that the trend is moving away from large outdoor kitchens and toward building outdoor extensions of indoor living rooms. “While outdoor cooking is still very popular, the focus is shifting away from large cooking areas and moving toward creating large outdoor living rooms that can be used all year long,” he says.

Barbara Ricketts, certified remodeler of award-winning CG&S Design-Build says there are many options for transforming outdoor living spaces at any budget. “The trend we are seeing is the desire to blur the distinction between inside and outside by creating a seamless large living space that can be used any time of year,” Ricketts says. “Research has proven that people have a better sense of wellbeing when they are exposed to nature and natural lighting. Creating outdoor living spaces attached to the home that bring in more light can actually enhance the inside as well.”

Whether you are doing a weekend DIY project or a full-scale remodel, Ricketts offers these suggestions for your outdoor living space:

  • Make sure all materials purchased are appropriate for outside. This includes lighting and ceiling fans. We live in an area that experiences high humidity, and if the materials aren’t designed to withstand the moisture, they will be destroyed.
  • Use slip-resistant flooring such as composite materials or slip-resistant tile. To add color and a coziness factor, place a decorative outdoor rug on the tile.
  • When selecting lighting, the most popular types are sensor and low voltage LED.
  • Keep efficiency in mind when designing your outdoor living space to maximize the area.
  • Outdoor fire pits are still very popular and can even be built in a weekend using a kit purchased from a local hardware store.

Yes, fire pits are still quite popular.

Fire pit backyard home
Photo by Paul Finkel
Yes, fire pits are still quite popular.
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Election News

Texas voters re-elect Abbott, Patrick, and more of the same in mid-term election

Teresa Gubbins
Nov 9, 2022 | 10:45 am
greg abbott
Greg Abbott/Instagram

The results of the mid-term election are in.

Texans maintained the status quo in the November 8 mid-term election, re-electing Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton by similar majorities.

Results of all elections can be found at results.texas-election.com/races.

  • Abbott won by 55.11 percent, with a tally of 4,335,425 votes, while runner-up Beto O'Rourke earned 43.52 percent or 3,424,074 votes.
  • Patrick garnered 54.08 percent or 4,216,864 votes, against Democratic challenger Mike Collier, who earned 43.18 percent with 3,367,033 votes.
  • Paxton trailed with 53.75 percent or 4,178,494 votes, against runner-up Rochelle Mercedes Garza, who got 43.36 percent or 3,371,361 votes.
  • Sid Miller was re-elected Commissioner of Agriculture with 46.63 percent or 4,372,741 votes, versus opponent Susan Hays who earned 43.37 percent or 3,349,247 votes.
  • Wayne Christian was re-elected Railroad Commissioner with 55.7 percent or 4,296,565 votes, beating top contender Luke Warford who scored 40.24 percent or 3,104,474 votes.

Austin's race for mayor will go to a run-off. None of the six candidates earned more than 50 percent, so voters will choose from the two top candidates — former Austin mayor and state senator Kirk Watson and State Rep. Celia Israel — in a runoff election on December 13.

In Dallas, County Judge Clay Jenkins was re-elected, as was District Attorney John Cruezot, who earned 59.36 percent of the vote against challenger Faith Johnson's 40.64 percent. The city also passed Proposition A, which will raise hotel occupancy taxes from 13 to 15 percent, with the funds to be used to renovate Fair Park and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

In Fort Worth, the new Tarrant County Judge replacing Glen Whitley will be Tim O’Hare, a former mayor of Farmers Branch who had the support of Donald Trump; he defeated Democratic candidate Deborah Peoples, who has run for Fort Worth mayor twice.

Houston experienced issues with polling places that did not open on time, or malfunctions that caused delays and temporary closures. A group called Texas Organizing Project successfully petitioned Harris County to extend the voting hours until 8 pm, but the Texas Supreme Court ordered Harris County election officials to separate out any ballots that were cast after hours.

A location at Texas State University in San Marcos also suffered malfunctions with five out of eight machines, causing wait times of four hours or more.

In San Antonio, U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar was re-elected, besting Republican challenger Cassy Garcia by 56.6 percent to 43.4 percent.

Five cities — Denton, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin, and Harker Heights — approved propositions to decriminalize low-level possession of marijuana, following the example of Austin, which passed a similar proposition in May.

For the first time, voters were given "no straight ticket" option to vote quickly for all one party or another requiring a click on each individual race — the result of HB25, a law pushed through by Republicans in the Texas Legislature in 2017, which killed the straight ticket option.

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Holiday Lights

Cherished Austin coffee shop Mozart's perks up the holidays with dazzling light show

Hannah J. Frías
Nov 9, 2022 | 9:29 am
mozart's coffee roasters holiday light display 2020
Mozart's Coffee Roasters/Facebook

The coffee shop's famous holiday lights display starts this week.

The weather may still be in the humid high 70s here in Austin, but the holidays are upon us nonetheless. 'Tis the season for one of Austin's favorite festive traditions — the annual holiday lights show at Mozart's Coffee Roasters on Lake Austin Boulevard.

The dazzling annual lights display gets bigger every year, offering advance tickets, reserved table options, and a Bavarian marketplace. An upgrade from the standing-room only, come-anytime general admission format, reserved table tickets allow guests to choose from four- and six-person seated and standing options.

Guests can also reserve food and beverage options ahead of time, such as the holiday hot cocoa and treats package, which includes bottomless hot chocolate and coffee, brownies, and more (although you had me at bottomless hot chocolate).

New this year are a dance floor and silent disco to dance out all your holiday jitters. The dance floor is open to everyone until 9:30 pm, while tickets for the silent disco (9:30 pm or 10:45 pm on Fridays and Saturdays) are sold separately.

Also sold separately but equally thrilling, a Nautical Light Show through Austin Boat Rentals gives guests the chance to enjoy the 40-minute display by water. Offering fully captained boat cruises from nearby Walsh Boat Landing, shared and private packages are available. In addition to wool blankets, hot hand warmers, and complimentary water bottles, guests can stay warm with hot cocoa and food package add-ons, including baked cinnamon sugar Bavarian pretzels, salt pretzels, Mozart’s chocolate fudge brownies, and assorted Christmas cookies. BYOB and liquor are welcome on board.

Tickets for the holiday lights show are already on sale, and the show runs November 10 through January 6, 2023. Find a full list of FAQs at Mozartscoffee.com.

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Well Read

All Austinites are BookPeople at the indie book store's 52nd anniversary party

Brianna Caleri
Nov 8, 2022 | 3:09 pm
BookPeople interior, graphic designer holding book.
BookPeople/Instagram
BookPeople is known for a huge selection and diverse curation from staff.

Austin is home to many independent businesses, but no one carries the torch of small business quite like BookPeople, a 52-year-old independent bookseller that claims the title of the largest of its kind in Texas. It still resides at just one highly praised location on North Lamar Boulevard, where it’s been since 1995, and there, it will host new and old friends to celebrate its anniversary on Friday, November 11.

Although it’s partially known for an unusually pleasant browsing experience — with a coffee shop, high effort displays for curated selections, and a truly gigantic inventory — BookPeople fits so snugly into the community by championing local and diverse authors. Most notably, it paired with the Austin Public Library in June on a banned book series, Banned Camp.

“The best part about this year is bringing those events back,” says CEO Charley Rejsek, reflecting on the revitalized calendar since pandemic shutdowns. “Everybody wants those experiences with authors that they know and love. We tried to translate them digitally, but that's really challenging. So having the events back and creating those experiences with readers and authors makes all the difference in the world.”

There’s no substitute for face-to-face connection, but the company’s Instagram page maintains its own outreach system, namely through several series including Gay Book of the Week, Sci-fi Friday, a BIPOC writer subscription box, and miscellaneous staff reviews. It puts out constant recommendations for all kinds of observances: Disability Pride Month, Voter Registration Day, Juneteenth, and more just in the past six months.

The anniversary festivities across the store’s three floors include book trivia, a raffle, a photo booth, and special merch sales. Book trivia is the main event, allowing participants to form teams to win $200 in BookPeople gift cards and $100 in CoffeePeople gift cards. The cafe will be open and serving a special-edition birthday drink.

Visitors get one raffle ticket at the door and can purchase more in hopes of winning signed books, posters, and even unreleased books. There will also be a silent art auction, selling pieces by local artists with all proceeds going back to the creator. A call for participating artists is active on the event page.

“BookPeople is definitely a community staple, and people look to us as a community gathering spot,” says Rejsek. “We, just like many other businesses, work hard to diversify our selection and the voices that we amplify, and that's just always ongoing. It never ends.”

The 52nd anniversary party will be held at BookPeople (603 N. Lamar Blvd.) on November 11, from 7-9 pm. More information about the event and BookPeople is available at bookpeople.com.

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