The 2025 House Beautiful Whole Home: Luxury living in an urban treehouse
For the 2025 Whole Home, House Beautiful assembled a team of industry professionals to create an idea-filled inspirational residence in the Deep Eddy neighborhood of Austin, Texas. Led by Sara Malek Barney of BANDD/DESIGN, the 3,800-square-foot custom home blends the refined luxury of a boutique hotel with unique, artistic touches. Sara’s vision was to connect the home with the surrounding nature. “We sit amongst these beautiful heritage oak trees and I really wanted the home to feel like an urban treehouse.”
About the Whole Home
“In an area like Austin, TimberTech Advanced PVC just makes sense. For fire resistance and the variety of options, there is nothing else I would recommend.”
– Sara Malek, Founder + Principal Designer, BANDD/DESIGN
For eight years, House Beautiful has brought together top designers, architects, and builders to create inspiring dream homes that push the boundaries of design and innovation. The 2025 Whole Home continues this tradition in Austin, Texas, where we spoke to the team about bringing the project to life. This year’s home highlights fresh ideas and superior craftsmanship coming together to create a space that is as artistic as it is functional.
Get the look
Vintage Collection
English Walnut
A woodland-inspired warm brown that resembles the rich tones of exotic walnut wood.
Classic Composite Series
Matte Black
A sleek, contemporary style in a stylish matte black with a coordinating English Walnut Drink Rail and traditional balusters.
The primary outdoor living space blends seamlessly with the home’s architecture and the spacious 950-square-foot deck enables multiple areas for dining, conversation, and entertaining. Having used TimberTech Advanced PVC Decking on other projects, Sara knew it was the only choice: “My clients love TimberTech products: cool to the touch, beautiful, and they last a long time.”
“TimberTech is a low-maintenance product. When customers tell us how they want to use the space, nobody says they want to stain it every year,” explained Tim Solano from Canopy Builders. The Vintage Collection carries a 50-year Fade & Stain Warranty, and Austin’s infamous yellow oak pollen washes off with a spray of the hose.
“I really love the English Walnut decking, it’s a little bit deeper, a little bit moodier, its medium tone was very important from a stylistic standpoint,” said Sara. Builder Preston Graham added, “It blends beautifully with the dark color that Sara selected for the house.”
Designing for fire zones
Austin, like much of Texas, is a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) zone. Building codes require materials with proven fire resistance, such as TimberTech Advanced PVC. The Vintage Collection decking on both decks is ignition resistant, has a Class A Flame Spread Rating, and is WUI Compliant.
The main deck’s layout makes the most of the lot’s unique three-sided corner placement. It expands the living space and creates an inviting transition into the surrounding wooded environment, a key element of Sara’s vision to create an “urban treehouse.”
“It’s great to reach out to a client a year later and hear they still love their deck as much as the day we finished,” says Tim, who exclusively uses TimberTech on his projects. With a Lifetime Limited Product Warranty, TimberTech Advanced PVC decks are built to stand the test of time.
Preston praised the versatility of TimberTech Advanced PVC and Classic Composite Railing, “As a builder, I’m looking for something that’s durable, that we can manipulate to give the outcome that our designers are bringing to the table.”
The ceilings beneath the upper deck and front porch were finished with Alpine Collection Trim from TimberTech’s sister brand, AZEK Exteriors. This durable PVC material conceals exposed structural elements while perfectly complementing the decking above.
“We can bend this material to create some really cool design details, which is second to none,” said Preston. A specialist recommended by TimberTech heat-bent the composite railing to precise measurements to deliver a perfect radius.
Not sure where to start on your dream deck?
Connect with our free Deck Concierge service to get expert advice, personalized guidance, and a clear plan for building the perfect outdoor space. We’ll help you choose the right products, get an idea of cost, find a pro, and plan your project’s scope.
Katie, the project architect summed it up, “TimberTech is a great fit for modern architecture projects because it’s sustainable, it’s low maintenance, it’s natural looking, plus they have the technical support to make beautiful projects happen.”
Turning recycled materials into lasting beauty, one deck at a time.
This deck was built with 1,200 sq. feet of TimberTech Advanced PVC Decking made using:
~2,400 lbs of recycled material1
Order Free Samples
See House Beautiful Whole Home decking up close and explore other color options.
Other products used on the House Beautiful Whole Home
AZEK Exteriors, Alpine Collection
Mission Oak
The contemporary Alpine WP4 profile accented outdoor ceilings with PVC durability and a complementary finished wood look that never needs staining.
More TimberTech Stories
Explore homeowner stories about their experience with TimberTech and learn why they chose us for their outdoor living space. Plus, get inspiration for your own space from their high-style designs.
1Recycled material weight is estimated based upon the recycled waste and scrap material used in the manufacturing of TimberTech Advanced PVC Decking at the time of publication.
