Achieving coziness and character in a new build is no easy feat.

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And yet, Kara Phillips of Phillips House managed to do just that in Driftwood, Texas—without adding ornate architectural features. “The client said, ‘I want it to look like Austin,’” she explains. “It had to have a contemporary feel, so there are a lot of clean edges. We didn't have traditional baseboards and millwork, but I wanted it to be warm, not sterile.”

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To create that inviting vibe, Kara utilized an abundance of white oak, applying it to the floors, the cabinetry, the walls, and the ceilings. She brought in limestone, granite, and patinated metals, too. And with a slew of neutral textiles, she forged a connection with the surrounding Hill Country golf course. “I wanted to really reflect those muted tones that you see in the landscape,” she says.

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Since everything is, in fact, bigger in Texas, Kara had to tackle a vacuous entryway. “We needed a show-stopping moment, so we placed a travertine table front and center as you walk in,” she explains. The vignette, which is complete with a Rush House Original seagrass rug, a set of olive green ottomans, and a dappled light triptych by Brooke Noel Morgan, allows for a moment of pause before continuing into the even airier double-height living room. Kara softened the two-story zone with tongue-and-groove paneling on the ceiling, a plaster finish on the fireplace, and an antique brass Calton Coffee Table by DISC Interiors.

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The living room also opens into the kitchen, which Kara aimed to blend into the rest of the ground floor. She minimized upper cabinetry, added a ledge for displaying art, designed a 12-foot island with furniture-like drawers, and sourced Crump & Kwash Lloyd Chairs for their sculptural silhouettes. “The space is very expansive, but it was important for it not to feel like a commercial experience,” she notes.

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In the adjacent dining area, Kara used her go-to solid white ash table from Sun at Six. “I get so tired of seeing just a brown table,” she says of the lighter finish. “I love the shape of this one, it has a modern and really nice curves.” It’s paired with woven Rachel Donath Arnaud Dining Chairs, a custom banquette in a deep green fabric, and a chandelier with chartreuse shades.

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Per local tradition, there is a primary bedroom on the main level, which Kara outfitted with gems from The Expert Collection—a Rounded Signature Upholstered Bed in chai mohair flanked by Classic Nightstands in brown oak—but the homeowners don’t sleep there. Instead, they requested another primary bedroom upstairs, as is customary in their native Massachusetts. It’s covered in sea blue Rose Tarlow wallpaper and complemented with an ivory boucle lounge chair.

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The true primary is attached to a grand, wood-clad dressing room with a striking linen pendant light. “I wanted the closet to feel very concealed, warm, and cozy, so we wrapped it all in white oak,” shares Kara, who leaned into whimsy in the ensuite, with its whimsical wallpaper, veiny marble, and oversize Made by Hand Knit-Wit Pendant. “This is where we could bring in some fun and character, but again, we stayed in the same tones,” she explains. It’s cohesive to a T.

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