In Austin’s historic Deep Eddy neighborhood, where old bungalows sit amongst the city’s funky creative new builds, designer and developer Sara Malek Barney has built a boutique-hotel-inspired residence for House Beautiful’s 2025 Whole Home. As founder of BANDD/DESIGN and BANDD/DEVELOPMENT, Barney brings a rare perspective to the project, marrying construction and interiors with cohesion.
For this year’s Whole Home, a 3,900-square-foot custom build set to debut in fall 2025, Barney served as both developer and one of the featured designers. Working alongside Katie Hastings Architecture and builders Villani & Graham, she created a home that captures Austin’s easy charm while embracing elevated, livable design. The result is an urban treehouse infused with the spirit of hospitality.
In conversation with DNN, Barney shares the rush of completing what should have been an 18-month build in just nine months, the balancing act of designing for both show and sale, and reaching the apex of everyday luxury with a full wet bar in the primary suite.
The time it takes to build a whole home
DNN: What has surprised you most about the process of developing and designing the Whole Home? What moments have been most exciting and which parts have challenged you the most?
SB: [When] you’re told you have to build a house that was supposed to take 18 months to complete in under nine months, it’s bound to be a real roller coaster. I was honestly shocked that not only did we pull it off, but we pulled it off at the highest quality…As with any project, there will be unexpected bumps in the road. …Being able to design quickly, but beautifully, [was] the most [challenging].
On being designer and developer
DNN: Tell me about being both developer and designer — How did wearing two hats shape your decision-making and the overall outcome of the project?
SB: What a fun role to have to have played in this special project. Of course, there were many areas I had to keep budget in mind. This was not a carte blanche situation!
Because it is both a show house, as well as a house that is going to be for sale, toeing the line between big, wow moments and creating a home that would appeal to a wide range of potential buyers, was of constant consideration. I wanted the space to be full of life and personality, and maintain its welcoming nature.
Inspired by boutique hotels
DNN: How did boutique hotels shape your vision for the home, and how did you translate that sense of hospitality and luxury into the residential setting?
SB: This is the ultimate entertainers home, and is meant to be a space to show off and welcome guests. That is where the hospitality feel really came in. There is a full wet bar in the Primary Bedroom after all…that’s hotel living at its finest! Every corner was considered to keep both the homeowner and their guests in mind.
Inspired by Deep Eddy, Austin
DNN: Austin is such a distinct city with its own rhythm and character. How did the location, particularly the Deep Eddy neighborhood, influence the design?
SB: Deep Eddy is such a special little pocket of central Austin. It’s old. It has a lot of history. It was effectively one of the first areas developed for residential living in the city. You still feel that when you are in it. It’s not like the new Austin, so I wanted to make sure the design of the home blended seamlessly into the fabric of the area and not stand out as a new construction eyesore.
The home is meant to feel like an urban treehouse that fits in with its surrounding nature and not fight against it. The prior home on the property was of historical relevance, as it housed a highly revered English professor for UT-Austin, including an in-ground bunker fresh from 1962. The old home was deemed uninhabitable, but I wanted to keep some of that charm. So the bunker remains!
Balancing different styles under one roof
DNN: Since collaboration is at the heart of this project, how did you and the other designers balance your individual styles while maintaining a cohesive vision for the home? What sorts of parameters do the participating designers have to work within? Were there any must-includes or must-not directives from you?
SB: Oh gosh, this was the most interesting part of all. Design is such a subjective sport, and I do not think I’ve ever worked alongside so many powerful creatives all at once. It was incredible to see everyone’s interpretations of their spaces. We had specific brands and color palettes to play within, but you will see [the wild directions] those were all taken [in]. I did not give much by way of directives to them, but I would help if I noticed something that maybe would fight against the architecture or build timeline of the home, since I knew the home itself best.
Experience the whole home
DNN: When readers see the home in House Beautiful, what do you hope they’ll notice about the details, or the feeling of the space that might not be obvious at first glance?
SB: I really hope readers see the sheer level of love and care that went in to this home by everyone involved. The details and attention to every corner is really overwhelming at first! I really appreciate the level of color and pattern used throughout, and specifically in the kitchen area, there are many little gems to discover.
Tickets to see the home can be purchased here to see the home in person!
Photography by Andrea Calo, Styling by Lucy Bamman
