Before & After: They Gave Their Fussy Hill Country Cabin a “Subtractive” Makeover

Before & After: They Gave Their Fussy Hill Country Cabin a “Subtractive” Makeover

In Texas, where everything is bigger, a couple bring a 1908 home back to basics by paring away the decorative excess of past remodels.

Text by Melissa Dalton

John and Kelly Rainey had lived in Texas their whole lives before they moved to Chicago in 2011. “It took us one winter to decide we needed an escape,” says Kelly with a laugh. It wasn’t just a knee-jerk reaction, though—they knew they eventually wanted to return to the Lone Star State to be close to their families, so the following year they bought a sprawling 92-acre ranch in Hill Country.

Located near San Antonio airport, and an easy flight from Chicago, the property came with several buildings—including an old goat barn converted into a crash pad, and a 1,000-square-foot cabin originally built in 1908. “It worked for about seven years as it is,” says Kelly—although over time they began to notice its constraints.

For instance, there was no dedicated dining space for spreading out Thanksgiving meals, the living room was too cramped for football watch parties, and with no buffer between the bedrooms and the common areas, the shouts from late-night Rummy Cube games were liable to wake up the house. “You try to stick 14 people in a thousand-square-foot house and that’s a lot,” says Kelly. “We were all kinds of on top of each other.” 

Before: Exterior

Before: John and Kelly Rainey bought a 92-acre ranch in Texas Hill Country in 2012, which came with this 1908 cabin. They think it might have originally been a kit home. The couple worked with Jobe Corral Architects to strip away the fussier elements, such as the excess trim, ornate columns, shutters, and decorative exterior brickwork.
Before: John and Kelly Rainey bought a 92-acre ranch in Texas Hill Country in 2012, which came with this 1908 cabin. They think it might have originally been a kit home. The couple worked with Jobe Corral Architects to strip away the fussier elements, such as the excess trim, ornate columns, shutters, and decorative exterior brickwork. 

After: Exterior 

Exterior, Wood Siding Material, House Building Type, Hipped RoofLine, and Metal Roof Material The cabin’s original screened porch had been enclosed for additional living space, but it wasn’t very usable, so Jobe and Corral converted it back to its original purpose. Now, it serves as a mudroom and a transition space leading to the living room. The preserved board and batten siding is painted Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal and the ceiling fans are from Schoolhouse. Board-formed concrete replaces the brick, and the new steps are limestone slabs taken from the tops of quarries so that the top surface is natural.
The cabin’s original screened porch had been enclosed for additional living space, but it wasn’t very usable, so Jobe and Corral converted it back to its original purpose. Now, it serves as a mudroom and a transition space leading to the living room. The preserved board and batten siding is painted Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal and the ceiling fans are from Schoolhouse. Board-formed concrete replaces the brick, and the new steps are limestone slabs taken from the tops of quarries so that the top surface is natural.

Kelly found Jobe Corral Architects after reading about a barn they converted in a magazine. She liked their aesthetic—and that they were familiar with the area, and willing to travel to the cabin from their office in Austin. “It was a good partnership because, if left to our own devices, we would’ve probably just done what they call a standard Hill Country home,” says Kelly. Think: lots of exterior limestone, big columns, and chunky proportions. Adds Kelly: “They really pushed us on everything.” 

Before: Living Room 

Before: The redesign streamlined the interiors. The footprint of the living room stayed the same, but the firm widened the opening to the kitchen and turned the porch door into a window.
Before: The redesign streamlined the interiors. The footprint of the living room stayed the same, but the firm widened the opening to the kitchen and turned the porch door into a window.

After: Living Room 

Living Room, Sofa, Ceiling Lighting, Chair, Table Lighting, Lamps, Recessed Lighting, End Tables, Medium Hardwood Floor, and Coffee Tables The firm kept the ceilings, added shiplap to the walls, and painted both surfaces Benjamin Moore’s Winter White. They replaced the existing floors with reclaimed long-leaf pine that had "the same tone and feel" as what was there before, says architect Camille Jobe. A DellaRobbia sofa is surrounded by vintage leather chairs from 1st Dibs, Croft House side tables, and a custom coffee table designed in collaboration between JCA and Jobe Fabrications.
The firm kept the ceilings, added shiplap to the walls, and painted both surfaces Benjamin Moore’s Winter White. They replaced the existing floors with reclaimed long-leaf pine that had “the same tone and feel” as what was there before, says architect Camille Jobe. A DellaRobbia sofa is surrounded by vintage leather chairs from 1st Dibs, Croft House side tables, and a custom coffee table designed in collaboration between JCA and Jobe Fabrications.

“We did a lot of subtracting more than anything else,” says architect Camille Jobe, cofounder of Jobe Corral Architects alongside Ada Corral. They started with the exterior, where they removed ornamental details like decorative brick and spindly porch columns and installed board-formed concrete and spare metal supports that better suit the ranch surroundings. “It was important to us to restore the character,” says Corral. “At some point the columns had been changed to this ornamental look that did not fit with the time period of the house.”

They specified a darker color for the preserved exterior board-and-batten siding, as “that allowed the house to recede and let the landscape play more of a role,” says Jobe. The landscape design company, Environmental Survey Consulting, which specializes in native habitat restoration, specified Texas limestone slabs for stairs and walls, and native grasses. “By the time all of this natural vegetation really grows in, it will feel like the house is part of the landscape more so than before,” says Jobe. 

Before: Kitchen 

Before: The only dining space in the home was a narrow kitchen island with benches. The structure and systems also needed to be updated, as a corner of the house was sinking. "When you opened the refrigerator door, it closed itself," says Jobe.
Before: The only dining space in the home was a narrow kitchen island with benches. The structure and systems also needed to be updated, as a corner of the house was sinking. “When you opened the refrigerator door, it closed itself,” says Jobe.

After: Dining Banquette 

Dining Room, Ceiling Lighting, Table, Chair, Bench, Medium Hardwood Floor, and Pendant Lighting The custom banquette has a slatted back to bring in light from the window. John and Kelly’s vintage table is made with reclaimed wood from a bowling alley. The overhead pendant is by Brendan Ravenhill.
The custom banquette has a slatted back to bring in light from the window. John and Kelly’s vintage table is made with reclaimed wood from a bowling alley. The overhead pendant is by Brendan Ravenhill.

Since John and Kelly were also improving other buildings on the property for additional hangout and sleep space, they decided that the cabin would become a designated guesthouse. As such, the couple asked the firm to squeeze in two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Jobe and Corral kept the living room and kitchen in place, then reworked the private areas and located them off a small hallway at the heart of the house. “You don’t want to waste space with only one thousand square feet,” says Corral.

The cabin has a deep wraparound porch, so the firm focused on bringing in daylight and ensuring that all of the windows are consistent in size and shape. In the kitchen, a custom banquette can squeeze up to eight people in a pinch, and its open-slat back runs across a new window that opens to let in breezes.

Before: Kitchen 

Before: The rear of the house had several ad-hoc additions that the firm streamlined into a mudroom and pantry. 
Before: The rear of the house had several ad-hoc additions that the firm streamlined into a mudroom and pantry. 

After: Kitchen 

Kitchen, Ceramic Tile Backsplashe, Marble Counter, Wood Cabinet, Range, Range Hood, and Medium Hardwood Floor The refrigerator and extra storage are assigned to the adjacent pantry. Here, white oak cabinets from Thompson Woodworking join a honed Carrara marble counter and backsplash tile from Pratt and Larson in color C35. The stove is from the GE Café series in matte white with brass details.
The refrigerator and extra storage are assigned to the adjacent pantry. Here, white oak cabinets from Thompson Woodworking join a honed Carrara marble counter and backsplash tile from Pratt and Larson in color C35. The stove is from the GE Café series in matte white with brass details.

Jobe and Corral also slotted in a new hall bathroom with a shower. To preserve privacy from the porch, they added a skylight that bounces light off the inky finishes. “It’s a little moodier in there,” says Corral. “The ceiling is tapered to allow light to get diffused. It really creates a very different feel in that room than in the rest of the house.”

After: Bathroom 

Bath Room, Pedestal Sink, Ceiling Lighting, Ceramic Tile Wall, Vessel Sink, and Full Shower In the hallway bathroom, the walls are covered in Fireclay tile in Navy Blue. The vanity has a custom concrete basin by Newbold Stone Architectural Concrete and a steel base from Metal Work Austin. The custom steel shelf and steel-edged mirror are paired with a perforated pendant by Allied Maker.
In the hallway bathroom, the walls are covered in Fireclay tile in Navy Blue. The vanity has a custom concrete basin by Newbold Stone Architectural Concrete and a steel base from Metal Work Austin. The custom steel shelf and steel-edged mirror are paired with a perforated pendant by Allied Maker.

For the interiors, the architects balanced new finishes with vintage furnishings (like the banquette dining table) and pieces with meaningful stories, like the bedroom headboard made from a tree that was felled by lightning on the property.

“There were lots of discussions about this being an older building and a generational home for the family,” says Jobe. “We didn’t want it to be stuck in one point in time. The key was to find that mixture, retaining the old stories and allowing space for making new stories, because that’s what large family gathering spaces are about.”

Since construction finished in 2022, the cabin has become quite popular with John and Kelly’s relatives—her parents came to stay during the recent eclipse, they’ve celebrated many birthday and holidays, and their two sons have already called dibs on summer dates. “I actually just created a calendar to share with everybody,” says Kelly. “This is exactly what we wanted it for.” 

Before: Bathroom 

Before: The previous bathroom was dressed in dated finishes.
Before: The previous bathroom was dressed in dated finishes.

After: Primary Suite 

Bath Room, Concrete Counter, Pedestal Sink, Ceramic Tile Wall, Full Shower, and Ceiling Lighting The new vanity has a custom concrete basin by Newbold Stone Architectural Concrete and a steel base from Metal Work Austin. The Olympic glazed thin brick wall tile is from Fireclay.
The new vanity has a custom concrete basin by Newbold Stone Architectural Concrete and a steel base from Metal Work Austin. The Olympic glazed thin brick wall tile is from Fireclay.
Bedroom, Storage, Night Stands, Bed, Pendant Lighting, Ceiling Lighting, and Medium Hardwood Floor In the primary bedroom, the leather headboard insert is from Citizenry, and the sutom steel bed is by Jobe Fabrications in collaboration with JCA. The side tables are also a collaboration between Jobe Fabrications and JCA, and the Gooseberry pendants are by Hand and Eye. The bedcover is by Vacilando Quilting.
In the primary bedroom, the leather headboard insert is from Citizenry, and the sutom steel bed is by Jobe Fabrications in collaboration with JCA. The side tables are also a collaboration between Jobe Fabrications and JCA, and the Gooseberry pendants are by Hand and Eye. The bedcover is by Vacilando Quilting.

After: Guest Room 

Bedroom, Dresser, Shelves, Medium Hardwood Floor, Night Stands, Bed, and Wall Lighting The custom headboard was made from a live oak felled on the property by DeVos Custom Woodworking and Jobe Fabrications in collaboration with JCA. The headboard "brings so much texture and life into this tiny room," says Corral. Custom steel shelves are poised below, with a mounted sconce from Serena and Lily.
The custom headboard was made from a live oak felled on the property by DeVos Custom Woodworking and Jobe Fabrications in collaboration with JCA. The headboard “brings so much texture and life into this tiny room,” says Corral. Custom steel shelves are poised below, with a mounted sconce from Serena and Lily.
Bedroom, Bed, Wall Lighting, Shelves, Accent Lighting, Dresser, and Medium Hardwood Floor A Mossam Dresser from Croft House is paired with a Gubi Adnet Circulaire wall mirror.
Floor Plan of Hill Country Cabin by Jobe Corral Architects
Floor Plan of Hill Country Cabin by Jobe Corral Architects

Project Credits:

Dwell, “Before & After: They Gave Their Fussy Hill Country Cabin a “Subtractive” Makeover”, May 8, 2024
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