#126 Casa Kenwood in Austin, TX

Reunion at My First Airbnb!
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​Last week I spent 2 nights, with 3 special people, in one of 2 guesthouses at Casa Kenwood.

 

The Casa was pretty ideal for a Moms & Daughters Reunion!

​​The Guests of The Guesthouse!
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These are the 2 youngest guests...of our Moms & Dots gathering. This pic of the Dots, was taken in 1995.  The girls look a little different after 20+ years, but I'll say with a wink,  

"The moms haven't changed a bit." The best thing is that we all act pretty much the same, which meant we didn't care where we stayed in Austin.  We knew we'd have fun anyplace.  We discovered Casa Kenwood on the internet and it looked great.
​But looks can sometimes be deceiving.

​​"Studio Azul"

Luckily our guesthouse, turned out to be just what we'd hoped for.

We arrived at dusk and found our little blue oasis, tucked into a hilly Austin neighborhood.  The hosts' dog barked a greeting from next door and the black kitty assured us we were welcome.  We punched in the lock code and stepped inside.

Slumber Party!
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Our colorful space was lit and prepped for our arrival.  Lots of square shapes greeted us, from windows, art, beds and furniture! 

Our host, Christina had already made up our sofa bed, so there was a festive dorm-like feel. Or maybe it was more like summer camp, (a hip, summer camp) with the perfect evening air wafting through the upper half of the red door.  

​All Aglow
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And when we stepped down the wooden steps from the door, we could see the neon that was making the room glow purple in one corner and orange in another.

Wood and Metal
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​In the neon-free daylight, we could see all the odd textures and materials.  The wood wall behind the sofa bed looked like a log cabin. The pressed metal "brick" wall was crowned with glass block.  

The wall was high, but didn't exactly seal off the bathroom on the other side.  That privacy issue could make some uncomfortable, but not a problem with the Moms & Dots.  It just meant you didn't have to remove yourself from a conversation when you made a quick trip to the restroom.

Just Over the Wall
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​Brown brick, red shutters, bright tiles of many sizes and stacks of striped towels!  

The lighting fixture made from an old film reel was very clever. The lime-green flower design that decorated the pipes, was a cheery addition.

​Extra Touches

There were so many tiny details that kept reminding me that we were in Austin, the city that knows how to do southwestern funky. 

The purple image shows a snazzy piece of art, that was holding up one end of the shower curtain pole.  The other photo reveals a cute little light-switch plate, showing a Vaquero on horseback!

Kitchen
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​Between the bathroom and backdoor, was a little kitchen area.  

If we'd had more days I'm sure we would have put it to use. We were actually more excited about where that back door would take us.

Stone Stairs
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​Luckily our group wasn't elderly or drunk, or we might have had issues with the many levels.  

The stairs from our back door lead us to a sweet little courtyard, lit by strings of lights.  

Down More
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​We ventured further down into a yard below, which was surrounded by towering trees.  

If only we'd packed the goods for S'Mores!  We could have toasted marshmallows over the the fire pit.

Food, Art, Music & Film

​Austin is known for all of the above, so we made good use during our two days and nights in Austin.  Even after turning in at night, we continued with some of the best in food and film!

On our second night we let the Van Gogh style coffee table hold our bag of Garrett's carmel popcorn... while we watched Esther Williams swim her way through "Thrill of a Romance" on the TV.   Doesn't get much better than that!

​In Daylight
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​We woke to glorious weather both days. No need for heating or air-conditioning.

  

Peeking out the half-door in the morning was such a surprise.  How could we be hidden away in this jungle of bamboo and be just minutes away from the best restaurants, shops, bars and museums of Austin?​

​A House Wall?
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Stepping out the back door in the morning, showed us a brighter patio.  

Beside a little garden of cactus, there was a wall of repurposed materials, creating the look of a sweet house.  I believe our hosts' backyard was on the other side, but I'm not sure. 

The Cottage
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To the right was the other guesthouse, which was vacant.  So we really felt like we had this whole compound to ourselves.

Down Again
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We passed the other guesthouse and headed down to see the yard in the daylight.

From the Front
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There was an option for reaching the yard, in the front. The words, "La Kiva" were written on the side of our house, with a downward pointing arrow.

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So many little pathways and choices.  It felt like The Secret Garden... which is a book/movie both girls and moms loved back in the day.

​All to Ourselves

The spring leaves were just sprouting, but there was still enough dense growth to hide a few other houses scattered nearby. All felt perfectly isolated.

There were vintage metal patio chairs and a trickling fountain nearby. Besides the fire pit, there was a stone structure with logs at the ready.  It could have been just a fireplace, but I had a feeling you could cook a pizza in there.  

What's Notable?
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​We hit Casa Kenwood at an ideal time, a week before the crowds hit Austin for SXSW.  Lucking out with some heavenly weather and having the place to ourselves helped make our stay pretty perfect.  

I'll always remember our cute, colorful and cozy stay at Studio Azul, but mostly I'll remember all the laughing and gabbing!  
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