Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection | Clayton Korte

Originally the home of Edgar and Lutie Perry, this 10-acre property was designed by Henry Bowers Thompson between 1917 and 1928 as a transportive oasis in the middle of Austin. Inspired by the owners’ vast European travels, a series of formal gardens along with a large Italianate mansion and carriage house were built along Waller Creek. A stone wall enclosed the entire compound.

The 10,600-square-foot Italian Renaissance Revival mansion is surrounded with terraces, parterres and fountains, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Intricately carved wood and plaster moulding, hand-wrought ironwork and limestone details combine with Mexican-style tile work for an overall ornate effect. In its day, the estate set a new precedent in Austin for gracious entertaining. Perry sold the estate in 1944, declaring that the mansion was: “A great place to throw a party, but too big to live in.”

In a collaboration between interior designer Ken Fulk and Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, Clayton Korte has returned the historic components of the property to their former glory and built a new restaurant to serve as a backdrop to the magnificent historic gardens. These efforts are part of a new destination resort and private club, The Commodore Perry Estate, due to open this summer by Auberge as part of its prestigious Resorts Collection.

Project Team:
Architecture (Mansion, Chapel, Carriage House, and Restaurant): Clayton Korte
Architecture (Hotel): Moule & Polyzoides
Interior Design: Ken Fulk
General Contractor: Rogers O’Brien
Landscape Architect: Ten Eyck Landscape Architects

Photography: Chase Daniel & Douglas Friedman