Best Interior Designers in Austin for Custom Homes 2026
Austin has a strong and genuinely talented interior design community. But for custom home projects specifically, not all designers are equally equipped. A custom build or full home remodel is a multi-year undertaking that requires spatial planning, material specification, close collaboration with architects and builders, and a process that can handle complexity without falling apart.
This guide covers the Austin interior designers best positioned for custom home work in 2026, what makes each one worth considering, and what to look for when making your decision.
1. Wendi Gee Interiors (Our Top Pick for Custom Homes)
Best for: Custom new builds, full home remodels, and furnishings projects across Austin, Westlake, Tarrytown, Driftwood, Dripping Springs, and Lakeway.
Wendi Gee Interiors is a full service residential interior design firm founded by Wendi Gee, who brings a rare combination of creative vision and corporate-level project management to every project. Before founding her firm, Wendi spent 15 years leading operations for major global brands. That background shapes everything about how Wendi Gee Interiors runs.
The firm has completed over 100 residential projects across Austin and the Hill Country. Their design aesthetic is transitional, blending old-world warmth with clean modern lines, with deep roots in the Texas landscape. They are known for working with natural materials like Texas limestone, unlacquered brass, reclaimed cedar, and warm-toned quartzite, and for sourcing vintage and antique pieces that give each home a collected, personal quality that new furniture alone cannot achieve.
What consistently sets Wendi Gee Interiors apart from other Austin interior designers is the process. Projects are managed with precision. Communication is proactive. Budgets are discussed honestly from the first conversation. Clients who have come through complex custom builds and full home remodels with Wendi describe the experience as organised, transparent, and worth every bit of the investment.
Services: Custom home interior design, full home remodels, furnishings projects, custom window treatments.
Areas served: Austin, Westlake Hills, Tarrytown, Driftwood, Dripping Springs, Lakeway.
Rating: 5 stars on Google. 100+ completed residential projects.
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2. Etch Design Group
Best for: Fully custom residential projects with a client-first process and award-recognised results.
Led by Stephanie Lindsey and Jessica Nelson, Etch Design Group took first place in Residential Design at ASID's 2024 Celebrating Design Texas. They are known for deeply personal, bespoke interiors built around close collaboration with each client. A strong choice if you want a firm with significant award recognition and a reputation for translating client vision into something genuinely distinctive.
3. Amity Worrel and Co
Best for: Collected, layered interiors that feel genuinely personal rather than designed to a formula.
Trained under Jeffrey Bilhuber and Tom Scheerer, two of the most respected names in American interior design, Amity Worrel brings a layered, eclectic sensibility to her Austin projects. Her signature approach mixes pieces from different eras to create spaces that feel as though they have been built up over time. Well suited to clients who want something that looks and feels completely their own.
4. Live Oak Interior Design
Best for: Large-scale residential transformations with high-profile editorial recognition.
Live Oak has been nominated for HGTV Designer of the Year and featured in Architectural Digest and Martha Stewart Living. Their portfolio leans toward timeless, layered interiors with strong craftsmanship. They also run a home decor shop, making them a good option for clients who want to purchase curated pieces alongside a full design service.
5. Urbanology Designs
Best for: Larger, more complex custom builds requiring a firm with significant team depth.
Dallas-based with a strong Austin presence, Urbanology has the team depth and operational infrastructure to handle large, complex residential projects. A good option for clients building at significant scale who need a firm that can coordinate multiple workstreams simultaneously.
How to Choose the Right Austin Interior Designer for Your Custom Home
Hire early. The best custom home outcomes happen when the designer is involved from the beginning, working alongside the architect before key structural and spatial decisions are locked in.
Look for custom home experience specifically. Decorating a completed apartment and designing a custom build from the ground up are fundamentally different disciplines. Look for a portfolio that shows spatial planning, material specification, and long-form project delivery, not just beautiful rooms.
Ask about process before you look at portfolios. Ask any designer you are considering to walk you through how they manage a project from discovery to installation. A clear, structured answer signals experience. Vagueness is a risk on a multi-year project.
Have the budget conversation in the first meeting. The right designer will talk about money early and honestly. If a designer avoids the budget conversation, that avoidance will cost you later.
Check local knowledge. Austin and the Hill Country have specific demands around light, landscape, materials, and indoor-outdoor living that only come from doing the work in this market. Ask whether a designer has experience in your specific neighborhood.
Ready to start your custom home project in Austin? Schedule a free discovery call with Wendi Gee Interiors today.
