A treehouse-like home near Austin's Lake Travis that’s been featured on HGTV can now be yours for $1.2 million.
The 1,653-square-foot house, at 2803 Manitou Dr., offers two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and plenty of rugged yet modern charm. The home is in the Apace Shores neighborhood.
Highlights of the contemporary home, situated on a half-acre wooded lot, include 30-foot-high glass walls and 11 sets of sliding glass doors. The two-story house, built in 2003 as architect John Allen’s own residence, is one of the few homes in the vicinity that provide private access to the Indian Creek hiking trail.
Allen “believed that the rugged and what many called ‘unbuildable’ lot was the perfect spot to accomplish his vision of living one with nature due to the greenery of the adjacent hiking trail, along with the sun, moon, stars, and thunderstorms as seen through glass walls and balconies,” the listing agent, Monica Fabbio of Compass, tells CultureMap.
Aside from being featured in 2007 on the HGTV series Look What I Did, the house recently served as the main shooting location for an upcoming movie. Viewers of the movie will notice that decks and patios grace all four sides of the hillside home, which is set back from a cul-de-sac. Nearby waterfalls and a spring-fed creek add to the ambiance.
“A dramatic rock wall and bridge entrance to the home make for amazing settings,” the listing says.
An adjacent second lot, which is undeveloped, is included in the sale.
Allen, who originally designed the glass-and-steel home as his “bachelor pad” before eventually getting hitched, sold the house in 2007 to the current owner.
“We heard the word ‘impossible’ more than once when it came to building our house,” says Suzanne Allen, the architect’s wife. “It’s a word that would discourage many people, but for John and me, the word invigorates, motivates, and inspires. In the process of building our house, we proved that with imagination, persistence, and resolution, the impossible idea becomes an achievable reality.”
Many called the lot at 2803 Manitou Dr "unbuildable," but architect John Allen saw its true potential.
The horse barn has seven stalls with individual turnouts.Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
The underground home theater has an impressive Ember Audio sound system with Dynaudio speakers.Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
