Experiencing flood draws home designer to Wimberley

Larry Martin designed and built a house in Wimberley. It went on the market May 23, 2015.

Two days later a wall of water surged down the Blanco River. Martin’s new home was not damaged, but all around him was suffering and devastation. Martin took the home off the market.

While Martin and his wife, Myra Spector, were delivering donations to those impacted, they fell in love with Wimberley and its people. They decided they would move from Austin and settle in that new home they built on Tulley Court.

“Our experiences cemented our decision that this would be a great place to call home,” says Martin.

Today, Martin, a certified professional building designer, helps others build or renovate homes through his company, Martinhouse Designs.

Martin got his degree from West Texas State University in communication graphics and started work as an art director at an advertising agency. He designed his own home in Austin in the early 1990’s and decided home design was what he wanted to do. Friends saw his house, liked it and asked him to design their houses and additions.

“The most effective way to get customers,” says Martin, “is when someone walks through one of my houses and sees what I have done.”

He completed the rigorous testing to attain certification as a professional building designer and, over the years, has worked on everything from room additions and interior designs to a 7,200-square-foot ranch house with an elevator and wine cellar.

One difference between a certified designer and an architect, he explains, is cost. A certified designer runs about two-thirds of what an architect would charge.

When a client comes to Martinhouse Designs, Martin asks a lot of questions. Not surprisingly, since a home is the biggest purchase most people make, they have a pretty good idea of what they want.

“My vision is to help client’s realize their visions,” Martin says. “I like to design houses that are neighborhood appropriate.”

In the Hill Country that means using locally-sourced materials and taking advantage of our breathtaking views as well as creeks, rivers and majestic trees.

Martin works with other professionals to do site evaluations and engineering for things such as electrical and foundations. He guides his projects through the permit process which, he says, is a lot more streamlined in Wimberley and Woodcreek than it is in Austin. “Austin is so disorganized with rules and codes changing daily. It take a long time to get the permits you need,” he says.

From beginning to end, he oversees the entire process.

Martin’s philosophy is summed up on his website, martinhousedesigns.com: “It was my career as an art director that has given me a unique perspective on home design. It is my desire to create spaces that are graceful, efficient, sensitive, well balanced and most importantly…livable. Great designs start with great ideas. Great ideas come from listening and learning, all results of a truly collaborative experience. For me, the best idea wins, no matter where it comes from.”