Austin drawing the Cathedral de Sevilla in his sketchbook

About

Discover

Our approach

A craftsman’s eye.

We design homes with a feel for the whole and a care for the smallest detail.

Residential front elevation with terracotta roofs, patterned masonry, and garden planting

The sketchbook

Begin by looking closely.

Travel sketches, classical studies, and ink wash. Drawing teaches us to see proportion, structure, and detail.

The sketchbook

Looking closely.
Drawing by hand.

Proportion. Structure. Detail.

Studies by Austin J. Bewley

Pen study of the layered facade and ornament of the Cathedral de Sevilla — Cathedral de Sevilla

Hand-drawn study of an iron railing, with scrollwork and measured proportions — New York · A study in ironwork

Construction lines and pen strokes describing the geometry of the dome of St. Peter’s — St. Peter’s · Finding the geometry

Pencil and white-chalk study of a Doric column, with the complete capital, shaft, base and annotations — The Doric order · Proportion and structure

Complete pencil and white-chalk study of an Ionic capital, volute, fluted shaft and base — The Ionic order · Proportion and detail

Complete pencil study of a classical volute with circles, construction lines and shaded ornament — The volute · Finding the curve

Complete pencil and white-chalk studies of curved mouldings and a leafy classical capital — Classical ornament · Light and form

Ink-wash study of a column capital, modelling curved profiles with light and shadow — Ink wash · Reading the shadows

From observation to the first ideas for a home.

See what’s on the boards

Austin drawing architectural plans at his studio desk, surrounded by timber samples

The maker

The idea lives
in the details.

Traditional wooden boatbuilding and yacht interiors taught Austin to consider fit, proportion, and every inch of space. Study in Tuscany and work on historic properties bring that same care to Dovetail’s homes.

Austin J. Bewley Founder, Dovetail Design Studio

More about Austin

Austin’s background brings together architectural study, traditional wooden boatbuilding, and yacht interiors. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Texas at San Antonio, he studied at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Washington, developing his understanding of traditional joinery and construction.

At the school, Austin worked on historic ships; his boatbuilding experience also includes boats built for the History Channel and the BBC. A curve must be fair, a joint must fit, and every inch of an interior has a purpose. That attention to proportion, fit, and finish carries into Dovetail’s work.

Austin studied classical architecture in Castiglion Fiorentino, Tuscany. That experience, together with his work on historic properties, deepened his eye for scale, proportion, and the details that give a place character. Close observation and a respect for the past inform homes designed for life today.

Austin also serves on the Glen Rose Historic Preservation Commission, extending his commitment to thoughtful stewardship into the wider community.

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