4 Austin fall home tours offering inspiration for artistic living

Austin is full of distinctive homes and gardens, from tucked-away backyard oases to interiors that mix modern design with Texas character. These five tours offer a chance to see how locals are shaping their spaces, with plenty of ideas for landscaping, décor, and creative design along the way. Whether you’re a longtime Austinite or just curious about the city’s style, these stops are worth a closer look on any tour of what the Texas capital has to offer.Austin Landscape Artistry Showcase & Residential Garden TourWhen: October 18Tickets: $23.17 (currently $10 off)Gardeners with green thumbs and design enthusiasts can explore some of Austin’s most stunning private landscapes during this self-guided tour from 9 am to 4 pm. With top landscape architects, designers, horticulturists, and more professionals stationed along the way to add insight, the event offers a rare peek into creatively curated gardens. Guests can gather ideas, ask questions, and connect with fellow garden-lovers. The list of destinations hasn't been announced yet; the 2024 tour showed off a "castle", a unique outdoor fireplace, and landscaping around a Cowboy Pool.AIA Austin Homes TourWhen: October 25-27 Tickets: $16.82 (earlybird)The 39th annual self-guided AIA Austin Homes Tour serves as a showcase for contemporary architectural excellence with custom-designed homes by local firms. Think modern cabinetry, clean lines, and thoughtful landscapes star across Barton Hills, Govalle, Rosewood, Rollingwood, and more. Ticket holders have access to 10 homes in the Austin area for the tour. Home highlights include the Sugar Creek Residence with a glass-walled dining room (with a sublime view of the woods), the Harvey House in Rosewood with a fresh design extending a historic 1930s bungalow, and the sophisticated Casa Colibri in Barton Hills, among others.Garden Conservancy Open DayWhen: November 8Tickets: $10 per garden, discount for Garden Conservancy membersThe Garden Conservancy's Open Day returns to Central Austin, offering a rare opportunity to explore five private gardens that are not typically open to the public. Organized in partnership with Twistleaf Land Design, the self-guided tour features diverse landscapes, from an English-inspired garden to a terraced retreat filled with pollinator-friendly perennials. Visitors can meet the gardeners and designers behind these spaces and gain inspiration for their own outdoor projects. Highlights include the Belmont Parkway with limestone pathways and a hidden dipping pool, the woodland gardens at Canyon Vista, and Este Gardens, a must-visit for foodies.The Austin Studio TourWhen: November 8 & 9, 15 & 16Tickets: FreeThis city-wide event is perfect for art aficionados. For two weekends in November, local artists will open up their creative spaces to the public — either their work studios or their own homes — for the 23rd annual Austin Studio Tour. This one isn't just for inspiration; guests will have the chance to purchase pieces from Austin artists in unique locations across the city. The Austin Studio Tour has been a staple since 2003, and emerges this year from a change in leadership. Since Big Medium, the tour's founding organizer, has dissolved, the tour has been passed off to Almost Real Things (ART). “I think the coolest thing about the studio tours is that artists are inviting you into their spaces, and so you're kind of breaking that barrier down a little bit," ART co-founder and COO Natalie Earhart told CultureMap, "looking at art on the wall and figuring it out."