London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 18, 2025

Austin’s Weird and Wonderful Sand Dollar House Can Be Yours for $2.2M Clams

Austin’s Weird and Wonderful Sand Dollar House Can Be Yours for $2.2M Clams

Here’s your chance to scoop up a splendid seashell house by the seashore.

One of Austin’s most unique homes is now on the market. Located in Lakeway on the south shore of Lake Travis, the Sand Dollar House has some of the best views in town. The home was completed in 1979 by John Covert Watson, an architect who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright while he was building NYC’s Guggenheim Museum in the 1950s. Today, those Guggenheim influences are evident throughout the home’s organic design, with its curved interior walls and circular roofline.



"People boat by the house all the time just to park and look up at it," says broker associate Michelle Jones.

Watson has designed a handful of other Austin residences that show off his love of organic architecture, including his own home off Redbud Isle and the Grotto Dome-a 1978 home in West Lake Hills that’s designed to complement a 1,000-year-old rock. "He’s well known for building interesting, one-of-a-kind houses that are more like works of art instead of homes," says broker associate Michelle Jones.



The home has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a half bath.



Glass tiling can be seen in the rounded kitchen.

The Sand Dollar house was originally built as a second home for artist Eugenia Hunt, and it has served as a vacation retreat for many locals over the years. The current owner has lived in the home since 2017, and she reflects on her time there as an incomparable experience. "The homeowner loves sitting on the upper balcony in the living room and watching the boats go by," Jones says.



This home offers panoramic views of Lake Travis.



The home is also referred as the Nautilus house, as well as the Mushroom House.

The 2,240-square-foot home sits on .285 acres, and it’s made from an unusual material: gunite. While occasionally used in residential projects, gunite is most often used as a pool material, and it’s made from a mix of sand, concrete, and water expelled by a high-pressure hose.

Standing inside the home feels like being inside a seashell-there are teardrop skylights, a spiraling staircase with wood treads, and Lake Travis views from nearly every room. A series of porches extend from the lower level, and a Kiva-like fireplace sits in the living room.



"It’s an iconic Lakeway treasure," says broker associate Michelle Jones.

The two-story home is in great condition with white brick flooring and beautiful glass tiling throughout-and its windows and doors have been replaced for energy efficiency. The entryway is located on the upper level, which holds the main living spaces, while the bedrooms and sitting nook are located on the more private first floor.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
×