Beautiful properties are plentiful,
but design that creates a sense of place is rare.
Haven Studio creates immersive, story-rich interiors for private homes, vacation properties, and boutique hospitality spaces in Fredericksburg and throughout the Texas Hill Country.
We bring decades of hospitality expertise and strategic insight to every property, creating places that feel deeply personal, work beautifully, and support how their owners want to live, gather, host, or invest.
The most memorable properties feel inseparable from their setting.
They stay with us because there’s just something about them that feels deeply personal and original.
A limestone wall softened by time, a porch swing catching the last of the twilight…rooms that know exactly how to gather, and keep, everyone close.
Haven Studio begins with what’s already there: the architecture, the land, the history, the people, and the future the property needs to support.
Then we look deeper.
We consider how people will arrive, gather, stay, and return. We identify where better decisions could strengthen the experience, distinguish the property, and make every investment more purposeful.
That’s how we transform your story into a sense of place.
We design for how you live, host, and invest.
We work with owners from the earliest stages of a project through final installation, bringing creative vision and strategic clarity to the complete property.
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Complete design for new builds, renovations, remodels, historic homes, guest houses, and outdoor living spaces.
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Full-service and virtual design for second homes, family retreats, hybrid owner/rental properties, short-term rentals, and guest stays, shaped by hospitality insight, market opportunity, and long-term property value.
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Early guidance for owners, Realtors, and property managers evaluating what to purchase, improve, reposition, or bring to market.
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Experience-led interiors for inns, wineries, restaurants, guest cottages, and intimate spaces where atmosphere matters.
We see the whole property.
Strategy before selections.
Haven Studio’s value begins long before furniture, materials, or finishes are selected. We study how the property is planned and used, identify overlooked opportunities, and consider how every decision can strengthen the experience and long-term value of the complete property.
For income-producing properties, that may also include studying comparable properties, evaluating market and revenue potential, navigating historic approvals, considering future ADU use, and identifying amenities or underused spaces that could strengthen guest appeal and property performance.
What we consider:
Architecture and land
Space planning and flow
History and regional context
Owner and guest experience
Operations and long-term use
Construction feasibility
Future flexibility and value
Market position and revenue goals
Featured Project
Claire’s Haus Moon Garden
Transforming overlooked potential into an unforgettable experience…
At this historic Fredericksburg vacation rental, the greatest opportunity was hiding in plain sight. The property’s backyard offered little more than guest parking, an aging shed, and a path to the back door.
Haven Studio studied nearby properties, identified a shortage of pools and outdoor amenities within walking distance of Main Street, evaluated the potential impact on nightly rates and occupancy, and navigated the historic approval process before design began.
The overlooked backyard became an atmospheric moon garden with a plunge pool, expanded gathering spaces, outdoor dining, and layered landscaping inspired by the property’s history.
What had once been a pass-through became the experience guests would remember most and a stronger reason to choose the property.
The result is a space that feels effortless, personal, and built to work beautifully.
Why Haven Studio?
Professional instinct shaped over decades of collaboration.
Haven Studio is led by interior designers (and sisters-in-law) Belinda McDonnell and Aliisa DuBose.
The duo has been collaborating on professional design projects for 30 years and bring over 5 decades of combined expertise in hospitality, residential design, strategic planning, operations, construction coordination, and client experience.
Together, they see the strategic possibilities others often overlook.
They know when a property has good bones, when a plan isn’t supporting the way people will actually live, and when one strategic decision could change the entire experience.
From historic home renovations and family retreats to vacation properties and boutique hospitality spaces, our work responds to the architecture, landscape, and people behind each property, so it feels rooted here rather than simply styled for here.
Based in Fredericksburg, Haven Studio serves clients throughout the Texas Hill Country, including Kerrville, Boerne, Llano, Johnson City, Blanco, and surrounding communities.
DESIGNED with intention, crafted with care.
Haven Studio is based in the heart of Fredericksburg, where historic Sunday houses, native limestone, German architecture, agricultural traditions, and wine-country hospitality have shaped a design language unlike anywhere else.
FAQs
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Every project is different, but full-service design is a layered process that may include space planning, design development, sourcing, procurement, construction coordination, and installation.
We establish a realistic timeline around the property, scope, and project team from the beginning so you understand what each stage requires.
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We begin by understanding the complete property, how you want to live or host there, and what the space needs to accomplish.
From there, we develop the plan, establish a clear design direction, coordinate the details, and guide the project through implementation so each decision supports the larger vision.
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Interior design begins long before furnishings are selected.
Space planning, circulation, lighting, architectural details, construction decisions, and the relationship between rooms all shape how a property ultimately works.
Bringing Haven Studio in early allows us to help strengthen the plan before important decisions become difficult or expensive to change.
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As early as possible.
We can help evaluate a property, strengthen the plan, identify missed opportunities, and guide important design and investment decisions before they’re built into the project.
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Absolutely, yes.
We assess the guest experience, property condition, market position, amenities, flow, and visual story to identify the improvements most likely to strengthen its appeal and performance.
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We specialize in private homes, seasonal retreats, vacation rentals, short-term rental properties, and select boutique hospitality spaces in Fredericksburg and the Texas Hill Country.
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Yes. Our expertise includes historic homes and properties, adaptive reuse, local approval processes, renovations, and additions that preserve meaningful character while supporting modern life.
See what your property could become…
Whether you’re considering a purchase, planning a full renovation, creating a family retreat, or repositioning a guest property, the right direction begins before the first selection is made.
Let’s uncover the story, opportunity, and full potential already waiting within your property.