North of Austin in the town of Leander, you’ll find a neighborhood unlike any other being built right now. Nestled in the hills, north of the city, Starlight Village fuses all the excitement and flair of Mid-Century Modern (MCM) architecture with 21st-century floor plans and amenities. That’s right, these homes are intentionally designed to look like you stepped into a 1960’s neighborhood. From the curb, these homes will have vintage features like flat planes, large glass windows, and open, covered garage ports. Interiors offer open floor plans, updated appliances, and customizable design options.

The brainchild of veteran father and son, Willie and Michael Kopecky, Starlight Village is a sentimental project. “Michael says that the MCM style reminds him of his childhood, growing up in military housing and moving around the country,” said Lynda Jones of KLM Custom Homes. “While Michael has a lot of knowledge about the style and era, it is important to his dad, Willie, that he have a good and trustworthy company to support him in this project.” Enter KLM Custom Homes, the company that hopes to bring his vision to life.

Opening in Spring 2016, this subdivision will consist of 29 detached properties ranging from 1300 to 3000 square feet in 8 authentic retro styles. Integrating itself into its native Texas Hill Country, the amenities will include landscaped grounds, a quarter-mile walking trail, off-leash dog park, natural half-acre preserve and an MCM inspired community pool pavilion with sun shelf and tree-lined deck.

Perhaps one of the more interesting features of the community is its “lock and walk” mentality. The HOA takes care of home exteriors and grounds much like a condo complex, despite all homes being standalone structures. There are three levels of design that purchasers can choose, starting in the mid 200’s with standard features (polished concrete floors, delta baths and vanities, and modern appliances) and going up in price depending on the level of customization and finishes desired.

“Starlight’s unique take on community has driven a genuinely creative neighborhood concept,” says Lynda Jones. “At the Village, you can design your own space-age dream home with customizable design options ranging from lofts, flex rooms, additional bedrooms, finish levels and even your own roofline. Park under a floating house. Walk through a glass atrium entry. Prop your feet up on a floating fire bench. Foam a latte in a chef’s kitchen with 11’ island and built-in café. Live in a separate master wing. Entertain in your private open-air patio. You can have it all at Starlight.”

We think the concept is attractive, and we’re not the only ones. “As a custom home builder, our requests for this style have been on the increase,” says Jones. “I also picked it up from some of the realtor forums that I follow. I heard comments like ‘I showed clients 15 different new home communities today and they all look alike! Somebody, please build something different!’” The trend from MCM style homes is popular in Austin, and they felt the people of Williamson County were ready for this kind of neighborhood. Additionally, people who are getting priced out of Austin-proper can get this style of home at a lower price than they would find in the city.

While Starlight Village hasn’t begun construction quite yet, they are hoping to start building units by the end of February. They are already receiving a lot of interest from potential homebuyers, and it seems like their Coco Beach plan is already a favorite. So the real question is would you buy a custom mid-century-modern home in Leander?