Another travel-inspired creation by Spaller Glover, The Delphine evokes the storybook charm of New Orleans, with a little brass-band spirit and a lot of character. Adjacent to Bouldin Creek in South Austin, it captures that romance in soft white and gentle sage-gray.

A beautifully landscaped entry sets the tone: a broad stepped path leads through stone-edged beds of flowering plants and tall evergreens to a deep blue front door. Scroll-cut bargeboards lace the gables above quatrefoil-topped pointed-arch windows, while diamond-cut roof shingles, sculptural corbels and porthole windows add storybook charm. An ornate white mailbox is ready to make the mail carrier smile.

This three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath residence has an easy elegance inside, with herringbone floors, 10-foot ceilings, thoughtful paneling and ceiling medallions. A fretwork arch frames the kitchen, where marble, warm brass and leaded glass surround a furniture-style island.

A sculptural staircase leads to two bedrooms sharing a harlequin-tiled bath with a porthole above the tub. Beneath the gables, the primary suite brings together marble checkerboard flooring, an arched shower opening and a quatrefoil window framing the treetops. A draped alcove and shell-inspired sconces add a final touch of romance.

An affection for the past with the comforts of a newly built home, minutes from South Congress, South Lamar and downtown Austin.