His Decision to Go Remote Called for a $180,000 Library Remodel

• makeshift
• set about
• enlisted
• full-home overhaul
• primary bedroom
• caveat
• pitch black (it remains pitch black during the day)
• millwork
• run out of room
• upholstered
• swivel
• comestible
• bring a warmth to the space
• fumed oak finish
• shelves and nooks
• bust
• enliven
• wall sconce

 

 

 

 

His Decision to Go Remote Called for a $180,000 Library Remodel

An Austin-based hedge funder went big on a calm, relaxing space

A home library remodel in Austin’s West Lake Hills, Texas. LINDSAY BROWN

By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar

Jan. 29, 2024 9:00 pm ET

 

The year 2022 was one of many firsts for 59-year-old entrepreneur and hedge-fund manager Mohnish Pabrai. It was the year he celebrated one year of his company’s relocation from California to Austin, moved into his new home in Austin’s West Lake Hills, and made the decision to work exclusively from home. “During Covid, I was forced to work remotely and I found that I was actually more productive. That carried through when we moved to Austin,” says Pabrai, who purchased the Austin property in 2021 for $6.3 million, for himself and his partner, pediatric rheumatologist Dr. Emilina Lim, 54.

At the time, Pabrai’s library, from where he worked, was a makeshift space upstairs that could hardly accommodate his enormous book collection. With a view to expand the footprint and give the room some character, he set about finding an interior designer who could help him realize his vision. Soon, a search on 

Yelp

 led him to interior-designer Suzanna Santostefano, whom he enlisted for a full-home overhaul.

For the primary bedroom next to the library, Pabrai had a caveat—as a habitual afternoon napper, he required that the room have no windows so it could remain pitch black during the day. Santostefano honored the request by reconfiguring the original layout and designating floor-to-ceiling bookcases in the library as outer walls to the primary bedroom. She also specified a deep blue color for the library walls and millwork to create a calm and relaxing vibe.

“Because my previous library in California had proved too small, we more than doubled the capacity of our Austin one. I keep buying books, but I don’t think we’ll run out of room for decades to come,” says Pabrai. 

Here are some features of the $180,000 library that Pabrai says serves as the home’s crown jewel.

 

 

 

Chair
A Lawson-Fenning Mesa swivel chair, upholstered in Elitis’s Esprit Fragment, takes center stage. 'I love this chair for its soft lines. Those seated can swivel around to take advantage of the panoramic view,' says Santostefano. // Price: $5,336

Table
A Stahl + Band Spule side table in walnut provides a surface for coffee and comestibles and brings a warmth to the space. // Price: $2,125

Countertops
Santostefano chose Primavera marble for the countertops for their gorgeous veins of blue and orange. 'It reminded me of blue cheese,' she says. // Price: $11,000

Flooring
Fumed, hand-finished oak panels from DuChateau’s Vernal collection characterize the floor. // Price: $25,000

Millwork
Custom millwork defines the walls, revealing shelves and nooks for Pabrai’s books and treasures, including a bust of businessman Charlie Munger, a poster of his grandfather (a once-famous magician), and a painting of Buddha by an artist in India. Farrow and Ball’s Hague Blue enlivens the walls. // Price: $130,000

Lights
Come sundown, Raval wall sconces by Urban Electric channel a dazzling airport runway. // Price: $17,094

Books
Many of the books in Pabrai’s collection were bought over 40 years ago. Notable ones include 'Margin of Safety' by Seth Klarman and Sol Price’s biography by Robert E. Price, both first and only editions. // Price: Estimated at $200,000 for entire collection

 

PHOTOS: LINDSAY BROWN