At Home With the Eichstadts
By Elizabeth Bobbitt
Photography by Paola Longoria
For Andress and Alex Eichstadt and their two daughters, Ebby (8) and Ramsey (10), the idea of “home” encompasses a host of much-loved spaces that span across state lines and creative workspaces. When it comes to a firmly established family base, however, Alex and Andress are proud to call 78209 their home.
“We fell in love with being near family and the beautiful community here. We have been so impressed with all of the teachers at Howard and Cambridge,” Andress says.
Ebby is currently in the Spanish Immersion program at Cambridge, while Ramsey plays basketball at the Factory of Champions, a multi-use court facility for kids. Her team recently won the EuroLeague championship, led by coach Michael Smolka.
“As parents, we appreciate the many opportunities that 78209 offers our girls. We want to introduce our kids to a variety of activities, and here we have access to all of those valuable learning experiences,” Alex says.
Finding Adventure Together
The Eichstadts split their time between Alamo Heights and the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, where they oversee three Airbnb rental properties.
“We spend our summers and our falls in Asheville, where the girls attend an ecology-focused school, before making the move back to 78209 at Christmas,” Andress says.
The Eichstadts appreciate the perspective of living in two different communities.
“In some ways, Asheville and 78209 are completely different, but in others, they are very similar. They are both tight-knit communities. Both are very safe and offer great schools. We have appreciated both cultures,” Andress says.
Andress and Alex met in Dallas the same week that Andress moved there to start her master’s degree at SMU.
“One thing that drew both of us to each other was our sense of adventure,” Andress says.
“And we keep having adventures,” Alex laughs.
Soon after Andress and Alex married, Alex’s work at FM Global took them to England, where they lived in Windsor for three years.
“We moved to England when Ramsey was six weeks old, and Ebby was born in London,” Andress says.
After returning to the United States, Andress and Alex moved to Providence, Rhode Island, before settling in their characterful Alamo Heights home, built in the 1930s.
“We feel a very sentimental connection to the history of our home. We’ve kept a collection of recipes that the original family that owned the house left taped inside one of the cupboard doors in the kitchen. I just love them being there,” says Alex.
A Partnership in Design and Real Estate
Andress and Alex have a deep appreciation for the details of their home both as a personal space, but also as a place that forges community connection. This sensibility carries over into their professional lives.
“Every house in Alamo Heights is unique. It’s not a cookie-cutter neighborhood,” Alex says.
Andress is the co-owner of BY Design Home Staging Company, a female-owned, family-run business specializing in helping homeowners, real estate agents, and investors prepare properties for sale at all price points. Andress is also the CEO of Staging Studio, a training program for aspiring home stagers. Alex currently works in real estate investment. Together, they make a formidable team.
“We have leveraged our design and real estate expertise to work on some really exciting projects. Our work is very much a partnership,” Andress says.
For the Eichstadts, the BY Design warehouse and showroom has become another family home. Hidden amongst the pristine collections of bedrooms, kitchens, and living areas is Ebby’s and Ramsey’s very own “HQ,” decorated with a desk, comfy chairs, and a T-Rex shaped light fixture. This is where they come on weekends and school holidays to work at the showroom, but it is also a place where the Eichstadts come to enjoy family time.
“We have epic hide-and-seek games here,” Andress says.
