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Mid-Century David Braden Home On OOCCL Fall Tour

David Braden, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, was one of a whole generation of gifted architects in Dallas during the middle part of the last century, gifted enough so that George Dahl chose his firm into which to merge his own when he was ready to step back from running his own firm.  Although much of Braden’s work has been non-residential, you will have the opportunity to tour Braden’s very own house during this year’s Old Oak Cliff Conservation League Fall Home Tour, October 10 and 11.  It is said that the cantilevered deck was one of the first in Dallas–caught on pretty well, I’d say.

Casa View Oaks

I’m back–temporarily–to help Candy out as she takes care of family business.

I’m always amazed at how many tucked-away neighborhoods there are in Dallas that I’ve never heard of.  With really good architecture.

Just drove over to an area that I guess might be called Casa View Oaks, in an area of east Dallas that can only appreciate, near Ferguson and Oates.  There’s quite a pocket of Cliff May-designed houses over there that are crying out for young families to come on in, buy a house for next to nothing, do some restoration work, and end up with affordable architectural significance.

Cliff May, who is sometimes referred to as the Father of the California Ranch House, practiced throughout the mid century (20th, right).  His houses were notable for their close connection between interior and exterior spaces, which tends not to be the case with the ranch houses we all grew up in.  The houses over in Casa View Oaks clearly have it.  One current listing, 2651 Andrea Lane, is on the market for $146,000 and has been a hot topic over at livemodern.com.   Take a look at the photos.

House Porn: Lazy By The Lake

7115 Brookshire Court, 4/4, formals, pool and greenhouse, 4067 square feet built in 1966 on almost three quarters of an acre in North Dallas with private lake and fountain in the backyard. $1,295,000 offered by Priscilla Garcia, Mathews Nichols Group for Allie Beth Allman. (Thought this looked like a nice way to spend your weekend.)

Before You Put Up That Daria Gate…

Dear former President George and Laura Bush: You may wish to check out Doug Newby’s 10240 Gaywood listing before you go to all the trouble of moving everything into Daria Place. Not that we don’t love your new home from what we can see of it, but check this out: 2.63 acres that also backs up to the combined near 50 acres of Mr. Phillips’ and the Hicks spread, classical mid-century modern design by architect Scott Lyons, a protege of O’Neil Ford. This home has 9902 square feet, a 3800 square foot guest house, pool, standing seam metal roof just like Crawford, and more trees than even Daria Drive. By the way, Lyons designed homes for Eugene and Margaret McDermott and Dan Williams. This home is a wee bit more than Daria — $6,982,000 — but maybe they’ll make you a deal!

O’Neil Ford 1948

One of the godfathers of Dallas architecture was O’Neil Ford, one of the great Texas regionalists.  He understood the Texas climate, culture and sensibilities, and he imbued all of his work with them.  Preservation Dallas hosted a tour Saturday morning that included the Jerry Bywaters house.  John Lunsford worked with Bywaters at the Dallas Museum of Fine Art and he regaled us with tales of the amazing artists who visited the house: Miguel Covarrubias, Otis Dozier, Salvador Dali.  And I swear–must have been that it was the Day of the Dead–that all of their spirits inhabit that house.

One of the great things about the house is that, although it was built as a modest-sized house, Ford designed a second story and engineered the foundation with that in mind.  The fortunate person who buys this house gets an architectural gem, a cultural landmark, and a great view of the lake.  More photos can be found at 3625 Amherst.

Frank Welch

There is no architect in town I hold in higher regard than Frank Welch.  He more than anyone else in his generation was able to take the work of his mentors and earlier Texas regionalists–O’Neil Ford and David Williams spring to mind–and design truly regionalist houses.

In addition to being (I think) a great architect, Frank is an author, an artist, an extraordinary photographer and a generous teacher.

I was sitting at his feet in this picture and happy to have had the opportunity to do so yet again.  The shot was taken at the wonderful David Williams house at 3718 Lovers Lane during the Preservation Dallas tour this morning.

Nov. 1: Walking Tour of Regional Texas Houses

Get your walking shoes ready.

Dallas Center For Architecture

While I was trying to figure out which downtown condos were going to survive last night, Dianna Wray was doing some actual interviewing of Peter Doncaster, the young Booziotis architect responsible for the cool interiors and that neato glass wall at 1909 Woodall Rogers Freeway: there is a pattern, Doncaster told me, to the folds, and it is stationary. Reminds me of one of those vinyl accordian doors that were used a lot in 1960’s tract homes, only created out of glass.

D Home Most Beautiful Home In October Architectural Digest

We here at D Home do have good taste, if I may say so myself. Which is why I was not at all surprised to crack open my October Architectural Digest and see a beautiful story on John and Jennifer Eagle’s home, 5243 Park Lane, designed by architect Edward Durell Stone and recently resurrected by Russell Buchanan and David Cadwallader. It’s named as one of our Ten Most Beautiful Homes In Dallas. If you’ve got the October, 2008 AD issue and September DH, check it out… Meantime, I’m going to put a call through to Robert and Jan Crandall, former 5243 Park owners, and see what they think of the article.

House Porn: The Telephone Nook

Once upon a time, boys and girls, people had one or two telephones in their homes and guess what — everyone used the same phone! One was in the hallway, one in the kitchen. Most homes were built with these little nooks in the hallway (right next to the family bath they also shared, tomorrow’s lesson) to house the telephone and the telephone directory.

4512 Isabella: About The Neighbors…

Look at this comment regarding 4512 Isabella, House Porn I posted last week:

“I’ve heard from several well-placed sources that this home is grossly overpriced, even now with its price reduction. Also heard comments about unusual choices, etc. If you zoomed out on that pic, you’d also notice the neighbors homes look like 1970’s ranch houses. Great home if you want to stick out like a sore thumb!”

 I find this a fascinating comment. When we moved into our Hillcrest Estates neighborhood eight years ago, we were surrounded by 1950’s ranches, with the exception of one neighbor’s circa 1980’s home. Today we still have the ’80’s neighbor and the one on the other side, who is hardly ever at home (don’t get me started). We have one tick tacky ranch catty corner that has to go. This home is like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard  after a plane crash. Once someone’s mid-century modern jewel, she moans for the dumpster. Not only has this home not been loved, it’s been abused — crystal meth, bad tricks. The day that house goes you can all come party chez moi. But I digress: my point is the others are gone. Vamoosh. Two ranches towards Northaven, adios. Ranch across the street, bye bye. More scrapers bit the dust further down the street. My point, which you already know, is that 4512 Isabella is a pioneer. Never mind those 1970’s ranches — unless we are all in bread lines with Warren Buffet and Bill Gates serving up soup, those houses will go eventually.

Video 101: How To Really Showcase A Listing

OK this is a great video of really pretty house porn Real Estate. Only… I have a few nit-picky bitchy complaints. Like, well, maybe you’ll see for yourself.

Guess The ‘Hood

If I seem less prolific, it is because we are all working hard on the October issue of D Home. I am working on (surprise surprise) wonderful neighborhoods in our city where you can find great values from the lower $200K to $2 million: something for everyone. So I found this STEAL — brick house, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, with this back yard salt water pool for $245,000 and I ask you, where did I find it in Dallas County?????

Tony’s Breakfast-Of-Champions Room

Where he’ll eat his Wheaties.

Tony’s Dining Room

I’m thinking a bigger table here, twelve chairs, agree?

Attention Shoppers: Blue Light Special, Corner Mockingbird and Central Expressway

An agent tells me that the folks selling the Palomar have lowered their prices to a point where the units may be moving or at the very least, getting a lot of attention:

“Major price slashing in the last week at the Palomar Residences.  They were grossly overpriced from the start and haven’t been selling, so maybe this will start the ball rolling.  Some of the more expensive condos have been cut by 30% or more, like a $1,315,000 unit that is now $880,000.  The hotel seems to be doing well and is getting very good reviews, but the developer seriously overestimated the condo prices that this location could achieve.  The current $250/sq.ft. is much more appropriate than $400.”

My question: who’s financing them?

Say Goodbye To The Stanley Marcus Home? Tell Me Nonesuch Thing

Unfair Park is reporting that the owners of the (former) Stanley Marcus home at 10 Nonesuch Road in East Dallas want to demolish the 70 year old house. The couple, Mark and Patty Lovvorn, say it is no longer economically feasible to keep 10 Nonesuch Road (Is it ever economically feasible to keep a house? I spent the weekend making a list of everything that needs to be done over here, then made a pitcher of margaritas, which was far easier to do) and in fact would like to build a more energy efficient home on the site. (Hmmm maybe they got my electric bill by mistake.) I have not called them, but I did look up the ownership of the home. I assume the house is under a trust or family limited liability partnership since I could find no record of the Lovvorn’s ownership. Comments? Ideas? Thoughts?

Mid Century Modern North Dallas

Love the brick, love the lines, love the street:3539 Ainsworth, North Dallas, where we used to live. Built in 1954, which was a very good year, Cliff May design, asking $292,500, 1900 square feet, Ed Murchison Virginia Cook… this one’s still available.

Mid Century Modern Is Hot Hot Hot

Love Atomic Home, you’ll want to devour this Kiest Woods beauty. I was so impressed with the Robert E. Davies bones and the price — $199,900 — that I selected this home for my September D Home Hot Properties column. But it sold right from under me for $175,000. Needs some TLC. Maybe even an intervention. But hec, there’s a back-up contract. Hot area.