It’s not surprising, and it’s also oddly satisfying, to find out that the nationally recognized artists who created the famous Bird sculptures in a Highland Park treehouse.
You know these Birds!
These sculptures, and so many more, are the creations of Brad Oldham and his wife and artistic partner Christy Coltrin. Their sculptures, including Waiting on a Train, The Traveling Man — Awakening, and Traveling Man —Walking Tall, in Deep Ellum, have become Dallas icons, as familiar to visitors as the venerable Pegasus.
Self-described fearless fabricators and place makers, they have certainly transformed and personalized their Highland Park treehouse into quite the place.
Pete stands ever-vigilant behind the handmade, heavy-gauge steel doors.
Most weekends find them in the garage, elbow-deep in projects. Those include the garage, of course. When you open the doors, you essentially enter into a piece of art. The interior is blue and there is a multi-colored honeycomb pattern on the back wall.
There is a little bit of a surprise around every corner of this Highland Park treehouse. Some are flights of fancy, and some are immensley practical.
On the practical side, there is an item every household needs as we have almost-daily deliveries now.
“I love the parcel box downstairs,” Christy said. “Deliveries are dropped into it, and we can retrieve them from inside. It’s like Christmas every day when you open the door!”
And when their fancy takes flight, you can bet birds are involved. When the couple closed on their home ten years ago, there was what can only be considered a good omen.
“Two red-tailed hawks were circling outside,” Christy said. “We wanted to capture that moment, so we made stainless steel bird windows for the vaulted ceiling wall that leads from the dining room and encloses a third-floor bedroom. It’s like a big cookie cutter that allows light in during the day and glows at night.”
One of the things the couple enjoys most is the treehouse aspect you can only get in a three-story home.
“We love our bedroom,” Brad said. “It’s on the top floor, with two big windows. You feel like you are floating up in a treehouse. It’s really quiet, and on those cool fall days, you can open the windows, feel the breeze, and hear the birds.”
“My all-time favorite part of the house is our bathrooms,” Christy said. “We are going to have to recreate them in our next home. We made the white tile behind the tub and Brad created the stainless steel inserts.”
“It was a riff off of a tile pattern I created for a Britney Spears feature in Cosmopolitan magazine,” Brad said. “I got a call asking for a couple of design patterns to mimic a bathroom wall!”
This talented duo is on to their next project in Greenway Parks. That time spent sheltering-in-place made them think about how much they enjoyed creating this home.
“We worked on it for ten years and loved the process,” Christy said. “We want to do it all over again!”
This Highland Park treehouse has 2,199 square feet, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and is within the Highland Park ISD.
“It’s one of the best locations in Dallas,” Brad said. “It backs up to the Katy Trail and is a three-minute walk to Toulouse restaurant. We’ve loved this house so much. It will be sad to leave because it has so much of us in it.”
“I feel like I need to write a letter to the new owners and tell them all the things I love,” Christy said. “For instance, Brad made an artistic, sculptural laundry line that is hidden out of view. It’s the coolest thing!”
You may have noticed SpeedBird perched on the corner of a balcony in the first photo. He may be able to keep that perch. Brad posted this on Instagram yesterday:
Call Keller Williams Realtor Kim Hammond and she’ll be happy to get your signature on the contract for 4612 Abbott, priced at $739,000.
I hope you get to keep SpeedBird!
