It should not be surprising to know we are preservation enthusiasts here at Daltxrealestate.com. We are always looking for a great home that’s been saved from the wrecking ball. Our Inwood Home of the Week, at 5437 West Mockingbird Lane is a minimal traditional in one of our favorite neighborhoods, Greenway Parks. And it has undergone a stunning makeover.
A lot of folks would have torn this home down and built some monolithic monstrosity. So, we are over the moon that Alison Kirkpatrick fell in love with it and has given this lovely minimal traditional a new life.
The minimal traditional style was popular in the 1930s and 1940s. It blends colonial and modern styles and is a quintessentially American look. It’s a bit more relaxed and functional yet still based on classical architecture. Ornamentation certainly existed, but in a restrained manner. This house offers an excellent example of that restraint in the latticework glass on the front of the home.
When Kirkpatrick stumbled upon this minimal traditional two-story in 2015, it was in foreclosure. “I taped my name and number to the window,” Kirkpatrick said. “I knew it was my house. I had a vision for it, and I was so afraid it would be torn down. You cannot recreate 1940s charm or that curb appeal.”
Kirkpatrick took the house down to the studs and added 1,200 square feet to the back of the home to create a family area and upstairs master suite. Kirkpatrick has a knack for this as she’s an interior consultant. Design and renovations are not only her business, but they are also her passion. The house is now 4,203 square feet with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a delightfully bold powder bath wrapped in bright Clarke & Clarke wallpaper with a hot pink ceiling!
“We kept a lot of the traditional aspects, but updated for a modern family,” Kirkpatrick said. “The three front rooms are original and largely intact. We added new fireplace tile in the formal living room and left the crown molding in place in these rooms.”
One of the many lovely discoveries was the area now used as a home office. It was undoubtedly an enclosed porch. During the renovation process. Kirkpatrick uncovered the original wood plank ceiling. She designed cabinets and added a window seat to the room creating a cozy and luxurious workspace.
Allie Beth Allman listing agent Shelby James has worked with Kirkpatrick before.
“She has a unique touch,” James said.“She has an ability to recognize what works now versus what worked three years ago. She is ahead of the curve. I call it the Allison Effect!”
While the interior will knock your socks off, let’s not forget this home has a lot of privacy despite fronting Mockingbird Lane. There is not a home directly behind this one, so the backyard is entirely private, as is the side yard.
“It’s a great party house,” Kirkpatrick said. “The previous owner had parties in the side yard. I met the former owner’s twin sister. Her family all came over and walked the house and were so pleased with how it looked.” That’s the real stamp of approval when a former owner’s family loves what you’ve done!
“I poured my heart and soul into this house, “Kirkpatrick said. “I think there is a happy blend and balance to the rooms.”
We are in complete agreement. The house is listed for $ 1.398 million, which is a steal in our book.
Open house: Sunday, July 1, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager for more than 25 years and a professional writer for 20 years. Karen is the mother of a son who’s studying music at The University of Miami. An ardent animal lover, she doesn’t mind one bit if your fur baby jumps right into her lap. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com
