It’s not often you find a home that blends what I consider the best of both worlds — French architecture and Southern charm. This McKinney French chateau is grand enough to please the most discerning Francophile, but it also has just the right elements of Southern charm. In other words, it’s pretty darned perfect.
Named “Chateau Lumier” by the present owners, it was custom built in 2011 by Sharif & Munir. In case you are new to Dallas, Sharif & Munir Custom Homes have been building in Dallas for over 40 years. Their reputation for uncompromising quality and outstanding design is unparalleled.
Sitting on over 15 acres, this McKinney French chateau at 1201 Gray Branch Road has 14,665 square feet, eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and three powder baths. There are also guest quarters, garage space for five automobiles, and five additional covered areas.
A Design Pedigree
Add into the mix that this McKinney French chateau was designed by the Vice President of Dallas Design Group, Tracy Rasor. This company has been serving the Metroplex for four decades. They’ve seen it all and done it all — flawlessly, of course.
“My design goal in this house was to have Southern charm, but also give the owners the French sophistication they wanted,” Rasor said. She worked on the home for three years, from the ceremonial first turn of the shovel into the dirt. She specified everything from elevations, to moldings, to light fixtures.
Her treasure hunt for then home resulted in some rare discoveries. “I found an old antique altarpiece carving and built it into the front of the kitchen bar and incorporated it into the actual wall. It was meant to be in this house,” Rasor said.
A Home For Family, Too
Although this is a decidedly opulent home, children figure prominently into the lifestyle of the house. Rasor built a miniature house into the wall of one of the children’s bedrooms as an enchanting play area.
This McKinney French chateau is everything you imagine it to be from the photographs, and they can only tell half the story. You must see it because it does have it all, and McKinney is the place to be now. It was voted the best place to live in America by Money Magazine in 2014. It’s one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation consistently ranked as a safe, friendly community with quality schools and excellent economic development.
Compass Real Estate listing agents Debra Brown and Jonathan Rosen have this gorgeous McKinney French chateau at 1201 Gray Branch Road on offer for $9.995 million.
Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager and writer for over 25 years. Karen teaches the popular Staging to Sell class and is the creator of the online course, The Beginners Guide to Buying Wholesale. Her love of all dogs, international travel, good chocolate, great champagne, and historic homes knows no bounds. Her father was a spy, so she keeps secrets very well!
