This is one of those homes that filmmakers love. The symmetry, the style, and the detail of this Highland Park Traditional are representative of the All-American look that is so hard to find today. I know because for many years I was tasked with scouring Dallas for films and commercials being shot here.
This is a textbook example of a coveted film location.
Updating a Highland Park Traditional
Let’s be honest. It’s getting harder and harder to tell new construction homes apart because there is generally nothing distinctive about them. The lack of creativity and character and the ever-increasing imbalance between house and yard are depressing.
Thank goodness we still have owners who value their original homes and have carefully updated and expanded them.
This 1948 Highland Park Traditional was fully renovated in 2019. The owners called on the talents of architect Wilson Fuqua and interior designer Cathy Kincaid. You could not find two professionals more suited to a project like this.
Fuqua has an unmatched depth of knowledge about Highland Park architecture and has long been inspired by its early 20th-century homes. Kincaid has always been known for her commitment to restoring older homes and making them work for today’s modern lifestyle.
The ceilings of this Highland Park Traditional were vaulted in two living areas and the principal bedroom, which dramatically increased the feeling of spaciousness. Dormers were added in the main living area to increase light flow.
“We also vaulted and widened the hallway, expanding it to the exterior, and added on to the kitchen,” Fuqua said. “We lined up the doors so you can see through the house, added a whole bank of windows in the kitchen, and improved the overall light in the entire house.”
Kincaid’s design is always refreshing because it is not in your face. She is a genius at combining the right mix of old and new design elements to create a tasteful, comfortable, and livable environment.
Of course, all the things you don’t see were also updated, including all new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, foam insulation, a slate roof, and a whole-house hot water system as well as a Control 4 home automation system.
This beautiful Highland Park Traditional now has 5,663 square feet with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a powder bath. The exterior was updated with a pool and spa and an outdoor sitting area.
A Home Worth Preserving
The outcome was so magnificent that the Realtor who sold the owners the property, Pete Livingston, helped Fuqua get the home registered as a landmark with Park Cities Preservation.
So we have a fully restored, original home that’s a landmark property. I mean, what more can you ask for? Don’t be surprised if a film scout comes knocking on your door, wanting to pay you a nice hefty location fee to use the facade for a movie or a commercial.
Compass Real Estate’s Burton Rhodes has 4255 Westway Ave. listed for $6.2 million.
