This French Classic on Armstrong Ave. is an excellent example of a forever home. It was designed by architect Lloyd Lumpkins and built by Jennifer Duncan. You may remember our post in 2019 on this dream team’s project at 4337 Westway, deemed one of D Magazine‘s, “Most Beautiful Homes in Dallas.”
A forever home is one we can imagine ourselves in for a lifetime. They are timeless in design, not trendy, solidly built, and flexible. When you spot one, you will know.
The forever home is essentially a family home – where people will have their children, watch them grow up, and then retire into. It needs to be somewhere that can handle any changes life throws at it, be it surprise triplets, parents moving in when they get older, or the children moving out.
Jessica Simpson, Strutt & Parker
Making a French Classic Forever Home
Lumpkins was just launching his firm in 2007 after several years with Fusch Architects when he began working with Duncan on this 12,234-square-foot, six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom French Classic.
Duncan loved the neighborhood and wanted to build a home for her young family. The location was perfect: half an acre on a corner lot, within a few blocks of Knox Street, and, of course, with access to Highland Park schools.
“We tried to be very precise and articulate in the execution of it so it fits the classical vocabulary correctly,” Lumpkins said. It has a sense of authenticity, from the cast stone pediment at the top of the exterior to the beautiful arched timber trusses in the great room.
The groin-vaulted galleries in this French Classic on the second floor are a signature element in Lumpkins designs.
“I always try to segregate a house from public to private, and galleries are the perfect tool to act as a transition zone,” Lumpkins said. “It’s fun to work with Jennifer. She always wants to build interesting houses and builds to the highest standards.”
And remember what we’ve always said. When you have the opportunity to purchase a home a builder created for their family, it’s the smartest investment you can make.
Allie Beth Allman & Associates’ Elizabeth Wisdom has this French Classic 3518 Armstrong Ave. available for $10.995 million.
