If you look at this home long enough, your imagination will run away with itself. It’s like a Rorschach test — what you see is what you see, and there’s no wrong answer.
Is this John Barthel-designed Midcentury Modern a spaceship? Is it an airplane? To me, the home looks like an origami crane as it begins to unfold. Or what about a bird that’s about to take off from a perch? See? No wrong answers.
The only thing more distinctive than this 1959-built Midcentury Modern home’s dramatically gabled roofline is the spaces within. There are definitely some Eichler vibes going on with the 20-foot windows that bring in views of what listing agent David Griffin & Company Realtor Brandon Stewart calls the “park-like landscape.”
“John Barthel designed it in his twenties and lived there the rest of his life. He was not only a talented architect but an accomplished artist as well,” Stewart said. “One of his works is on the back of the door to the closet in the entry. We tried to get it flipped around for the photos but didn’t make it in time. It will be an Easter egg for the new owner.”
While a lot of the home has been sensitively updated over time, what remains intact includes the kitchen cabinetry, the original mosaic tile in the bathrooms — Stewart notes that the original square tub is in the guest bath — and the fabulous brick fireplace. The merging of old and new is so seamless that it’s no wonder that this home received an AIA Dallas Design Award in 2002.
“I think the roof is probably what is most original with the home,” Stewart said. “Most Midcentury Moderns have a flat or very low pitch roof. Not this baby — John wanted to make a statement, and that he did. The lines are incredible! Amazingly it’s actually really functional as well. The steep pitch sheds water very well. Mr. Barthel created a timeless piece of architecture, and that’s not an easy feat to accomplish.”
New hardwood flooring, Kitchen Aid appliances, Kohler sinks, custom blinds, Nest smart home systems, and a fire pit were all added during updates. We do love that this home has a fabulous loft accessed by a spiral staircase at the back of the home — it’s the perfect spot for a play area or a home office.
The last time we wrote about this home was back in 2011 and it was priced at $475,000. Obviously, this architect-designed Highland Meadows Midcentury Modern has appreciated since then, because Stewart has the four-bedroom, two-bath, 2,474-square foot 8931 Capri Court listed for $750,000. The neighborhood, of course, gets some of the credit.
“Highland Meadows is a bit of an undiscovered jewel of a neighborhood. There are many amazing Midcentury Modern homes there and it’s why I bought there in 2005. I still own the home but had to get something larger when my kiddos came along,” Stewart said. “The Capri home is in the best part of the neighborhood. There are three Ju-Nels in the block by this home. It’s so heavily treed and private that you’d never know you were in Dallas.”
Fins to The Left?
No word on whether the shark hanging at where the roof peaks can be negotiated into the purchase, but we love that the home wasn’t staged to be homogenous. The decor in this unique home was left for us to enjoy, including the extra-terrestrial in the living room. As Stewart reports, the seller is is the artist who designed the star robot in the Iron Giant movie.
(Bonus Points: Can you find the wishbone?)
