Our Inwood Home of the Week at 6843 Lorna Lane is the Bauhaus masterpiece known as The Contemporary House. It holds a place of honor as one of the homes constructed for the 1936 Texas Centennial. Built by Mayflower Investment Company, it was considered to be one of the most cutting-edge designs of the era and it’s still one of the most cutting-edge homes in Dallas.
Walter Gropius was a German architect that is credited with launching the modern movement in 1919. He believed form and function were equally important, so he created the Bauhaus school to combine fine arts and craft with the concept of creating a total work of art, regardless of the medium. Bauhaus became one of the most influential styles not just in architecture, but also in art, graphic design, and interior design. In Gropius’ own words:
“Let us strive for, conceive and create the new building of the future that will unite every discipline, architecture and sculpture and painting, and which will one day rise heavenwards from the million hands of craftsmen as a clear symbol of a new belief to come.”
With the advent of World War II, the Bauhaus school was closed in Germany and many of the prominent members including Gropius, Michel Breuer, Josef and Anni Albers, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, emigrated to America to teach. They influenced a generation of young American architects.
Of course, it takes an owner with taste and style to appreciate a home like this. Fortunately, this Bauhaus home has had the benefit of being owned by architects who not only appreciated the design but also knew the correct way to renovate and add the square footage modern homeowners need.
Almost 1,200 square feet was added to the back of the house.
“The expansion pivots off of the former circular kitchen nook, allowing for a large multi-use room downstairs, and a master bedroom upstairs,” listing agent David Bush said.
The kitchen was renovated as well as a second-floor bathroom. The house now boasts 4,136 square feet, four bedrooms, and four bathrooms.
One of the defining elements of Bauhaus are banks of windows. These are commercial, double-paned windows, and they overlook both front and back yards.
The present owners installed a pool several years ago that looks as if it has been there since the home was built. It’s situated perfectly — in relationship to the two 100-year-old mountain cedar trees in the backyard.
This Bahaus home is one of the most architecturally significant houses in Dallas, so we won’t be surprised if it’s already under contract for the $1.299 million asking price.
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
