When you think of the name “Montserrat,” you may imagine I’m going to tell you about a vacation home in the beautiful Spanish mountain community or on the Caribbean island with the same name.
No. This Montserrat is better because fewer people know about it, and that’s part of the attraction.
Our Montserrat is one of Texas’s most coveted, private, gated communities. The neighborhood is perched on 150-foot cliffs, high above Mary’s Creek. It is of the highest points in Tarrant County, so you see those breathtaking Texas sunsets every evening.
People come here for luxury, of course, but the views are what sets Montserrat apart.
What’s in a name?
Years ago, Texas Wesleyan University owned this land and planned to relocate its campus here. When Fort Worth leaders persuaded them to stay in the city, they sold the land to the Serrat family. Now you understand the name. It’s essentially located on a mountain top (mont), and with the family’s last name, it made perfect sense to name the community Montserrat.
As we know, homes are moving fast today, so don’t be surprised if someone beats you to this transitional Hill Country-style luxury home.
Montserrat is a big draw, and so is this home. It was built by Bryan Braswell, owner of Braswell Homes, with Scott Walton of FW Architects. Add Compass Realtor John Zimmerman into the mix, who helped the Serrat family develop this neighborhood, and you truly have a dream team.
“Bryan is an exceptional builder with great vision,” Zimmerman said. “He’s built a great reputation as a progressive, smart, quality builder. He and Scott have worked together for years and have total confidence in one another, which allows them to execute ideas effectively and efficiently.”
This 6,136-square-foot, five-bedroom, five-bathroom Hill Country transitional is actually Bryan’s personal home. You’ll remember my mantra if you’ve read this column for a while. If you can buy a builder’s home, call your banker and move fast because the home has been test-driven by a professional! Bryan was kind enough to chat with me this past Saturday and answer my questions.
What was your inspiration for this Hill Country transitional?
Bryan Braswell: We tried to capture as much of the view as possible and shape the house around nature. I wanted it to feel like you are in a tree house. There is a view out of every window. I typically like the windows to face north. We took the sun into account and used the pool to act as a buffer.
Tell me about the design.
Braswell: I wanted a more modern transitional family home. I like a bit of the mountain rock feel to change the texture of the exterior. I also wanted a single-story home because it lives a million times better. People seldom use their second floor unless they have teenagers!
What are the must-haves that you put into this home?
Braswell: We entertain almost every weekend, so an open floor plan with easy access to the outside. The game room functions well with the sliding doors to the patio. We have a big ping-pong table there and only last night had a great game of double ping-pong with friends.
What’s the secret sauce to creating a happy family home?
Braswell: Separate bathrooms and closets! I have the manly bathroom, and she has the girly bathroom with a washer and dryer. We love our bathrooms.
What do you do in a child’s room that is different?
Braswell: We always do bunk beds. The big mistake people make is using twin mattresses. We do a king or queen on the bottom, so you can lay there and read with your kid. I have a queen and two full-size twins in this house. We can sleep more kids that way. My youngest has a lot of friends and cousins who sleep over.
So, here we have the perfect house in the best neighborhood, with absolutely zero security concerns. It’s so private that our favorite Only Murders in the Building actress, Selena Gomez, lived here for a few years without fear of invasive paparazzi.
Zimmerman has this Hill Country-style transitional luxury home at 4658 Santa Cova Court listed for $3.299 million. If you miss this one, don’t fret, Bryan is building about ten more right now. Put John on speed dial!
