On May 5, daltxrealestate.com is hosting a double open house event at The Centrum that we’re calling Centrum de Mayo. If you’re just joining us, the first unit and a little Centrum history can be found here.
Our second featured home is a whopper. It’s double unit 1304 spanning 4,350 square feet and is listed with Briggs Freeman’s Gayle Schneider for $1,949,000. There are four bedrooms, four full and two half bathrooms … and 1,700 square feet of terraces.
Seventeen hundred freaking square feet of outdoor space 13 stories off the ground? Oh my, yes. Picture those Centrum stair steps? Unit 1304 has its own stair running from the front of the building to the back facing west. It’s the Victory Park view without the 35E noise.
(Sigh) If I must rip myself away from the views, I’ll show you around the rest of this home.
As you enter the home, this is pretty much what you see. Glass, glass, glass with just enough structure to house everyday needs like a TV and artwork. The windows on the left overlook the second of three terraces that give this home nearly wrap-around outdoor space. It has mid-tone wood floors and great high ceilings.
The current owners are Cantoni fans, feeling rightly that modern befits their taste and the building’s aesthetic. In a home this large, they’ve arranged distinct seating areas to support lots of guests while giving them smaller spaces to have more intimate conversations. This isn’t the home for a 15-piece sectional sofa.
Since I always rush to the windows, I passed the dining area that easily seats eight and could be expanded for more … I mean there’s a grand piano in the corner, so there’s space! Of course, guests seated on the left side get fabulous downtown views. Guests seated on the right should be your hungriest as they’ll easily snap up seconds while the others are mesmerized by the view.
Speaking of food, an oft-used Realtor-ism is that the kitchen is the center of the home. In this case it’s more than true. As I said, this was originally two units, and the kitchens backed up to each other. When the walls came down, the owners jumbo-sized the kitchen that was now architecturally in the center of the home.
The kitchen is a modern mix of lighter cabinetry and luxurious stone … with plenty of drawers. It’s got all the firepower you need to entertain on a grand scale. Two dishwashers, two ovens and a book-matched pair of 36” wide Sub Zero refrigerator/freezers.
There’s a curve-around bar top that seats your adoring fans (or impatient hungry guests!). The other side of the living area has been set up as a games area by the most popular grandparents in the world. A new owner wanting a super-sized dining room have all the space they’d need. (You know, in case the eight-seater on the other side wasn’t large enough.)
This second living space is a generous bonus of open space with its own separate terrace – the third of three. If you’re not grandparents or game players, the sky’s the limit to what you could do with this generous space. Me? I’d make it a more casual space for those times you just want to plonk down on the sofa with a blanket, a book, and a bourbon.
There are four similarly-sized bedrooms with amazing floor-to-ceiling windows and attached bathrooms. It’s up to you whether you want to wake up on the city side or the Oaklawn side. Personally, I’d sleep around (hush!) … moving to avoid the sun as the seasons changed.
One thing that’s not changing soon is the view. There may be a crane visible here, but the building being built on the lot adjacent to the church will be well under your radar, finishing many stories below your view. It’s the view of Dallas I fell in love with as a traveler to Dallas many, many years ago as I cajoled my way into room 801 at The Melrose at every opportunity.
Let’s leave the way we entered this wonderful home, via the amazing terrace. Can’t you just imagine yourself sitting here, looking back into this home and being very thankful you were able to live here? I know I’d be black and blue from pinching myself.
Hope to see you on May 5 for Centrum de Mayo!
Remember: Do you have an HOA story to tell? A little high-rise history? Realtors, want to feature a listing in need of renovation or one that’s complete with flying colors? How about hosting a Candy’s Dirt Staff Meeting? Shoot Jon an email. Marriage proposals accepted (they’re legal)! [email protected]
