Cobalt Homes is at it again, fleshing out east Dallas just south of Henderson Avenue with more stunning duplex town homes loaded with high end, haute design amenities. Wrapped with design integrity, the concept was developed by signature architect Joshua Nimmo with interiors designed by DW Design Group.
This is the continuing spillover of West Village across Central we told you about almost two years ago. Dinsmore Court is Cobalt’s fourth East Dallas complex in a series that will eventually contain nine. It’s getting to be a sleek neighborhood that hopped a highway and filled in some of Dallas crustier infill because developers know the magic of walkability. This is where SoHen, or south of Henderson Avenue, is “gelling” while those old single-family frames are a snapshot in our memories.
“Nimmo has never been one to shy away from innovation,” says Josh Nichols, a principal with Cobalt. “He created a unique design, but did not push form over function. These are much larger than the average three-story product, with interior spaces laid out purposefully.”
And with generous living in mind. The guest rooms, in fact, are the size of some master bedrooms.
The units share only one common wall, so natural light is incredibly abundant. In fact, it was the first thing I noted on my walk-through. The trick: Nimmo designed the stairways against a ceiling to floor window display and captured every opportunity to create transparency.
“The steel outdoor window boxes create interesting shadow lines along the brick and metal exterior,” says Nichols. “The downstairs bedroom breaks the mold of typical first-floor town home bedrooms being a larger room, with a walk in closet and an oversized 4-foot wide barn door, offering greater flexibility for a downstairs room.”
The units are large — just shy of 2,200 square feet, with oversized garages sporting 220v outlets for a car charger. There are walk-in laundry rooms (on the bedroom floor) for full-size machines, plus large master closets: all the tools buyers downsizing covet. And the developer has even lost count of the fixtures in the spacious master baths.
“Six or seven fixtures,” says Nichols. “A lot. This is our fourth development in the area, and with each one we learn to improve what we do. Best one yet.”
Walk in to the first floor with the flexible bedroom and garage. Up the stairs to the living/dining, complete with powder room and generous butler’s pantry. The third floor encompasses two bedrooms. On the roof is Cobalt’s signature rooftop patio complete with gas lines for a barbecue grill.
Cobalt, says Nichols, is very invested in this area. Dinsmore Court and Dowgate, the firm’s upcoming fifth East Dallas project, are nearing completion, and Dinsmore is half sold.
Cobalt’s first venture was Camdale Court, a modern, 12-unit townhome community in the heart of East Village offering three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom units ranging from 2,096 to 2,380 air-conditioned square feet. Custom designed by TKTR Architects, the proforma was to marry solid construction, sleek design, with extra, thoughtful touches that would be custom to each home (such as central vacuum systems), additions that buyers are not used to getting in Dallas.
“We are building the nicest townhomes in East Dallas,” Cobalt Home’s Managing Principal Greg McGowan told me. “There is a real renaissance happening in the area, as we build a symbiotic relationship with the expanding businesses.”
Dinsmore Court comes apres Crestfield Place, Caxton Court and Camdale Court, a few blocks further north. All three are the product of a unique team of former Wall Street guys who approach development from a rare angle: build it the best we can. Do it right the first time.
They are the CoastOak Group.
Modern Living Real Estate, based in east Dallas and led by the “Dallas Modern Home Guy,” Jeff Mitchell, is Cobalt’s trusted marketing and sales partner.
“Modern Living Real Estate’s passion and focus is helping people buy and sell the coolest modern properties in Dallas,” says Mitchell. “We love working with Cobalt & Coast Oak because of their attention to quality, and their focus on working with award winning architects. That’s why Cobalt produces a truly uniquely-designed home, one that stands out above and beyond the sea of average builder modern units in the market place.”
CoastOak, which sounds like the name of a wine out of Napa, zeroed their real estate antennae on East Dallas. The area became a blank slate for an entirely new kind of product: luxury urban townhomes no Dallas developer had previously built. These would be half million dollar townhomes Cobalt would create literally from the dirt up with quality in every square foot, from the enhanced foundation up to the roof-top decks, with limitless views of Dallas.
“We wanted to do much more than create in-town spaces for people to live,” says Don Carroll, Managing Principal. “We wanted to go that extra mile to actually build products that live better for our buyers.”
Dinsmore Court homes are priced at $619,000 to $650,000, just shy of 2,200 square feet, marketed by Jeff Mitchell at Modern Living Real Estate. They are open next Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
