Greenway Parks has always been a sought-after neighborhood. The central location, with close proximity to everything Dallas has to offer and homes built around “common” greenbelt areas, are some of the reasons we’re seeing it trend to a younger dynamic. So when a great house hits the market, it’s big news.
This modern traditional at 5319 Nakoma was listed by Sanders Avrea with Allie Beth Allman & Associates on Monday for $2.23 million. It’s perfect for a young family and it’s an excellent example of everything that goes right when you remodel a home.
Purchased by Robert and Ashley Cathey in 2007, the couple knew they wanted a fixer-upper. Ashley is an interior designer and a partner with Mary Beth Wagner in Avrea Wagner.
“We bought with the intention of remodeling,” she said. “I wanted something that had not been touched so that I could put my own stamp on it.”
The first priority was to add more light. “We changed out all the doors and windows,” Ashley said. The front door, designed by Cathey, is from Crittall, an English steel company. “It changed the whole look of the house because it let in so much more light. We changed the original black marble flooring in the entry to antique German limestone and added a stronger foundation because the stone is so thick.”
The 5,116-square-foot home already had 9-foot ceilings, unusual for a house built in 1954, and another attractive aspect of the property for Ashley. To increase the feeling of spaciousness, they raised all of the door heights.
Hardwoods were added to the formal living room and dining rooms, and the gorgeous limestone fireplace in formal living room was designed by Ashley and fabricated by San Antonio-based Materials Marketing.
The same stone from the entry continues into the family room, where walls are covered in a green Kneedler Fauchere grasscloth. The unusual curved fireplace was a discovered during renovation. The Catheys actually began chipping away at a less than agreeable façade and found this beauty concealed beneath layers of plaster and adobe.
The kitchen was gutted but the fireplace was retained and it’s central to the family’s enjoyment. “We have a fire almost every morning in the winter,” Ashley said. Wood floors were hand painted by local artist, Penny Sanders. The backsplash is hand-glazed tile by Waterworks Architectonics and the surround is Caesarstone — not only beautiful, but durable. The generous center island is topped with Calcutta marble and Ashley designed the light fixture that hangs above it.
In 2011 the couple added another wing, increasing the home to five bedrooms and four bathrooms. They also added a powder bathroom.
The master bedroom is on the second floor and fitted with classic Stark Antelope carpet. “It’s is the most durable carpet on the planet, Ashley said. “You could have a litter of saint Bernard puppies live on it with no problems.”
One of the most charming spaces in the home is an upstairs bedroom. “We kept the pitched ceiling and covered the entire room in grasscloth to create a cozy feeling,” Ashley said. “Rather than trying to squeeze in a bed we built bunk spaces into the wall and this is now the favorite room for a sleepover.”
So after all this work, why leave? Like every young family, they’ve outgrown the house. “We’re building a home down the street,” Ashley said. “We’ll never leave the neighborhood, we love it.”
“It’s truly an exceptional property,” Avrea said. Sanders Avrea is actually Ashley’s brother, and has enjoyed many family celebrations at the house. “It’s really ideal for entertaining, indoors or out,” he said. “It’s a dynamic house, yet unassuming — that’s part of the charm.”
We agree wholeheartedly.
