This historic Spanish Mediterranean home began life in 1933 as a duplex. That’s because the neighborhood was designated for apartments and duplexes when Highland Park was zoned in 1929.
Architects Marion Fooshee and James Cheek designed some of the beautiful homes in Dallas, as well as the Highland Park Village shopping center. There is not a more quintessentially Foshee and Cheek home than this one. It’s clear they put their most beloved eclectic elements to work here.
In the must-have-on-your-bookshelf category, Great Suburbs of America Homes of the Park Cities, Dallas, has the following passage that sums this home up nicely.
Completed in 1933, it was perhaps he most captivating of the firms Spanish-Mediterraanean residences, far more whimsical than the two Spanish houses on Westway designed by each architect for his own personal use: the Marion Fooshee duplex of 1930, at 4441-43 Westway, and the James Cheek duplex completed the following year, at 4417-19 Westway.
Get this book. It was written by the legendary preservationist Virginia Savage McAlester, Willis Cecil Winters, and Prudence Mackintosh, with photography by Steve Clicque. It’s full of fascinating facts and history of the Park Cities.
When a Fooshee and Cheek home hits the market, it’s a cause for celebration because they don’t change hands often. It’s always a case of an expanding family or an out of state move. No one leaves these homes easily.
That’s the case for Brittany Cobb. If her name rings a bell, and it should, it’s because she is the genius behind Flea Style and Heirloom Haul. This historic Spanish Mediterranean architecture is ideally suited to Cobb’s chic Bohemian decor style.
If you are new to the Metroplex, Cobb is a former lifestyle editor with a love for all things vintage and unique. About 11 years ago she had an idea and launched the Dallas Flea. It was meant to be a one-time holiday shopping event and needless to say, was an enormous success.
In 2015 she changed the name to Flea Style and branched out. It’s hard to keep up with this dynamo. She has a retail store in Deep Ellum, one in Frisco at The Star complex, as well as her restaurant Heirloom Haul. Cobb hosts pop-up events every Friday at the Frisco locations and by announcement, in Deep Ellum. I suggest signing up for her emails so you don’t miss a thing.
With her love of vintage style, it’s not surprising Cobb would be drawn to this historic Spanish Mediterranean house.
“I’m from Southern California, so it was natural for me to be attracted to a historic home,” Cobb said. “It hit all the right notes and looked like home to me. My husband grew up in Lakewood, and we initially were looking there when this Spanish Mediterranean popped up in Highland Park. There was nothing else like it in Dallas, and we are so grateful we were able to purchase it.”
The home had already been converted from a duplex to a single-family residence of 4,146 square feet with four bedrooms and four bathrooms when Cobb purchased it. But, of course, she took it to new heights working with More Design Build to blend her Bohemian style with modern functionality.
Decorating was the fun part.
“Everything is so carefully curated to bring that California spirit to Texas and to honor the house,” Cobb said. “My favorite spot in the house is the sunroom off of the main living room. It’s a little jewel box. I painted it a deep green that was original to the exterior trim. It overlooks the yummiest parts of our front and side yards, and there is a wet bar for cocktails! I start and end my days there.”
“This house doesn’t feel like any other home in Dallas,”Compass listing agent Amy Messer said. “It’s a true oasis.”
It’s going to be hard to leave, but with a growing family and expanding needs, Cobb is on to the next home transformation. As I mentioned, this is a rare opportunity to own a move-in ready historic Spanish Mediterranean, an authentic piece of Highland Park history.
Messer has this Fooshee and Cheek original Spanish Mediterranean at 4509 Westway Avenue listed for $1.9 million.
Don’t be surprised if it’s under contract by the time this posts. Messer said she had a long list of people champing at the bit to see it.
