Update, August 28, 2019: names of the homeowners have been removed at their request

The Hollywood Home Tour is coming up this weekend! We thought we’d offer you a sneak peek at a sweet American Colonial that has grown up, and out, and the adorable couple that had a clear vision of how to turn this home into the stunner you will see on tour.

The owners (names have been removed at their request) have what we think is a storybook life. They started dating in high school, got married when the wife turned 21, finished college, built their first home, and then they got really lucky!

“Toyota arrived and our neighborhood exploded,” the homeowner said. They realized there would never be a better time to capitalize on their first home in Carrollton, and they put it on the market.

“That first house was new and almost too perfect,” she said. “So, I ended up filling it with old things to give it charm. Building that first house gave me the fever to find a house to restore.”

With friends in the neighborhood and longing to be closer to the heart of Dallas, they started their search in Hollywood Heights. When they found this sweet American Colonial on Santa Monica Drive they knew their search was over.

They wanted to do it right, however. They wanted to move in, get to know the house, and breathe new life into it while honoring the original character.

If ever there were a duo ideally suited to tackle a house transformation creatively, it’s this couple. The wife has been an art director and now owns a local floral company. The husband has what we like to think of as a regular job, but his creative streak takes charge in his curated collection of men’s clothing. So, talent and vision were clearly present. Now all they needed was the team to implement their dreams for this sweet American Colonial.

Enter Joel Greenwald of GrunBuilt.

“He is wonderful,” The homeowner said. It’s not easy working in a Conservation District like Hollywood Heights. Homeowners and contractors alike must have not only knowledge, but patience, and persistence!

Obviously, things like color are important. No one wants a neighbor painting their Tudor home turquoise, but there are less obvious hurdles you must consider. For instance, the couple had to get approval to tear out a rotten wood retaining wall and replace it with one made of concrete. Work was shut down for two weeks while the situation was mulled over at the city level. We are happy to report common sense ruled the day, and they got through that process successfully. 

“Homeowners have to be allowed to make these older houses livable for our lifestyles today,” the homeowners said.

The couple lived on site throughout the two-and-a-half years of the construction process.

“It got normal,” she said. “You get used to your house never being clean. We’re very glad it’s done!”

The first steps were to remove a wall between the formal living room and a bedroom, then vault the ceiling. If you’ve ever wondered what a game changer this can be for a home, have a look at these before and after photos.

The couple salvaged 1930s open shelving in the kitchen from a warehouse. “We tried to be really specific about what we added,” the homeowner said. Every appliance was built in for a seamless effect.

While the original footprint of this sweet American Colonial house did not change, the homeowners built a jaw-dropping two-story addition on the back of their home.

There are now two bedrooms and a bath upstairs, and a mudroom and master suite downstairs. We guarantee you will be dreaming about that master suite for years. To see this sweet American Colonial, and all the other great homes on the Hollywood Heights Home Tour get your tickets today and arrive early. This is one of the most popular home tours in Dallas.

The 28th annual Hollywood Heights Home Tour takes place this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are available at HSMNA.org, Curiosities Antiques, and at the door of each home.

Want to win a pair of tickets to this home tour? Comment below to tell us which home on the 28th Annual Hollywood Home Tour is your favorite. Entries must be posted by 5 p.m. Thursday, April 25 to be considered in our drawing. You must use a valid email address to enter. 

Good luck!

Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager and writer for over 25 years. Karen teaches the popular Staging to Sell class and is the creator of the online course, The Beginners Guide to Buying Wholesale. Her love of dogs, international travel, history, white paint, champagne, artificial turf, and Tudor and Midcentury Modern homes, and any house designed by Clifford Hutsell knows no bounds. Her father was a spy, so she keeps secrets very well! Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com