Laura Ladner of Burt Ladner Real Estate is hitting on all cylinders in the listing game these days with three of the most interesting houses on the market in her portfolio. There’s that fanciful Dilbeck house in Tanglewood, then there’s the refreshing contemporary in the Crestline area — both recently featured on these pages — and now this.
The object of today’s focus is a stunning traditional new build with a coveted Colonial Hills location listed just three days ago. If this isn’t the priciest property I’ve featured, it must be near the top. However, there is so much that is special and unique about this Colonial Hills listing that I had to bring it to you.
A Colonial Hills Lot Primed For Cocktail Gossip
This plot on the main drag of Colonial Hills, a short walk from Colonial Country Club, has a serendipitous history. This choice piece of real estate stayed vacant for several years as investors flipped it back and forth (one investor bought it twice) with no clear plans for its future. Bounced about like a hot potato, the future of the prime property became a subject of in-circle cocktail gossip. The current owners/heirs to the lot began building in 2022 and brought in an all-star cast including local builder Scott Mitchell, who proudly features this project at the top of his home page, and Dallas architect Jerry Coleman.
Laura Ladner Lists a Traditional With a Sense of Scale
With all too many promising luxury new builds, ‘that sinking feeling’ begins the moment you open the front door. All too often you encounter a bombastic, pretentious staircase, sight lines straight through to the back of the structure, and an atmosphere as chilly as an unfortunate hotel lobby. Coleman has given us a very elegant winding staircase with a simple balustrade of iron and brass with panel effects to demarcate the floors. The foyer is self-contained with arched openings funneling traffic to the dining room, corridor, and main living area.
“We were charged with building a traditional style house which would conform to proportions of existing houses in the neighborhood,” explains Coleman.
The interior of this five-bedroom, five-and-one-half-bath house follows traditional norms with classic elements including paneling, crown molding, and ingenious inset ceilings while the layout is something of a hybrid, which includes an open concept living area with an informal dining room and open kitchen, “for the way we live today,” says Coleman.
Colors throughout include delicious moments in smaller spaces like the Wedgwood blue office, one of two offices in the residence. The house was vacant so Ladner engaged — who else — Tina McMackin to stage the house. I never fail to be impressed with McMackin’s work. Though this all looks elegantly au courant, it also looks as though people might actually be living here.
“I wouldn’t consider using anyone else but McMackin to stage a listing of this caliber,” says listing agent Ladner.
At nearly 8,000 square feet, the construction could easily feel cavernous, but architect Coleman has adroitly managed the scale of his construction by cleverly allocating space in multiple and livable areas. The super-sized kitchen’s dimensions are masked by the large-scaled island and 60-inch gas range.
Another small area to get the luxury treatment is the wet bar located behind the kitchen with easy access to the back patio. Beautiful slab Carrara marble tops glossy green cabinets.
Two of the bedrooms are at ground level with the remaining three upstairs. All bedrooms have an en suite bath. The primary suite is at ground level with soothing pool views.
I’m glad grasscloth has made a comeback. The aqua grasscloth in the bedrooms echoes the pool color. Another ingenious feature is the alcove — an alcove one might actually be tempted to make use of with its pool axis and windows which seem to perfectly frame the cabana.
The suite includes a spacious bath with twin vanities, a shower stall, a slipper tub, and a separate water closet. The floors are of luxurious parquet patterned marble. White slab marble tops the cabinetry. Beyond is a nearly cavernous closet painted in a matching blue which includes generous storage spaces and a packing table.
Is this the “his” or “hers” office? I don’t care, it’s lovely. Also upstairs is a gym area and a party room with a wet bar.
The pool is nothing short of gorgeous. Again the design is creative and inventive. The separate spa means the pool and hardscape can’t be symmetrical. Coleman has threaded that needle by placing podiums at the steps that align with the center columns of the cabana.
Laura Ladner of Burt Ladner Real Estate is offering 2428 Colonial Parkway for $5.999 million.
