In 1991, Gene and Margaret Kavanaugh created their forever family home in Oak Cliff. It was built with careful thought to ensure there were quiet spots for contemplation and areas carved out for work and creative endeavors. But the overarching goal of this home was to have a warm, inviting gathering place for the entire family.
The Kavanaughs picked a perfect location in the rolling hills and winding tree-lined streets of the Stevens Forest Park neighborhood.
“My parents bought two lots next to each other probably forty years ago,” Kay Kavanaugh Wyner said. “They built the one next door to this in 1986, then started on this house in 1991.”
Although Gene had a builder, Margaret came up with great ideas and Gene did the finish out along with his son-in-law, J.D Wyner, who fortuitously works for a commercial industrial paint contractor.
A Forever Family Home
The family home is 5,215 square feet with five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a powder bath, and the most amazing lower level.
You may be wondering why a retired couple built such a large home. Margaret sewed and painted, so her studio was upstairs. The home’s ground level was for Gene, who built just about everything, including picture frames for his wife’s paintings.
“They used every bit of space in that house,” Kay said. “Although my brother Keith and I never lived here, it has always felt like our family home.”
“Margaret graduated from Sunset High School and had nine brothers and sisters,” J.D said. “It is an extremely tight-knit family, and this house has been the gathering place. Birthday dinners for everyone have been held here, and, of course, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. It has always been about family.”
Gene passed away in 2017, and Margaret in 2019. Kay and Keith had to make the tough decision to sell. As luck would have it, Kay and J.D saw Dave Perry-Miller Realtor Diane Sherman‘s sign in front of a house she had sold in the neighborhood, so they called her.
“She was flabbergasted, “J.D said. “She had no idea it was this large, and she is the one that advised us to improve it.”
No sooner had work begun than the pandemic arrived, but they soldiered on, removing popcorn ceilings and repainting walls. Kay’s uncle came over and said, “You can’t stop now!” So they turned to a local architect, Nick Dean.
“His drawings were wonderful, and we knew remodeling was the right thing to do,” Kay said.
You can tell from the moment you walk up the front stairs that this renovation was done not with just attention to the smallest detail but also with a great deal of love. Nothing was done by half measures. It was full-on, from the things you can’t see, like new wiring, insulation, plumbing, and sheetrock, to those that make your jaw drop, like the luxurious copper, quartz, oak, and walnut finishes.
Kay’s favorite part of the house is the sunroom.
“Nick enlarged it into a proper sunroom, not just an area for plants, and it’s now going to be a great place to entertain,” she said.
J.D.’s favorite part of the house has always been the ground floor where Gene had his workshop.
“It’s basically a separate apartment now,” he said.
This flexible space has a kitchenette, a huge walk-in closet, and a full bath. It would be a great nanny or guest quarters, a media room, or even a recording studio.
“I marvel at what was achieved in this restoration,” Sherman said. “It could be a six-bedroom house if you used the ground floor as a bedroom area. The house was a tribute to the children, and the renovation was a tribute to their parents.”
When Gene determined this was the spot for the future family home, Stevens Park Golf Course was around the corner. However, they could not have imagined the growth in Oak Cliff, that Twelve Hills Nature Center would be established, the Kessler Theater would be resurrected, and the Bishop Arts District would explode with shops and restaurants. But he and Margaret did know something even more important, how to create a wonderful family home.
Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate‘s Sherman & Sherman Real Estate Team has just listed 1730 Timbergrove Circle for $1.499 million.
