When architect and city councilman Vernon Smith built this Oak Cliff home in 1949, much of the features were revolutionary for the time. A double carport worked well for the growing number of two-car households. The windows and lines were clean and angular. The floorplan allowed for movement throughout the space with relative ease.
And that design, while revolutionary 67 years ago, is perfect for today’s family. Thanks to sellers David and Becca Holt, both of whom are interior designers, the functional and aesthetically pleasing design of this home is updated with carefully chosen materials that stay true to its history while looking to the future.
We’re thrilled to feature this listing from David Griffin Realtor Crystal Gonzalez as our High Caliber Home of the Week sponsored by Lisa Peters of Caliber Home Loans. If you find yourself smitten with this midcentury modern home in North Oak Cliff, call Lisa Peters of Caliber Home Loans today to sail through your transaction from bid to closing.
Jump to find out more about the truly inspiring renovation of this lovely Stevens Park Estates home.
If you can’t tell already, 2014 Mayflower is a complete work-of-art-level remodel. This spectacular home was taken to the studs and brought back to life with finishes that closely matched or resembled those that were commonly used in the era, according to Becca.
Where the Holts had to rip out the original paneling and built-ins, the woodwork was replaced with near-matching oak shelves and cabinetry. It all blends seamlessly with the refinished hardwood floors and that epic fireplace in the formal living room. The Holts even tried to match the look and feel of the ash wood paneling on the walls of the living room with textured wallpaper.
“But the layout and design were so thoughtfully done by the original architect,” Becca said. The only place where they tweaked the floor plan a bit was the kitchen, removing cabinetry that created a visual barrier between the dinette and workspaces.
“You couldn’t see out of the kitchen,” Becca noted, “so we changed it to update the flow of the kitchen and changed the location of the sink.”
What’s wonderful is that the pair documented the journey with their blog, even including historic photos of the home that really show off how far the Holts brought their home.
According to the Holts, they are the third owners of the home, with the first being the Smith family. According to Becca, the Smiths were quite the social family, hosting many gatherings in their home. As it turns out, friends of the family purchased the home from the Smiths, and went on to live there until the early 2000s.
While the Holts only initially planned to do piecemeal renovations and pay cash, starting with a master suite renovation, a friend of theirs inspired them to refinance and remodel in one fell swoop. So the Holts took the plunge and upended their lives for a months-long renovation that brought the home to the glory we see today.
“I feel really lucky to list such a special property,” Gonzalez said. “This is one of the few midcentury renovations I have seen in a while where such meticulous care and detail were taken into account to blend the old with the new to make it seamless.”
We have to agree with her, as we are completely in love with the flooring choices — comfortable cork in the den and hard-wearing Marmoleum in the kitchen — as we are with the hard work and attention to detail the Holts put into their choice to add low-e glass to the existing steel casement windows. That’s pretty impressive, in itself.
“We are not glazers, and we hired that task out,” Becca said with a laugh.
Of course, Becca eventually got her new master suite. And boy, is it a stunner.
While this four-bedroom, three-bathroom home definitely has the lines and finishes of a midcentury modern, it has some throwbacks to the home’s origins, too. Take, for instance, the accent tile in the hall bath and master. The colors hearken to the original porcelain tile color schemes of the bathrooms, with blue in the master and pink (yes, a pink bathroom was torn out!) in the hall bath.
With this level of renovation, it’s easy to see why Gonzalez has listed this 2,360-square-foot gem for $629,000. From the built-in banquette in the kitchen to the beautiful casement windows, terraced backyard, and unbelievable curb appeal, we feel like this home will sell fast.
And that’s bittersweet to the Holts, who took the time to not only renovate, but to do it the right way. And while Becca loves the den, with plenty of room to relax and enjoy the light from the sliding glass door, her favorite parts of this home are the memories she made here with her family, and the families before hers.
“We’ve had an opportunity to me a child from both families who lived here before us, and that’s not something you get to do all to often,” Becca said. “There are so many memories here, so much history in this house, and I love that.”
But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is taking the Holts from their cozy Dallas digs to new horizons in Seattle, and they hope that they can find something in the area that they can truly make their own.
We’ll keep our fingers crossed and our eyes open!
