A few years ago, there were great deals to be had all through the Preston Hollow and North Dallas area. Small single-story homes were being bought by builders for flipping or scraping, and the results were both incredible and horrifying.
Now, there are still new builds popping up left and right, but the pace isn’t as frenetic and teardowns are often giving way to thoughtful flips with smart upgrades.
And then, on some rare occasions, you can find homes that were untouched by the come-and-go parade of remodelers and contractors, and it is a trip to see them on the market. This one on Royal Lane near Hillcrest is a fabulous example of a great home that has wonderful original cabinetry with a large, grassy backyard — and it’s a value!
Built in 1953, this Preston Hollow midcentury modern ranch was on the forefront of home design. Its red brick and low-slung roof, its large windows and clean lines were all harbingers of an iconic, atomic era. Today, this architectural style is in such high demand that, priced at $429,000, buyers will easily be able to overlook the proximity to a multi-lane thoroughfare. And yes, 6522 Royal Lane does front a rather busy stretch of the road, but consider the traffic white noise. The urban waterfall, as Candy likes to call it.
The home has three bedrooms, two full baths, three living areas, and 2,789 square feet. We love the wide-set double fire place, which sports a floating hearth and corner placement on the formal dining room side. We love how the floor-to-ceiling windows bring so much of the outdoors inside — a tenet of midcentury modern design — and the capiz shell pendant is just the right amount of vintage style. There’s a full bar with a mini-fridge for all of those swanky happy hour cocktail parties we’re sure you’ll throw.
Now, besides the appliances and and some paint, this kitchen appears to be pretty darn-near original. It’s not bad, but I’m one of those people that dislikes that floating cabinetry over the range. Why resign yourself to years of running your head into that thing? Or does that just happen to me?
Now, for me, it’s always a red flag when I don’t see photos of the bathrooms on a listing. Are they original tile? That’s not necessarily a negative, y’all! Some people love pink bathrooms, and others find creative ways to reuse those seafoam tubs and toilets. Just show it to us, already!
On the upside, the backyard is grassy, shady, and vast. It also shows off the wonderful lines of this gorgeous midcentury modern from a completely different angle. This would be perfect for a small pool and maybe cabana that could double as a guest house or home office. What do you think?
