When Brian Karr of Holz & Stein Custom Homes first started his latest build to hit the market in Midway Hollow, I lived just down the street.
So when I had the chance to walk the previous home with him, and then look at the plans for his new build, I took him up on the offer. I watched the 1950s bungalow on a corner lot at Gaspar Drive and Lenel Place come down, and the foundation and framing for Karr’s new concept go up.
Several months (because sometimes homebuilding is like giving birth to a child, and sometimes it’s like giving birth to an elephant child) and a lot of stalking later, Clay Stapp’s for sale sign went up, and I began bugging Karr and Stapp in earnest to see the finished product.
After all, I had been maneuvering my drive through Midway Hollow to check on the progress for months. I had heard about the floating staircase and the yard along the side elevation of the home, instead of the back.
I wanted in.
Karr showed off the white oak floors, the sleek cabinetry in the kitchen, that funky floating staircase that serves as a room divider, and other fun details he worked into the design.
“What stands out the most is the extra money spent on the finish out,” Karr told me as we stood around the kitchen island.
“It’s the details,” Stapp agreed.
“Like the pivot wall,” Karr said.
The pivot what?
Yes, let’s talk about the downstairs office and the pivot wall. The entire entry point to the office is a wall that pivots in a way that allows the homeowner to still hang art, and it still be seen even when the office is open. Having a party and want to tuck your work mess away? Pivot.
The kitchen includes quartz counters, a custom island with waterfall edge, Bosch appliances, and a separate wine refrigerator and rack.
Up that floating staircase, a master suite and two more bedrooms flank a flex space ideal for family movie nights or a playroom, which is also an entry point to the wrap-around deck.
The master suite is generously-sized, sleek, and chic, with a large en-suite complete with separate shower and tub. A large closet features one of two Bosch washer and dryer sets (the second set is in the hallway outside the other two bedrooms).
In a word, if you live with someone who would prefer to use the washer as a hamper, that’s actually not grounds for divorce with this house.
The master suite also has access to the wrap around deck as well.
Outside, the unusual yard space is perfect for a fire pit and chairs, or even a pool potentially. Landscaping provides plenty of curb appeal, and an eight-foot fence provides privacy.
The home is zoned for the popular Withers Elementary but also minutes away from Walnut Hill Elementary (which is in contention to be a Blue Ribbon school, and also offers tuition-based, all-day pre-K) and a quick drive to Foster Elementary as well. All three schools offer Two-Way Dual Language Spanish Immersion.
Withers is in the W.T. White High School feeder pattern. In 2017, White received seven distinctions from the TEA, making it the only comprehensive high school in the district to win all seven distinctions. In 2018 it received four. White also has a collegiate academy that allows participating students to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associates degree.
The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath, 3,349 square foot house is priced at $1,095,000 and is listed by Clay Stapp of Clay Stapp + Co. Want to see more of the house? Click here.
