Saying no, and saying it again, is how Summer Riggins and Jill Reeves got the house they wanted.
Saying no and not being afraid to say it again helped the couple remodel their Midcentury Modern home in their vision. When workers wanted to remodel using easier methods, replace with trendy materials, or cut corners, they politely were shown the door.
“Everything about this was what I envisioned in my head,” said Riggins, who served as the contractor. It was a long process, but a labor of love to restore their home in a way respectful of its original design. “We’re Midcentury Modern enthusiasts.”
The couple are the proud owners of 1030 Forest Grove, an approximately 2400-square-foot home in the Eastwood Estates neighborhood of Dallas. It’s a meticulous restoration of a Ju-Nel home, one of about 50 built, each uniquely designed by Lyle Rowley and Jack Wilson. The architects’ steadfast philosophy to design homes around a lot’s natural landscape matches Riggins’ and Reeves’ resolve to remodel this 1961 house with reverence for the Ju-Nel design.
White Rock Home Tour Stop
The trees, the architecture, and the remodel will all be on display from noon to 5 p.m. on April 22 and 23 during the 15th anniversary White Rock Home Tour. The tour, open to the public, will serve as a fundraiser for Hexter Elementary School and will highlight unique homes such as the Forest Grove treasure. daltxrealestate.com is proud to be a media sponsor of the event. Tickets are on sale now for $20 in advance of the tour here.
The neighborhood’s rolling hills and towering trees make the entire Eastwood Estates neighborhood pretty special. The Riggins’ and Reeves’ home’s orange front door is an eye-catcher. Flanking the door is the home’s original Hollywood cream brick with the board-and-batten siding Riggins painted gray.
Inside is where the homeowners’ definite thoughts about design paid off. The couple purchased the home in 2018 and began remodeling the next year, taking the walls back to the studs. The dark wallpaper is gone, and the linoleum was ripped out. The kitchen was re-imagined with a couple of walls removed and rift-sawn white oak cabinets added.
“We kept as much of the original footprint as we possibly could to keep the flow of inside to outside,” Riggins said, referring to the blurring of lines between indoors and outdoors that is a hallmark of Midcentury Modern design.
Terriffic Terrazzo Floors
A point of pride are the terrazzo floors, mostly original, which was no easy feat. In the kitchen, for example, where walls were moved to make a kitchen more in keeping with 2023 lifestyles, the floors were patched with barely detectable new terrazzo.
Much of the original features remain. The brick fireplace still floats with a hearth that matches the terrazzo floors. The rounded steps to the bedroom wing of the H-shaped house still stand. The clerestory windows over the primary bathroom still flood the room with light.
In nearly every room, Riggins finds something she claims to be her “favorite.” She and Reeves carefully planned many of the newer amenities, and Riggins excitedly talks about each. The master bedroom was refigured with a built-in dresser and a sleek TV. The “pivot bar” in the kitchen allows a cocktail connoisseur to easily grab a bottle of liquor and merely pivot to the icemaker located in the 4 ½-foot by 10-foot bar. The appliance garage keeps the clutter out of sight, in keeping with the streamlined look of the house.
The furniture is sleek, mostly Midcentury Modern replicas in neutral colors. Warm wood tones and white walls allow the colors in the artwork throughout the home to pop. The ceilings’ exposed beams run the distance of the house and eject to the outside. Their dark gray paint accents this Ju-Nel signature feature. The pendant light trio in the corner of daughter Jules’ room is another “favorite.” Once powder blue, they’ve been repainted white and serve as one more reminder of the house’s beginnings.
Generations of Ju-Nel Love
Work is nearing completion in the backyard for an additional dwelling unit, and architect Cliff Welch is drawing plans for a phase two addition. Even with future plans, Riggins and Reeves love the home they share right now with their daughter.
When they bought the house, Riggins pledged to the owner’s daughter who also loved the house, to keep the rare Ju-Nel home true to its original character. When the daughter saw the remodel, she cried — tears of happiness.
“We wanted to keep what was beautiful and reflective of the era, but modernize it,” Riggins said. “But there’s something nostalgic about it that I don’t want to lose.”
