Sometimes, the right house is worth waiting for. If you have a vision, no matter how long it takes — two weeks, two months, or two years — you have an itch that you just have to scratch. That’s how Brent and Connie Roper felt about a certain Lake Highlands Estates home that just hit the market.
Connie would know a thing or two about vision. The Dallas-based photographer has an eye for color and style, one that transfers well to real estate.
“We met the owner and saw the property two years ago and knew we wanted to remodel it,” Connie said of the Lake Highlands Estates Midcentury Modern at 9809 Larchcrest Drive. “When it went on the market, we moved quickly to purchase it. This home had so much potential with its architecture.”
However beautiful the lines and space within this 1968-built home, the interiors were dated. But the bones of this 3,840-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home in the highly sought-after Lake Highlands Estates were solid.
For the Ropers, it was too good to pass up.
A Blank Canvas For Brilliant Design
“It’s extremely rare to come across a true Midcentury Modern that is completely untouched and still with the original owner,” said Jamie Sheehan of Compass’ WrightHouse Group. “This was a blank canvas and a unique opportunity to bring a true Midcentury Modern up to today’s standards.”
To give this home a fresh face, the Ropers brought in designer Autumn Cooper.
“I saw the opportunity to breathe new life into this home with a fresh take on Midcentury Modern,” said Cooper, who is owner and principal in her eponymous design firm. “I made sure we used iconic Midcentury Modern lighting, but then put a spin on things through the colors and materials I selected.”
Everything came together in the most alchemical way. With all these great lines and a fabulous floor plan, success was in the game plan. In nowhere else was this more apparent than the primary suite, a point of pride for the Ropers and Cooper.
“The most potential was in the primary suite, where I reworked the floor plan to create a true retreat for future homeowners,” Cooper said.
Some Things Are Better Left Untouched
Interestingly, restraint is a point of pride in this project, especially for the Ropers. The pair worked with Cooper to leave some of the best things about the house that really drew them to it untouched.
“We’re proud of keeping some of the original elements of the house, such as the front door, entryway brick, brick fireplace, wall sconces on the hallway, and we repurposed a skylight that was added to the primary bath,” Connie and Brent said.
The kitchen also received an incredible transformation. The galley kitchen was closed off from the rest of the house, Sheehan noted, but was opened up to the living room in the renovation. That helped blend the two spaces for a more open floor plan.
“This home isn’t just beautiful to look at, it’s extremely functional,” Sheehan said. “The bedrooms are all large with walk-in closets. There are two attics and a bonus room off of the garage that could be used for storage and/or a storm shelter.”
It’s no accident that this renovation flows so well. As it turns out, Cooper has quite the knack for it.
“Space planning is one of my favorite aspects about design and I really thought about how to make this home function to the best of its ability,” Cooper said. “Our building crew leader Giovanni also really stepped up to the plate to solve some problems we needed to address in order to implement some of the design.”
And the design is one that blends nostalgia with modern-day technology extremely well.
“We stayed true to Midcentury Modern in the lighting,” Cooper said. “We placed a George Nelson pendant in the breakfast nook, a Dutton and Brown Urchin Chandelier in the dining room, and I think my favorite is the sitting area in the primary suite. The mix of White Oak and painted cabinets really make a statement when you walk through those double doors.”
It’s an absolute vision, which is just what the Ropers hoped. And while yes, they did everything totally high-end, investing in the home’s infrastructure in a big way, that’s not the investment they’re most proud of.
“We made lots of big investments to bring this house up to code and to date,” the Ropers said, “but the best investment was using the services of a designer, Autumn Cooper Interiors.”
If that’s not a big enough compliment, all of the feedback from potential buyers has to have been exciting, too.
Jamie Sheehan with Compass Dallas’ WrightHouse Group has listed 9809 Larchcrest for $1.149 million.
