The 1980s were an odd time in architectural history. There were some incredibly bad designs, and then there were the great modern sheds, like our Inwood Home of the Week at 5706 Over Downs Drive on the northern fringes of Preston Hollow.
The creative revolution in the 1960s pushed the architectural envelope, with Charles Moore and Robert Venturi leading the way. The multi-directional shed roof was a hallmark of the modern shed design. When Moore designed Sea Ranch on the California coast in Sonoma County, considered an architectural masterpiece by those that determine these things, he started a trend that filtered down throughout the country. It was a purely organic process for Moore, emanating from the sheep barns that originally occupied the Sea Ranch site.
All you have to do is look at a barn, understand the crunchy, back-to-nature movement of the time, and maybe throw back a few “medicinal herbs.” Visualize, baby, realize what could be — the sky is your only limit. Like the spiritual revolution that shaped California in the ‘60s, an architectural revolution of sorts came from it: “Shed Chic.” But the shed roof style was also practical, as it served to deflect California’s coastal winds. It was practical, original, and totally cool.
But we live in Dallas, so we always turn to our local expert, architect Lloyd Lumpkins, when we find something this special to gain insight.
“Shed style is one of those styles that is easy to do badly. It’s critical to get it right,” Lumpkins said. “It’s a style that is coming back. Right now, Clint Pearson at Symmetry Architects is doing a shed style in Southlake. Venturi and Moore were doing it because it was a time period of breaking architecture down to its core elements. How much more basic can it get? You take the basic forms of architecture, site it properly, and pay attention to wind directions. It was all about getting back to the basic elements of architecture. It’s a cool style and done well it’s a fabulous style.”
So, I think you can see why I was so excited to find this fantastic modern shed not just in Dallas, but north of Preston Hollow. These don’t come along often, and when they do, they generally have not been renovated. And they seldom include an indoor pool. This house has it all!
The 4,127-square-foot home is set into the landscape that overlooks a creek, so despite the fact you can easily walk to the everything in the Preston Royal shopping center (with all the hot new stores — Ballard Designs, Eatzi’s, and Talbots), you feel like you are out in the woods in this house.
All credit to Stefanie Cherwin. According to DCAD, she is the homeowner who purchased the house in 2013. And she is responsible for taking this modern shed from drab to fab. Stephanie, if you are out there, get in touch! We think you are a genius! She added all the bells and whistles to this modern shed that includes three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a powder bath, and that indoor pool we mentioned.
Y’all know how I like to troll through the Dallas Morning News archives. I came across a listing for this modern shed home back in 1984, and it described the indoor pool as a Texas atrium! Don’t you love that?
I mean, seriously, how many people have an indoor pool in Texas? In all the years that I’ve been staging and writing, I’ve come across exactly three. Oh yes, and that one. These are rare and fabulous. And this one has television connections, temperature, and humidity control. Talk about a party house!
Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s Realtor Beverly Pitchford sold the modern shed to the present owners. “They wanted a contemporary, unique home and it spoke to them,” she said. “They love the walkability to Preston Royal.”
Pitchford has this one-of-a-kind modern shed home listed for $995,000 if you can believe it. At that price, in this stellar location, we’ll be surprised if it’s not under contract by the time we post!
Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager and writer for over 25 years. She teaches the popular Staging to Sell class and is the creator of the online course, The Beginners Guide to Buying Wholesale. She loves dogs, international travel, history, white paint, champagne, artificial turf, indoor swimming pools, and homes with personality. Her father was a spy, and she keeps secrets very well. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com
