If a nicely done renovation makes a property sing a fresh tune, then two talented house flippers have created an entirely new songbook for one Casa View Oaks home built in 1954.
Casey Barton and Raymond Graham have taken a cramped, outdated house and reimagined every element. 2468 Highwood Dr. is in Dallas’ up-and-coming neighborhoods in deep East Dallas, a few miles from White Rock Lake. Flippers are starting to see the potential here and several houses have undergone transformations. This one stands out with a sleek aesthetic, unexpectedly luxe touches, and on-trend design.
Barton and Graham enclosed the garage to create a master bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closet and reconfigured the rest of the home’s floorplan. This added a bathroom and 275 square feet, making it three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and 1,395 square.
“We tore down the wall between the kitchen and what is now the dining room — what is now the living room used to be a bedroom,” said Barton. “We also added onto the original hardwoods, carrying them throughout the kitchen and master addition.”
The team will list tomorrow for $295,000 and there’s an open house Sunday from 2-4 p.m. Want a sneak peek and a look at some before-and-after photos?
We’re no strangers to the work of Barton-Graham Home and Design Firm — they’ve earned some big wins in Buckner Terrace, in particular. (If you want to see what we’ve featured before, check out this house, this house, and this house.)
“I actually grew up just down the street and went to high school at Bishop Lynch, so there are some sentimental attachments to Casa View,” said Graham. “It was important to me to help improve my old stopping grounds.”
Curb appeal that turns heads is standard from this team. In this property, Barton designed and installed the cedar element design on the front porch, which are carried out to the addition, formerly a one-car garage. It gives the design symmetry and balance and makes it seem not so obvious that there is a garage conversion. The landscaping inspired by their wallpaper selection in the dining room, a custom selection chosen to create a Palm Springs feel.
“This is probably our favorite house we’ve done as far as curb appeal,” said Graham. “It’s the cutest house in Casa View from the front, or at least we think so!”
As for a color palette, the duo went much lighter than usual because they see trends moving toward lighter colors.
“This is the first house we didn’t use black — no black doors or trim,” said Graham. “We literally put 50 shades of gray to use [in this house].”
Inside, the open floorplan creates natural flow and clean lines of sight between the common areas. Despite the extensive renovations, the house still has a retro vibe — the original telephone nook is even in the hallway.
In the kitchen, marble countertops are an unexpected luxury.
“We choose it because the white slab caramelized with the browns and subtle gold tones really pulled in all the wood and glossy white elements found throughout the home,” said Graham.
There are also gold fixtures and faucet adorning the gray cabinets and a designer tile backsplash.
One of the team’s signatures, a wood accent wall with midcentury flair, makes an appearance, although not without reservations.
“We were torn on doing an accent wall on wood, out of fear of looking like a ship-lap wall accent,” said Graham. “So we installed this [chunky] wood wall, inspired by the Brutalist Movement of the midcentury modern period.”
Taking this house from one to two bathrooms was probably one of their smartest things Barton and Graham could have done. The other is the master expansion.
“The master closet has a walk-in closet which is something that you just don’t find in the Casa View homes,” said Graham.
The ensuite master bath’s frameless glass shower features an elongated hexagon that we’ve seen in luxury installations, so another unexpected element. It pairs beautifully with the large-format floor tile for a sleek look.
The hall bathroom is also updated to feel modern and fresh.
In back, the yard is good-sized with a covered patio and mature pecan tree.
“We decided to leave the clothesline thinking people may want to go green and use it,” said Barton. “Have you ever had fresh clean sheets dried out on a clothes line? I’m from the country and my grandma use to dry our sheets on the clothes line and there is nothing like it!”
The house will be listed tomorrow by Raymond Graham (he’s also a Realtor) with William Davis Realty.
