So often you find a house that’s in a perfect neighborhood, like our Inwood Home of the Week, at 3709 Hanover Street in University Park. It’s the right size, the right style, and has all the elements to suit a family. It also offers great entertaining spaces. But it needs a refresh, and you don’t have time. So, how great is this University Park modern Colonial Revival that has already been through the refresh, and is move-in ready? It’s also an absolutely perfect example of how you take a great house and make it even better. Talk about a score!
Built in 1984, this modern Colonial Revival stands out as an example of the way every 1980s home should have been constructed. I’m totally giving all credit to the female builder, Cathy Townes. She was noted for creating homes and designing floor plans that related beautifully to how people really use their spaces. She was one of the first female builders in Dallas, and from all accounts, her clients loved her. She understood the needs of a family and went about creating homes that would stand the test of time, just like this University Park eclectic Colonial Revival.
One of the things Townes was noted for is the two-story family space. It was essentially her signature look. But remember, women are logical (YES, we are!), so she would have realized immediately that while drama is great, so is logic. And sometimes logic wins over drama. Especially in the Park Cities where we have large families and need lots of space!
The current owners loved this modern Colonial Revival home. When they purchased it, their family needs dictated the importance of a fourth living area. Townes’ original design made it easy. The two-story family room was simply enclosed to create a second-floor family room. Why more people don’t get this is beyond me. It makes perfect sense. It also allows you to have some great detail in a room that would otherwise have none if it were a new build. The new family area boasts not only coffered ceilings but also a continuation of the lovely brick texture from the fireplace. So, what you sacrifice in drama, again comes back to you in livable space. I know I’d make that sacrifice any day.
While the family was creating that marvelous second living area, they decided to add an upstairs laundry (a must in our books), a third powder bath, a fantastic study area just outside the kitchen, and our absolute dream feature — an elevator.
“I feel this house has the trifecta of features for Park Cities real estate,” Allie Beth Allman listing agent Maribeth Messineo Peters said. “It has a very large lot (70 x 160), attached guest quarters, and a pool. As an added bonus, it has a recently installed elevator. It’s impossible to find a house at this price point in the Park Cities with an elevator!”
The other essential in our world is separate guest quarters. I’ve reached the point where I would not consider a home unless it had a guest cottage or above-garage quarters. If you have visitors, they appreciate the separate space. If you have a live-in nanny, it’s the perfect amount of separation, and if you have a teenager, I don’t need to tell you the importance of guest quarters. This modern Colonial Revival has fantastic quarters with the hard-to-find kitchenette!
If you’re ready for the ease of a move-in-ready modern Colonial Revival in one of the best neighborhoods in Dallas at only $2.325 million, give Peters a call!
Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager for more than 25 years and a professional writer for 20 years. Karen is the mother of a son who’s studying music at The University of Miami. An ardent animal lover, she doesn’t mind one bit if your fur baby jumps right into her lap. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com
