Merely seven months ago, this week’s High Caliber Home of the Week, sponsored by Lisa Peters of Caliber Home Loans was being sold as a teardown. “This property is being sold for lot value,” the Feb. 2022 listing read. With no photos in MLS and listed as a commercially-zoned property, the home sat on the market for 147 days with no takers.
But in April, the listing caught the eye of nearby homeowner Winter Barry (great name, right?), who felt this home had it. Just a little something that told her this 1922 home wasn’t ready to be wiped from the tax rolls on Cedar Hill Ave..
This would be her first renovation flip and no small task. But she knew the location was great — just two blocks from Bishop Arts in one direction and Kidd Springs Park in the other direction, and it didn’t hurt that one of Oak Cliff’s best and most loved taquerias is located across the street. The no-frills taco shop is called Taqueria El Si Hay, which roughly translates to “Yes, we have it.”
Well yes, this home has it.
Barry got to work. She enlisted the help of friend and Realtor Laura Wiswall of Dave Perry-Miller, who helped project manage the renovation and assist with design choices.
Barry completely renovated the 1,776-square-foot, three-bedroom home, while trying to keep the home as true to its 1920s origin as possible. “All new windows and appliances, brand new roof and HVAC, and completely redone plumbing and electrical — Winter replaced it all,” Wiswall says. Unfortunately, the floors were too shot to save, but were replaced with luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout.
The result is a beautiful and permitted restoration that maintains its historic charm. As you enter the home, the living room features the original brick fireplace with a new tile inlay that’s flanked by tall built-in cabinets and topped with a full-wall mantle.
This living area flows into the open dining area and kitchen featuring new custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, and subway tile backsplash. Atop the cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling, there’s custom display lighting, which Wiswall says casts a gorgeous, soft glow at night. Wiswall chose a gorgeous sage color for the cabinets called Evergreen Fog by Sherwin Williams.
The home has a surprising three bedrooms that are pretty well-sized and two bathrooms, another bonus for a home of this age. Both baths have been completely updated and offer a sleek, spa-like ambiance.
The home’s front yard is completely gated to provide room to roam for pets while you sit on the porch and watch the world go by. Plus a large backyard leaves lots of possibilities. Put in a granny flat or an accessory dwelling unit for some extra income in this very in-demand part of Dallas.
For Winter and her wife, it was important to be as local as possible, Wiswall says, so they chose local Bishop Arts duo Cody Ellison and Ken Valencia of Housson Bishop to stage the home. The two own Home on Bishop, a popular furniture and gift destination, and the Ellison | Valencia Gallery.
“It was important that the home be staged to feel like an Oak Cliff or Bishop Arts home,” Wiswall says. “Oak Cliff has a very different vibe and this home reflects that.”
Laura Wiswall of Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate has listed 610 Cedar Hill Avenue for $550,000.
