Cool, historic homes in the Park Cities are “a dime a dozen,” realtor Lauren Valek Farris says. “And people are just tearing them down.” But that’s not the case in Lakewood, which is known for its eclectic mix of houses. The historic East Dallas neighborhood puts a premium on preserving its architectural heritage, by way of conservation district rules and home tours. That legacy is “what makes Lakewood special,” Farris says, and “not just a white box neighborhood.”
Just west of White Rock Lake, Lakewood developed mostly in the first half of the 20th century. It hit a stride in the 1920s and 1930s as oil barons and other business magnates built mansions and moved in. One of the neighborhood’s most prominent developers was Clifford Hutsell. His contemporary was Dines & Kraft, a notable Dallas residential developer. “So many of the cool historic homes in our neighborhood—they were built by Dines & Kraft,” Farris says. Hutsells were closer to the lake, Farris says, and many were Spanish in style, inspired by houses out in California. Dines & Kraft houses tended to be more like Tudors, although the developer did dabble in some Spanish-inspired homes, like 6657 Lakewood Blvd.
Once named one of the “10 most beautiful homes in Dallas” by D Magazine, the blonde brick home was built in 1930. It’s only had a handful of owners over the years, with its first two residents staying there for decades, according to Candy’s Dirt. Its current owner, artist Bianca Watson, bought the home in late 2020.
At the time, the house was dark and yellow. It probably hadn’t had a remodel in around 15 years. So Watson, who designs wallpaper and fabric prints for AM Studio, decided to give the whole home a refresh. “Every surface was touched: everything that you see, and everything that you don’t see,” Farris says, including all the systems, plumbing, and electrical. Watson hired Council & Craft, now Sabado Homes, to help with the design.
She rebuilt the kitchen, adding in windows to stream in more light. Just off the kitchen, the family room’s original ceiling was five feet taller, with a gallery. But the space was unusable, Farris says. “You couldn’t even stand in the little gallery before.” So, Watson floored it off and created a new primary bedroom above. Off the other side of the kitchen was a tiny breakfast room and laundry. Watson got rid of that breakfast room and expanded the laundry, adding a hallway, mudroom, bar, and pantry to boot.
Where she could, Watson preserved the home’s original features. Throughout, the home still has its original 1.5-inch-planked white oak wood floors, whose size “can’t be replicated anymore,” Farris says. Watson lightened the wood stain to brighten the space and installed white oak floors in the new primary. She kept the original beveled archways, too, which are a signature of Dines & Kraft. She also recreated those archways throughout the house.
Watson also kept the original stained-glass window in the living room, which is the key to her entire house design, Farris says. She used the window’s purple and blue hues as the house’s color scheme. “All the common walls, they read neutral, like a cream,” Farris says. “But they’re actually a very, very, very, very, very pale lavender.”
The result is a light, bright, and playful home, says Farris, that’s kept its historic integrity. “It’s a really special one for sure.”
Scroll through the gallery to learn more about the home.
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