Inwood Home of the Week: Splendor in The Half Acre Grass in Oak Lawn Heights

One of the best kept secrets of why Dallas is such a home-lover’s paradise is that we can have a totally country-suburban feel right in the heart of town. I should really have made you guess the location of this fabulous home before I spilled the beans: Oak Lawn Heights.

Honestly, I had no idea these creekside one-half acre lots of heavenly glory existed in this little nook in-between Cedar Springs and Maple Avenue. They are all accessible to, oh my God, you name it: Parkland Hospital, UT Southwestern, the Hospital District, West Village, Knox Henderson, Oak Lawn, the Trinity Strand and Katy Trails, even Highland Park Village. You have no idea here that multi-family has even been invented much less found its way to Dallas a few blocks away. No sir, this little enclave is just as treed and peaceful and private as it was back in 1941 when the home was built.

That pre-war sense of style and solid strength invites and envelopes you at 2910 Maple Springs, protecting you with strong Austin stone shoulders. There are three large bedrooms (two are a whopping 28 feet long), two and a half bathrooms with original tiles,  original hardwoods, a sunroom, a finished garage with two huge storage cabinets, and that ultimate Dallas rarity that the billionaires pay big, big money for these days: a basement!

Let us begin with the foyer: walk in to the graceful staircase to the second floor that wastes no precious space with showiness or circular “grandeur”. No sir, this staircase just does its job: gets you up the stairs. To the left, the formal living room, to the right, the dining room, all connected by these beautifully arched doorways, the archways created with little notches at the top. Please do look at them, they are wonderful. In fact every inch of this home is ripe with architecturally appropriate period details  — Georgian, perhaps? There are coved ceilings, decorative arches, wooden shutters, crown and picture molding. The windows are huge and bring in wonderful sunlight.

The kitchen retains period charm, too, but has enjoyed a thoughtful upgrade. Like a beautiful woman of a certain age, the kitchen was primped and packed with the perfect updates with what counts, where it counts: two large pantries, new light maple cabinetry, a central MacKenzie Childs-esque island with storage beneath, stainless gas stove/oven, stainless refrigerator, dishwasher, and a pot rack. The kitchen has windows on three sides, guaranteeing brightness even during last week’s rain deluge. I am in love with the window nook to the front, accessible through one of those charming archways, huge pantry on either side. There is a breakfast bar with stools, and a breakfast room.

Uniting all main rooms downstairs is the sunroom, which runs along the back of the house and provides gazing upon the spaciously deep back yard. The lot, by the way, is 75 feet across 244 – 281 feet deep, 103 feet wide in the back, along the creek. The splendor of the lot is amazing because it opens up in a slight pie-shape to the 103 foot width. And the gardens, well, just get out your green thumb. The grounds are organically maintained, a perennial garden featuring an array of blooming flowers each planted to bloom at different times of the year, so the garden is always colorful and lush every month. Of course there is landscape lighting, and two patios: one close to the home, one at the very end of the lot on a deck overlooking the creek. The lawn in-between, perfect for a party, croquet game, or, if you must, a swimming pool.

We have not talked upstairs! There are two large masters, both 28 feet long with full ground vistas. These bedrooms have their own sitting areas built right in. In-between is the third bedroom, currently used as a study featuring a Corian counter-ed wet bar and picture window views of the lush property.

I am still wrapping my head around the house size: 3010 square feet, because the house seems so much larger. How did they get those big rooms in there? Pre war magic, I guess. And here is another huge plus: the house was remodeled and is owned by a Realtor: Rob Elmore of Dave Perry-Miller. Asking only $579,000. I mean, $579,000 for splendor in the grass in the heart of Dallas. (Home has been reduced from the original $595,000.) This home would be perfection for a garden-loving empty nester, a young family, or anyone who just loves one of the best things about our fair city: a suburban feel seven minutes from the action!

Know another great thing about Dallas? The joy of smaller bank banking. Know your banker by first name, and know he or she will be there for you. The good folks at Inwood Mortgage would be more than happy to help you find your own splendor in the gra$$... and we are talking the green kind!