Designed by Dilbeck, This Ranch-Style Rambler in Oak Cliff Will Capture Your Imagination

Charles Dilbeck is a well-known Dallas architect. Like the level where you say, “It’s a Dilbeck,” And your co-conspirator raises one eyebrow and repeats back, “A Dilbeck?” And you both nod approvingly. Like that level of well-known.

Between 1935 – some say 1932 – and 1969, Dilbeck built 632 homes in Dallas. Of those 632, it was reported in March of LAST YEAR, that only 200 remain. Which is part of the reason they’re so coveted – they’re extremely rare.

The other reason is Dilbeck’s style. It’s truly eclectic and there’s a good reason for that. CandysDirt.com’s own Shelby Skrhak summed it up in 2022 as part of her index of Dilbeck’s best work:

… Dilbeck was inspired by the ranch houses of the Texas Panhandle. The problem in identifying so many of his creations is that he was also inspired by Irish cottages and styles ranging from French provincial to Colonial. Eclectic is the central word when it comes to Dilbeck.

That’s a lot of styles, but he made it work. A great example of Dilbeck’s style is this cutest little Ranch-style rambler on West Jefferson Blvd. in Oak Cliff. It’s been completely updated and restored to its former glory by a mother-daughter duo that has the GREATEST style.

That’s mostly because the daughter, Malina Pearson, is a stylist and vintage junkie. She gets it from her mom, Kathy, who has dealt in antiques for decades and has an incredible eye for interiors.

They purchased the property to restore and transitioned it into a pretty dang lucrative short-term rental with its very own Instagram, @elranchodilbeck, that documented the process and kept fans and followers apprised of all the latest goings on.

The dream team kept the updates as close to the original home as possible and even had a local artist, Kim Owens, restore the mural in the front room.

In the kitchen, they had to add a little extra baby bit of cabinet and created replicas to match the originals. Same on the criss-cross railing that frames the porch on the front of the house.

Now, you’re probably saying, “BUT THEY’RE PURISTS so why is the fireplace brick painted white?!?!?” Well, Judge Judy, that was out of necessity.

By the time they took over, the brick AND the rustic wood beams were coated in varnish. In order to remove the varnish, it would have damaged the original materials, so Malina and Kathy made lemonade out of the sitch and used it as an opportunity to apply a perfectly warm white paint that bridges the gap from Dilbeck to modern.

The gravel courtyard with the real ranch vibes and the layout of this home are my two favorites. Hanging on that gravel pit, you feel like you’re on the set of Hey Dude.

Inside the home, the flow is one single room to the next single room without all those pesky space suckers – hallways.

Epique Realty’s Bailey Oakley has 2237 W. Jefferson Boulevard listed for $644,900.