Lakewood Artists Create Something Magical with French Farmhouse Home Renovation

When Linda and Stephan Martiniere relocated to Dallas from Chicago in 2009, they were looking for something magical in a Texas home. Deep in the heart of Lakewood on a street with rolling hills and mature trees, these two artists found what they were looking for at 7022 Pasadena Ave.

The 4-4 had gorgeous architectural detail throughout its 4,074 square feet, but the couple wanted to add their own touch to the space. Stephan immigrated to the U.S. from France some 30 years ago and the Martinieres have spent much time in that country, where they admired the feel of the old houses.

“When we saw this house, which was spectacular, we knew it was the home we were searching for—it’s not like any other part of Dallas,” Linda said. “We adored the incredible detail and workmanship of the house, the creative use of space, and we knew it would feed us creatively, and yet provide us with a great deal of peace and privacy.”

Linda is the daughter of an interior designer and has renovated four other homes, so it was clear to her what the house could become with a redesign in a French farmhouse style. Part of that meant editing design choices made by a previous owner. For example, some rooms in the house were quite unfinished, while others had every detail imaginable, down to hand-carved door handles.

“The challenge was to make a more functional space, and yet also to create a harmonious statement with the home,” she said. “My vision was to let this home unfold itself and lead you seamlessly from room to room, with surprises at every turn, but is never jarring. I wanted to take the home to a place of slightly understated, old-world elegance, an homage to the stunning architectural detail of the existing home.”

Though they interviewed several interior designers, they ultimately decided to do the design work themselves because it better preserved their vision and allowed them to take their time with the design and execution. Stephan’s skills in Adobe Photoshop allowed them to explore many different ideas to perfect that vision before beginning work.

“Though we enjoyed the creative process of redesigning the home, we also found the implementation quite challenging as we quickly learned that everything had to be custom built because conventional materials looked very out of place,” Linda said. “Consequently, everything went very slowly and we worked primarily with one very patient and skilled woodworker.”

Local companies did plumbing and electrical work, and a contractor added skylights and a large exterior window, and all parts of the redesign were a project in imagination for the Martinieres.

“We did not want our creative process nor overall outcome of the project to be compromised by the scheduling demands of large crews of workers,” Linda said. “The house dictated both what needed to be done as well as how the work was to be accomplished, or so it seemed.”

The result is stunning. The French farmhouse-inspired renovation has myriad artisan details, cedar beams, Venetian plaster walls, and intricate stonework.

By far, the largest interior project was the kitchen, a total gut to expand the footprint and allow more natural light.

“We wanted a showstopper for a kitchen island, so we adapted an ornately carved Belgium antique from Inessa Stewart to serve as a large island and bar seating,” Linda said. “I am a great believer in finding the right piece for an island and then letting it dictate the rest of the details of the kitchen itself.”

The cabinetry was custom designed to echo same of the details of the island. In order not to rush their creative process, they installed a small kitchenette nearby.

“This sort of design and detail takes a great deal of time and for me it had to be unhurried if we were to accomplish our goal: to create a large, beautiful new kitchen that makes an artisan statement and blends seamlessly with the rest of the great room of the existing home,” she said. “It was an exciting expression of our creativity merged with the creativity of the original contractor, who was also an avid woodworker.”

Beyond the kitchen, the other large interior project was finishing the 800-square-foot studio space that was bare studs when they bought the house. The studio has high vaulted ceiling and a good-sized loft, and they chose to keep the room simple and add extensive lighting, as the volume of the space itself makes enough of a statement.

“Both of us have really enjoyed working on our art in this wonderful space, which, like many parts of the home, is a world unto itself,” Linda said. “We have imagined often how else the space could be used by someone who perhaps is not in need of a large studio, at which point it could become a large game room with a home theater, a place for teens to hang out, or it could also be easily transformed into an apartment for aging parents, as there is a kitchenette and full bath next to it on the same floor.”

The house offers an upstairs as well as downstairs master bedroom, and the Martinieres updated those, as well as the bathrooms, without sacrificing their lovely organic details. Additionally, the fireplace was reworked, and they added custom iron stair railing throughout the house.

“Everyone who comes here comments on the serenity of the house itself — it is a wonderful sanctuary,” Linda said. “We have enjoyed the rather unique layout of the house and how it lends itself to some many uses and lifestyles. It accommodates many people, yet there is a great deal of privacy for each individual.”

Linda says her favorite parts of the house (after the kitchen) are the small timbered room off the upstairs master which she calls her “insomnia room,” the private upstairs balcony off the upstairs master, and the spectacular winding second floor timbered gallery, which connects the front half of the home with the back half.

“We also really appreciate the very large vintage stained glass in a mezzanine loft area in the back section of the house—it has been an inspiring place to meditate and write,” she said. “We also have egrets nesting in the trees in the neighborhood and the small green monk parrots make their appearance every year. All this adds to the sense of sanctuary and magic of this home.”

The most magical part of the house, in my opinion, is the backyard. There are lanterns throughout, stone footpaths, covered walkways, and multiple seating areas with wonderful details, like a dry steam bed that actually is a very deep French drain. A pergola-like structure was built with the large cedar timbers and arching details that were used on the outside structural details of the existing house.

“Outside, we did extensive landscaping and lighting to create a space that is drought resistant and low maintenance, yet feels at night as if one is wandering though the back streets of an old European village,” Linda said. “We replaced a great deal of fencing and installed an electric sliding gate to give access to the backyard through the alley, and we added two protected covered parking areas.”

If all this makes you think “I must have this house,” then you are in luck: The Martinieres are moving to France this month and have listed it by Laura Morris with Ebby Halliday for $935,000.

“This house will be a difficult house to let go of— it has been such an inspiring place to live,” Linda said. “[Moving to France] will be a great adventure and I am hoping that the next house we renovate will be at least 200 years old.”

Leave us a comment with your thoughts about his gorgeous renovation!