Lakewood Heights Contemporary Craftsman Staged to Perfection

East Dallas neighborhoods can get confusing. Consider Lakewood. You have Lakewood proper, Lakewood Hills, and Lakewood Heights. Add to that the apartment communities of Lakewood Flats and Lakewood Greens. While they may all share a first name, getting that last name wrong is like being referred to as the first husband’s wife, when husband number three is manning the backyard grill. No one wants to make that mistake. So, we’re going to clarify exactly where Lakewood Heights is located, and exactly what’s so special about this neighborhood, because our Saturday Eight Hundred is a Lakewood Heights contemporary craftsman cottage that is a brand-new David Weekley custom build at 6111 Lakeshore Drive. It not only pays homage to the character of the neighborhood, but it’s also staged to perfection — and you know how much that means to this particular CandysDirt.com staffer.

Lakewood Heights is located between Abrams Road and Skillman Street. It’s bounded on the north by Monticello Avenue and on the south by Richmond Avenue. When I moved to Dallas, straight out of The University of Texas, it’s where I lived for years. It was a great neighborhood then and it’s continued to get better. The neighborhood is zoned for Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee Elementary Schools, J.L. Long Middle School, and Woodrow Wilson High School. It’s close enough to enjoy the perks of Greenville Avenue. It’s also just far enough away that you have no worries about strangers parking in front of your house on a weekend. You can get to White Rock Lake or the Dallas Arts District in under 15 minutes.

Lakewood Heights is home to Tietze Park. This 9-acre gemstone in the midst of the ‘hood has huge live oak, red oak, and cedar trees said to be well over 100 years old. It not only has tennis courts and a stellar lighted baseball diamond, it also has an original 1924 sandstone picnic pavilion and is one of the few remaining public parks with a swimming pool. Yes, it’s pretty darned perfect.

There are about 900 homes here, most built in the 1930s, but the area has its fair share of new builds. We’re happy to see David Weekley is one of the builders that has endeavored to keep their designs complementary to the nature of the neighborhood.  Even though this 3,287-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bathroom house is double the size of the original homes, we all know compromise is the name of the game. Adding a second story is a great way to maintain character while providing for the space needs of a modern family.

Tony Bracciale with Clay Stapp and Company has the house listed for $849,000. “David Weekley put the same quality of product into this home that they put in much higher priced homes,” Bracciale said. “You’re impressed the moment you walk in. They spared no detail in the finish out.”

Despite a great open-concept floor plan, gorgeous granite, fantastic built-ins and a wonderful media area upstairs, Bracciale knew there was something else that would make the house really stand out.“It makes such a difference when you stage a property properly,” he said. “The minute I got the listing I called Lisa Stapp with Staged by Stapp.” You guessed it, Lisa is married to Clay Stapp. She’s been staging a little over six and a half years and fell into the business.

“We had a property that had been listed by someone else. When we got the listing, I staged it. It was under contract in about two weeks.” Stapp never looked back. She just moved her inventory to the next listing and before you knew it had built a business.When Bracciale asked Stapp to consult on this house he knew she would immediately have a plan. “It needed life and excitement,” she said. “I brightened it up.”

Lakewood Heights is an area where younger families want to live. You have to target them with a more modern look that is fun. The results speak for themselves. It’s easy to visualize living in this home now because Stapp created a lifestyle young buyers can embrace.

“We’ve had a great response to the house,” Bracciale said.

We are not the least bit surprised. This is an exciting custom contemporary craftsman in a wonderful neighborhood, staged to perfection.