Playful Westover Hills Pavilion Has Noble Ancestry

No, you aren’t seeing doubles, nor are you in Bavaria. This flight of fancy occupies a high bluff in Westover Hills, at the end of a cul-de-sac at 2108 Hidden Creek Road.

Based on the 18th century Amalienburg Pavilion at Schloss Nymphenburg near Munich, it is almost an exact replica. Both have two wings of three modules each, which merge into the protruding central bay. In architectural details it is nearly identical as well. Seemingly floating eyebrow pediments surmount the windows while the entrance is composed of a modified Palladian motif. An arched recess between two sets of paired pilasters forces itself upwards through an open bed pediment. Stucco ornament are similar. The only variation in the original is the missing corona.

Rococo revival might seem an unusual style choice — perhaps from an earlier, bolder era-like the 1920s when those who had the means confidently indulged their caprices. It then comes as a surprise that this 6,500-square-foot folly is in fact a near-new build from 2001.

On one floor, its design derives from a Roman prototype pleasure palace known as the villa suburbana — meant for day occupancy as a leisurely retreat from urban hubbub. Its descendants include Palazzo Te near Mantua and Amalienburg, which, incredibly, was constructed as a hunting lodge.

The interior doesn’t disappoint the high expectations set by the luxurious exterior. The nucleus of the plan of the three-bedroom, two-plus-three-half-bath  residence is the central rotunda from which all rooms radiate. Polished stone floors are patterned to take advantage of the room’s unique shape. Trumeaux mirrors pay homage to the pavilion’s ancestor.

The elegant dining room has a parquet de Versailles floor. Many of the appointments — chandeliers and mantels, were brought in from Europe. To say this house is aspirational is to damn with faint praise. It will take a very special buyer to live up to all of this old world grandeur.

Since the entire house is on one double-height floor, ceilings soar between 16 and 26 feet. The living room is also on a grand scale, breaking into multiple seating areas.

Entering the master bedroom, you will be forgiven for momentarily forgetting that you are in Fort Worth, Texas, not a five-star suite in Europe.

The master bath, with its rich blend of slab marbles, maintains the luxury hotel, spa bath illusion.

 

Benefitting from its airy ceiling height, the home office looks more like a boardroom or a cabinet in the Élysée Palace. 

The large kitchen with Bahia granite countertops is part of a tripartite suite with casual dining and rec area beyond.

And the grounds! On nearly three quarters of an acre atop a hill, there are commanding views to the north and west. Formal terraced gardens compliment the high style of the edifice. One hesitates to call anything with a $2.5 million price tag a bargain. Still, a Westover Hills listing at nearly $700,000 less than TAD appraisal is worth a look if you have the coin.

Agent Carl Roland of Burt Ladner Real Estate is the listing agent for 2108 Hidden Creek Road.

Eric Prokesh is an interior designer whose work has appeared on HGTV, and in books and publications including D Home, Southern Accents, House Beautiful, and House and Garden. In January 2005, HG named Eric one of the 50 tastemakers in America and D Home has included him as one of Dallas’ Best Designers for 10 years. Having lived most of his life in Dallas, he now calls Fort Worth home and is one of our experts on beautiful Fort Worth Dirt.