Tell Me Your Real Estate Story: Architect Couple Behind Lark Properties Make Old New Again

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Ray and Jessica Mabry and their children

Ray and Jessica Mabry and their children

By day, Jessica and Ray Mabry are architects at HKS, with busy careers and two young children. As if work and parenthood don’t already add up to plenty for most of us mere mortals, The Mabrys recently formed Lark Properties and took on their first flip. While that seems like a lot to handle, the couple says that the eight-month labor of love became like any hobby and an overall positive experience for the family.

“We ate out more often than I would have liked and I think my children also received some independence a little earlier then they might have otherwise,” said Jessica. “But really it just folded into the rest of the craziness that we call life.”

“In the end we do it all for the love of our kids and their futures,” Ray added, stressing that the rewards of the project far outweighed any of the challenges.

The Mabrys’ story is one of our favorite kinds because it comes with before-and-after shots. Join us after the jump for more on their journey and some great eye candy.

Full names: Jessica Mabry and Ray Mabry

Occupation: Architects

Location: Northwest Dallas

Price Range: Mid $400’s

Agent: Robert Jory with Keller Williams

Before_Exterior

3108 Whirlaway Road before

 

After_Exterior

3108 Whirlaway Road after

Something Special Again

After interviewing the Mabrys, calling 3108 Whirlaway Road a “flip” seems a little disingenuous. Relatively unconcerned with profit, the couple prove far more interested in reclaiming and transforming what would otherwise be a lost property. From the time the two were young architects living and working in London, they felt a call to heal run-down buildings – to make the old new again.

In fact, the name Lark, itself, has significant meaning. Derived from their children’s and grandparents’ names, it signifies the coming together of old and new.

“It’s never really been about, let’s flip something as quickly as possible, get in and out and see how much money we can make,” Jessica said. “It’s always been, this house needs our love. We can fix it. We can bring it back. We can transform it into something special again.”

The Mabrys achieved that goal. Listed at $469,000, this four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath renovation shines as an example of what’s  possible when vision and talent come together. Down-to-the-studs new, there’s not a bit of this home that didn’t get improved upon. From the practical matters like a new roof, foundation repair, plumbing and electrical work to the masterfully chosen details of the interior finish out, the list of updates is virtually endless.

Wide Open Spaces

It’s easy to see that when the walls came down on this rehab, everything changed. The transformation is truly mesmerizing.

Before_Kitchen2

The kitchen before

With quartz counters and stainless appliances, the bright, open kitchen is everything you could ask for.

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What an unbelievable metamorphosis the master bathroom has undergone. It’s simply stunning. Prepare yourselves!

Before_MasterBath

Yikes! The master bath before.

Gorgeous concrete tile in the master bath illustrates the perfect example of the couple’s mission. At $14 per square foot, it’s not the kind of choice you make when you’re looking to maximize profit. But it’s exactly the choice you make when you’re designing a space to be loved.

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Tearing down walls also created the opportunity to create a spacious mudroom with storage galore.

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Heather Hunter is an accomplished freelance writer based in North Texas.

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