Casa Linda Estate Remodeled by a Builder is a Casa Grande

Casa Linda is one of those neighborhoods that offer the best of both worlds. Homes sit on over a half acre with large mature trees. The lack of curbs makes you feel as if you are out in the country. However, it’s only eight miles from downtown and eight minutes from the Dallas Arboretum and White Rock Lake. There are about 450 homes in the neighborhood and our Inwood House of the Week, at 1418 Bella Vista, is definitely a one-of-a-kind casa grande! Homes of this size don’t come along every day, especially on over an acre of land.
This Casa Linda estate was built in 1945 and remodeled a couple of times before the Breedloves purchased it. Darin Breedlove is a partner in Bella Vista Company, one of Dallas’ premier home building and remodeling companies. Remember what we’ve told you about lucking into a home that is owned by a builder? You just can’t buy a better house.

“It was not a situation where I limited the ideas according to return on investment,” Breedlove said. “We did everything 100 percent right, even if it cost more or took longer because we looked at it as the forever house and knew we’d be here a long time. There are a lot of very small fine details that go into the construction of homes. When you build a home for yourself, you put a lot of yourself into it.”

Breedlove added a second floor and a master suite to the main house with a screened-in, private porch. He has remodeled the bathrooms and kitchen more than once as family needs evolved. The house is now 5,381 square feet with five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, and four living areas. Of course, all the bells and whistles you’d expect of a home built by a builder for himself are present. For instance, the kitchen has a six-burner Viking range with a gas oven, a Thermador warming drawer, a 78-bottle SubZero wine chiller with two refrigerated drawers, and an insta-hot water dispenser.

“The size of the lot affords you the ability to do so much,” Breedlove said. Not only is there a heated saltwater pool with smart app controls and a fire pit area, but the yard also boasts a vegetable garden, a chicken coop behind the cabana, and plenty of parking!

Breedlove also added a cabana/guest cottage with a full kitchen, large covered patio, and stone fireplace. Instead of a man cave, he built a five-car garage. “I love having the garage spaces,” Breedlove said. “Everyone on the planet has a two-car garage. With a five-car garage, I can have all kinds of stuff in there, and it does not interfere with my ability to park!”

“The Casa Linda neighborhood is great,” Breedlove said. The fact there are no curbs was always really cool to me, since the day we bought it. Curbs feel like boundaries. It’s a small detail, but it’s interesting how it makes you feel.”

A casa grande, with no boundaries — it doesn’t get much better than this. Costello Realtors has the property listed for $1.425 million.

Open House: Sunday, Oct. 22, 3 to 5 p.m.

Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager for more than 25 years. She’s been a professional writer for 20 years. Karen is the mother of a son who’s studying music at The University of Miami. An ardent animal lover, she doesn’t mind one bit if your fur baby jumps right into her lap. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com