The 14th annual White Rock Home Tour is one for the record books, and CandysDirt.com — the official media sponsor of this year’s tour — is giving you an exclusive first look at the seven incredible modern homes selected for the annual event. Slated for the weekend of April 27-28, tour-goers a close-up look at two Midcentury Modern homes and five new modern homes, each of which offers can’t miss details and design. Discounted early bird tickets are on sale now for $15 each at whiterockhometour.org.

For the first time in the tour’s history, ticket holders will get a gander at a work-in-progress — specifically, a delicious modern design by architect Cliff Welch in Old Lake Highlands. Patrons will be able to walk through the large home before construction is complete. Welch, as well as builder Clay Robinson, will be on hand to talk about the home. Two of the newer builds on this year’s home tour are designs by CandysDirt.com Approved Builder New Leaf Custom Homes, both of which are located on Forest Trail just behind Flagpole Hill. A sexy design from A. GRUPPO architect Thad Reeves is worth the modest ticket price, too.

“Each of our tour homes offers something unique for our guests,” said White Rock Home Tour chair Alyson Black. We couldn’t agree more!

This year’s White Rock Home Tour committee has really outdone itself, with a closely curated array of homes that each have stand-out features. Stay tuned to CandysDirt.com for more in-depth features on some of these amazing homes. In the meantime, here’s an exclusive sneak peek at the homes on tour:

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8828 Capri

Built 1961, 2,803 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths

Architect: Addition by RPM Associates
Sponsored by: Ed Murchison, Realtor
What the home tour committee loved best about this home: Wood ceiling, double-sided fireplace, new pool, and landscaping

“Midcentury Modern, purist hipsters will L-O-V-E the Capri home (and its owners) with its minimalist design that lets the home speak for itself,” Black said.

This house on a hillside underwent a full remodel last year with new floors and roofing, a restored fireplace, walnut cabinets and granite countertops in the kitchen and custom cabinets in the master bedroom. One key feature that didn’t change: the original wooden ceilings and soaring beams, which give the house a warm and open look.

The couple who lives here also owns the Sweet Tooth Hotel, a local interactive art installation, so it’s not surprising the house is chock full of original art – framed blueprints for Six Flags in the entryway, a print from a Roy Lichtenstein museum exhibit in one bedroom, and in the living room, a photo from the movie “Giant” bought at the Wrong Gallery in Marfa.

The outside features a Japanese cedar fence, a deck that spans the entire back of the house and a custom modern pool by Riverbend Sandler.

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10033 E. Lake Highlands Dr.

Built 1965, 2,465 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths

2018 bathroom renovation: Watkins Remodeling
Sponsored by: Watkins Remodeling (Shawn Watkins)
What the home tour committee loved best about this home: New master bathroom, pillow in the master bedroom, blue pebble tile.

“The remodeling crowd will love the Lake Highlands Place home, with its budget-friendly price tag, and its recent master bathroom renovation,” Black said.

This is a classic midcentury modern home, an L-shaped, brick ranch that sits on a generous corner lot. Double pane windows in the living areas let natural light filter in and offer gorgeous views of the Dixon Branch greenbelt across the street while keeping street noise to a minimum.

The entryway and hallway boast blue pebble mosaic tile, which complement the exterior wood and interior stone accents. The other floors are made of rift cut red oak. The two living areas have lots of built-in cabinets that provide beauty and functionality.  The owners have sprinkled family heirloom artwork throughout the house.

The kitchen has white quartz countertops, a subway tile backsplash and new stainless-steel appliances, while the original cabinets remain. Outside, the owners added a cedar deck, carport, horizontal cedar privacy fence and lots of landscaping.

Watkins Remodeling moved walls and closets around to help the homeowners create a dream master bathroom with Porcelanosa freestanding bathtub, glass shower, custom-built walnut cabinetry and modern light fixtures.

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8020 Forest Trail

Built 2017, 4,139 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths

Architect/Builder: New Leaf Custom Homes
Sponsored by: New Leaf Custom Homes
What the home tour committee loved best about this home: Chic interior design, open-tread staircase, window backsplashes, and firepit

“Expect your jaw to drop as you enter the homes on beautiful Forest Trail – hard to believe just a few years ago this beautiful setting was a construction waste dump!” Black said

This White Rock Valley house sits on a hill, forming a kind of barrier from neighbors and the street. The owners took advantage of this privacy and made the home open on all sides, which makes the outdoors feel that much closer.  The owners think of their yard as Colorado in the front, with a fire pit and tall mature trees, and California in the back, with the glamorous pool and lush landscaping.

The kitchen, with its window backsplashes, white oak cabinets and skyfall granite, sits at the front of the house instead of the back. Sliding glass doors throughout bring in natural light and seamlessly blend the indoor and outdoor entertaining areas. Industrial-sized ceiling fans provide a sleek look while keeping the house cool. The master shower has floor-to-ceiling Marmara marble tile.  The home’s chic interior design (the homeowner is the lead interior designer for New Leaf Custom Homes) is both functional and fashionable – tour-goers will get lots of ideas!

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8034 Forest Trail

Built in 2013, 6,087 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths

Architect/Builder: New Leaf Custom Homes
Sponsored by: New Leaf Custom Homes
What the home tour committee loved best about this home: Energy-efficient features, custom cabinets, laundry chute, window seats, and home office

“These two homes are unique – that’s why we chose them both for the tour this year — and New Leaf Custom Homes has provided a shuttle for our guests since there’s no parking on the street,” Black said.

Just down the street, this LEED-certified green home for a busy family of six combines low maintenance with high style. On the outside, the dark iron-spot brick and reclaimed wood siding (that was salvaged from the fence formerly lining the property) will never need paint or stain, and the standing-seam metal roof is built to last a lifetime. The backyard includes a playhouse, pool, and in-ground trampoline.

The inside has kid-proof, polished concrete floors. Sprawling windows let so much light in that the owners don’t need to turn the lights on during the day.

Playful pops of color throughout the home lend style and interest – from the aqua chairs and bright yellow lamps in the living room to fuchsia cabinets in one bathroom to the turquoise and lime green cushions in the upstairs reading nook.

Custom cabinetry throughout keeps things tidy and out-of-sight.  The home office with built-in workstations for each family member was featured in the Wall Street Journal.

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2408 Loving Ave.

Built in 2016, 4,485 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths

Architect:  Risser Design + Development  (Mark Risser)
Builder:  Maplehill Residential (Tad Weatherford)
Sponsored by:  Risser Design & Development & Maplehill Residential
What the home tour committee loved best about this home: Modern, elegant open spaces, floor to ceiling glass, floating fridge, metalwork, cool art

“The Loving Ave. home in Lakewood is the picture of modern elegance and rock-n-roll, peppered with pieces from the homeowner’s extensive world travels as SVP of AT&T,” Black said.

With floor-to-ceiling glass throughout, this two-story house is designed to bring the outdoors in. Mature trees and bamboo surround the property, while metal planters accentuate the front of the home.

The inside is packed with custom furniture, including the master bed, entryway couch, dining room table and cream-colored chairs in the living room. A hallway bench is made from an ox cart from Thailand. The owner has also filled the house with original art, from antique posters to a vivid yellow portrait of a woman.

In the kitchen, rift-cut white oak cabinets and white stone quartz counters give a clean, open feel. A floating fireplace separates the living and dining rooms.

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6522 Trammel

Built in 2017, 2,650 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths

Architect: A. Gruppo (Thad Reeves)
Sponsored by: East Dallas Modern & Castillo’s Contractors
What the home tour committee loved best about this home: Swinging TV partition, beautiful walnut built-ins, polycarbonate walls, inspiring architecture

“Architects and fans of architects will be inspired how A. GRUPPO’s Thad Reeves designed the Trammel home in a challenging location – you’ve gotta see this in person,” Black added.

The owners of this single-story home turned a design challenge into an asset. The property backs onto a bike trail and DART line, so the garage had to be in front. The homeowners – both with backgrounds in architecture – decided to make the garage a prominent feature that helps define the front courtyard.

The house has two wings that extend east, which provides shade in the courtyard during the summer. In the front wing, the kitchen and living area are divided by a steel and wood entertainment center with a TV set that swivels to face various rooms. The north wall of the living room is made of polycarbonate to provide diffused light during the day. The back wing, where the master and children’s bedrooms lie, includes more polycarbonate to filter natural light from a series of skylights.

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10249 E. Lake Highlands Drive

WORK IN PROGRESS

Architect: Welch | Hall  (Cliff Welch)
Builder:  TC Robinson Group (Clay Robinson)
Sponsored by: TC Robinson Group

When completed, this energy-efficient home will be the third and largest in a project known as the Enclave at Northcliff, by modernist architect Cliff Welch. It’s being built on the edge of a 1950s neighborhood, on a triangle-shaped tract of land with a canopy of mature trees. (The first house, built in 2011, was part of the 2017 White Rock Home Tour.)

Behind a white stone wall, the home is centered around a swimming pool in the front, with glass walls that open the heart of the home to the outdoors.

White Rock Home Tour patrons get the unique opportunity to experience this home-in-progress, before the owners move in!

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Tickets for the 2019 White Rock Home Tour will be on sale at White Rock Coffee and Green Spot Market starting April 1. During tour weekend, tickets are $20 each and will be on sale at Hexter Elementary (9720 Waterview Rd.) starting at 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., as well as each tour home from noon to 4:45 p.m. (tour closes at 5 p.m. sharp). All proceeds from the 14th annual White Rock Home Tour benefit DISD’s Hexter Elementary. The 2018 WRHT raised $61,400 for students and teachers.