East Dallas Designer Gives Palm Springs Vibe to Affordable Buckner Terrace Home

David Weekly never looked so good! 

Design aficionado and former Real Estate agent Abigail Reynolds transformed an East Dallas “dark and dreary,” in Buckner Terrace to a “fresh and airy” that would generate love in any part of town. And her work proves that a good design eye and talent can transform even the most plain of Janes — in this case, a budget minded David Weekly home — into a world of clean living with color.

When asked to describe her home, a certified David Weekly green – build in a coveted gated neighborhood adjacent to downtown and White Rock Lake, Reynolds says one word comes to mind: color.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of color pops and love to incorporate color accents into designing a space that is fun and beautiful. I draw a lot of energy from our years in Palm Springs and Los Angeles, but this house was something else color wise,” says Reynolds. “Something else! It had no cohesion to the color choices and needed a complete design overhaul.”

She knew just the person up for the job: herself.

Of course, she had great basics to work with. The 3,045 square foot two-story home boasted an incredible open floor plan and had been renovated from top to bottom to eliminate its formerly over-the-top, color-gone-wild look. Reynolds cites her design style as part bohemian, modern and mid-century modern inspired. A self proclaimed lover of detail, she included most of the outside areas in her renovations as well, to enlarge the square footage with beautiful exterior rooms as well as keep the design in sync with the gardens.

For flooring, the most important part of her canvas, Abigail chose a warm color for the new hardwoods and said adios to tile: rich dark wood with a hint of auburn, noting a natural tie-in with the red brick adorning the home’s exterior, and the cedar fencing lining the lush, green backyard.

“I wanted to keep the color palette as neutral as possible, but there are some key attributes the home came with that we loved and wanted to enhance,” says Reynolds. “For instance, the natural greys in the fireplace stonework. We took some of the color accents, and ran with them throughout the home to tie it all together in a crisp, modern way.”

It worked! In addition to the overall aesthetic design, the home got a recent kitchen overhaul. Already adorned with high end stainless steel appliances and 10 foot ceilings with architectural arches, Reynolds took the kitchen down to studs, replacing a mix-matched old Southwestern style with new West Elm fixtures, high end clean white counters, and the ever-trendy subway tile, to complete the look she desired.

“I actually took to Instagram for a poll about our kitchen,” she adds. “We were debating between a marble look and a white polished feel, and this look won by a landslide. I follow a lot of designers and appreciated an interactive approach to selecting some of the completing details.”

At the end of the day, she says, she achieved the clean slate look she and her husband so desired.

An added hidden bonus to the home’s floor plan is an office space sitting adjacent to the front door. A powder half bath has easy access to this area as well, allowing for convenience and privacy. The home features four bedrooms, 2.5  baths and a gracious master suite with spa bath, downstairs. Also downstairs are a formal dining room, guest bedroom, separate laundry room and a breakfast eating area in the oversized kitchen/living room combination. Reynolds added more counter square footage to the already gracious kitchen island to provide additional seating and food preparation space. Two bedrooms and a full bathroom are perched upstairs off a gracious bonus room area with custom built-in shelving ripe for an entertainment space or workable office. 

Reynolds says her plan was never to redo and sell quickly. In fact, she has long had her eye on this part of town, for good reason.

“I simply love this area, This house fell into our lap two years ago when we first moved to Dallas, and we quickly snatched it up, citing the area,” she says.

East Dallas, and the Buckner Terrace area specifically, have recently been in the news, catching the eye of high-end developer Mehrdad Moayedi. The mega developer, who also owns the Crespi Estate in Preston Hollow, completely renovated the Statler Hilton, and bought Collin Creek Mall, plans to develop an area adjacent to this home with a high end residential development. Moayedi’s development in the former Buckner Retirement Center will include 239 homes in the $300k-$500k range. His proposed “phase I” recently passed the planning and zoning portions at City Hall on May 3, 2019, according to Daniel Wood, Chair, Buckner Terrace Neighborhood Association.

“We are told that, though Mehrdad has temporarily tabled a similar development on the adjacent Timberlawn property, there are still negotiations and developer planning occurring behind the scenes,” says Reynolds.. “Likely Timberlawn will re-join the project at a later date. Moayedi has always seen the potential in the area’s geography and nature-infused setting.”

Moayedi, says Reynolds, has said Buckner Terrace is the perfect residential location for young professionals working downtown.

 “Part of us wishes we were sticking around longer, because we feel certain that our neighborhood won’t take long to become Dallas’ next hot ‘hood, if it isn’t already,” she says. “It takes me 10 minutes to get to Lakewood, Downtown, Fair Park, or the Arboretum. Once others catch on to this incredible proximity with generously-sized residential comforts, it likely won’t be as affordable as it is today.”

But thankfully, for now, it still is affordable. For just $137 per square foot, money goes a long way in East Dallas.

Also included in this home’s sweet pricing deal? Low utility bills.

Reynolds cites the home’s Energy Saver construction and its newer model construction (built in 2010) for the home’s incredibly low utility bills. On a recent 12 month average of electricity costs, the home cost merely $95 a month for electricity.

Reynolds says they keep their home temperature around 70 degrees, too, even in mid-August!

7140 Belteau Lane is currently listed with Ryan Booth from Ebby Halliday Realtors for $417,000.