Lionel Morrison’s Minimalist Masterpiece is an Art Collector’s Paradise

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minimalist masterpiece

I shoved everything off my digital desktop Friday when I spotted this minimalist masterpiece designed by architect Lionel Morrison. This exciting listing was about three hours old, and I immediately started digging.

Minimalist masterpiece

That digging unearthed an article or two because, of course, Morrison is an internationally recognized architect. As I dutifully read each one, I cross-referenced, made a few calls, and dug some more. So, it appears to me that the venerable Architectural Digest got it wrong. They reported this arresting modern masterpiece was a custom build for one of the most notable art collectors in America.

That depends on if you believe DCAD, which I do — well only as far as ownership goes. They often get build dates wrong. From my deep dive, I found it was actually built for a prominent doctor and his wife, who had a substantial art collection. After they decamped for the mountains, it indeed was sold to yet another collector, because, seriously, this is the perfect home for art.

Minimalist Masterpiece
Minimalist Masterpiece

A True Original

It was built in 1997. Really. That’s the thing about these minimalist architect-designed homes. They do not age. They look as fresh today as the day they were built. That’s entirely down to the architect.

The reason those pedestrian white boxes popping up everywhere are boring is that there is little to no thought put into them. They are a distilled and bastardized version of greatness. All you have to do is look at a home like this to see what separates the proverbial men from the boys. Architects always make the difference. This home is a case in point.

Minimalist Masterpiece
Minimalist Masterpiece

Rooted in Japanese culture and in the De Stijl and Bauhaus movements of the 1920s, that less is more philosophy is at the core of minimalism. The idea put into basic terms is to create simplicity, balance, order, and harmony while retaining quality and paying attention to the relationship between the building and the environment.

The focus is on form, space, light, and materials. This creates the perfect setting for art collectors and is why it’s not surprising that this minimalist home has continued to draw collectors and creatives.

minimalist masterpiece
minimalist masterpiece
minimalist masterpiece
This image alone should explain everything you need to know about what makes architect-designed minimalism great.

“It really is an art lovers paradise,” Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s listing agent Faisal Halum said. “It has a very light and airy, almost California laid-back vibe.”

Minimalist Masterpiece

This home has 5,882 square feet, four bedrooms, and six bathrooms. There are two principal suites, one on each floor. A terrace off the second-floor suite overlooks the beautifully landscaped backyard and pool.

Minimalist Masterpiece
Minimalist Masterpiece
Minimalist Masterpiece

“A home should inspire, and this home is not only designed by a Dallas master of architecture, but it also has been inhabited and has inspired, some of Dallas’ most noted creators and drivers of the arts,” Halum said.

Minimalist Masterpiece

Halum has this private, magnificent, minimalist masterpiece at 5911 Glendora Avenue listed for $2.9 million.

As I preach constantly, if you like it move on it. Do I need to remind you how fast the multi-million dollar properties are flying off our market?

Karen is a senior columnist at Candy’s Media and has been writing stories since she could hold a crayon. She is a globe-trotting, history-loving eternal optimist who would find it impossible to live well without dogs, Tex-Mex, and dark chocolate. She covers luxury properties and historic preservation for Candys Dirt.

2 Comments

  1. Candy Evans on June 30, 2020 at 3:13 pm

    Wasn’t this the RACHOFSKY house on Glendora?

  2. Karen Eubank on June 30, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    DING DING DING DING DING.

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