A Classic Contemporary Estate Gets A Flawless Facelift

I fell hard for this classic contemporary estate and featured it for our readers in April of 2018. I saw enormous potential and knew if the right family came along, they’d save it from the wrecking ball. I’m so pleased to report that’s what happened, and now the completely renovated home is back on the market with a fresh new look.

In my opinion, it’s the best deal in town.

A Home With an Architectural Pedigree

The 6,472-square foot, five-bedroom, six-bathroom home was a custom build by Shepherd and Boyd, who worked with Philip Johnson and John Burgee on The Crescent, so it’s a solid home with an excellent pedigree. The original owner was a real estate investor, broker, and developer J.C. Sterquell, a discerning gentleman that understood construction.

When I drove over to Royal Lane three years ago to offer a real estate consultation, I almost missed the house. You cannot see it from the street because a wall blocks the view.

As you wind around the wall, this classic contemporary estate appears. It’s perfectly placed on a heavily wooded acre between Strait and Lennox Lanes. The minute you step out of the car, you’ve left the world behind and hear only the birds and squirrels calling out to each other.

Remember, this is the neighborhood that even Dirk Nowitzki chose. His house catty-corners the rear of this estate.

A Design Dream Team

The classic contemporary estate landed safely in the hands of a dream team, Leah and Andrew Macaulay. Andrew is the Chief Technology Officer at Top Golf, and Lea owns the Duvall Mac Talent agency. Andrew is handy, and Leah loves design.

They were also used to having a bit of land, which is challenging to find in Dallas, and they were not the least bit daunted by the thought of renovation. When they were shown this estate, they fell for it as hard as I did, and knew they could bring this classic 1980s contemporary up to today’s standards. 

“We Interviewed several builders that told us it was a teardown,” Leah said. “We knew it was not and we didn’t want to damage the landscape and the trees. Fortunately, we found Josh Zielke, and he loved the energy in the house and said let’s do it! I hired him on the spot and called Andrew later and said I kind of forgot to tell you I hired a builder today! Almost everything in the house is us. We planned it, designed it, and selected the finish-out.”

It took 11 months for the structural elements and another three months for completion. The couple lived in the house with their three boys the entire time, washing dishes in the bathroom sink and eating off of a one-burner hot plate in the sunroom. That’s dedication!

They moved walls, extended the kitchen into the old dining room, opened up everything as wide and high as possible, and added a wall of windows overlooking the pool.   

“We built a fireplace in the family room,” Andrew said. “When the sellers came back to see the renovation, they loved it. It was something they’d always thought about adding.”

There were some very simple changes as well that had a profound effect, like removing the wallpaper and the shutters from the sunroom windows.

At some point in the life of the house, the former garage space was turned into a secondary living area. The Macaulays returned the space to its original use, reversing a staircase and capturing space at the back for another principal closet. The property has a fantastic garage apartment that was also renovated.

Birds That Flock Together

The Macaulays built a half basketball court for their boys, and the grounds are an absolute dream for kids. The estate has also been on the path of wild duck migration for years.

“They come to the flower bed by the pool and lay their eggs,” Leah said. You just get up one morning, and there are ducks. It’s like a day of duck baby boot camp. The mama duck teaches them to jump off the walls, and they learn to swim in the pool. We learned quickly to put a rug down so they can walk out easily, and we block the pool skimmer to protect them. Then just as suddenly as they arrived, they fly off!”

“I love that we kept the integrity of the house and did not try to make it like every other house,” Leah said.   

The Macaulays are off to the next adventure, and it’s sure to be a renovation because they love the challenge. I’m thrilled they saved this extraordinary estate because we have so few of them left. 

This home is a lesson and an inspiration for us all. It’s a prime example of the importance of renovating and updating what exists.

Allie Beth Allman agent Nanette Eklund Luker has this move-in-ready classic contemporary estate at 4730 Royal Lane listed for $2.9 million.