This Expansive Retreat on 16 Acres Shows Why Sunnyvale is The Place to be

Where can you get land, a gorgeous house, and be 15 miles from downtown Dallas? Sunnyvale. 

It’s a mystery to me why more people have not discovered Sunnyvale. It’s a heck of a lot faster to get there than anywhere north of the city. You certainly get a lot more bang for your buck here and, of course, the privacy that comes with land.

Sunnyvale was incorporated in 1953 and named by the students of Tripp-Long Creek school in a contest held by area officials. This year, there are 7,213 residents, which is only an increase of a little over 2,000 people since the last census in 2010.

If you treasure your time and value your space, Sunnyvale is the place to be.

Kevin Henrichson gets it. He grew up in Mesquite and wanted to be in Sunnyvale because of that ability to have a rural lifestyle and still be 15 miles from the nearest skyscraper. 

When he found this house, he knew the footprint was too small for the 16 acres. Henrichson also had a blended family of seven children, so adding on was a necessity.

“I was more interested in the property than the house,” Henrichson said. “There are rolling hills, a pond, and woods. I thought ‘Here is a house with great bones, but it needs some flair and more square footage.’ “

Builting With The Land

Fortunately, Henrichson is an architect, and his firm GHA Architects are well known for building restaurants and retail establishments. Think Chilis, Cantina Laredo, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Del Friscos, to name a few. So he was more than well equipped to handle the project. 

“When we saw the existing house, it was limestone, which I love, but it had a Southwestern flair. I wanted to modernize that and, most importantly, get the connection to the outside,” he said. “The views and land prompted the way I designed the architecture. The property is unique. It’s somewhat on a hill that rolls down to a pond and a pasture. There is even an old barn that is picturesque. It makes the view out the window perfect.”

The remodel and additions took two years, taking this home to three stories and 8,003 square feet with eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, six living areas, and multiple “wow” factors. 

If you enter the home from the front door — which no one really does out in the country — you get a grand view through the barrel-vaulted entry straight through the great room and a double-sided limestone fireplace to the back of the property. A 10-foot-tall glass wall of stacked doors opens to the patio.

“They were added to maximize the view across the property to the pond,” Henrichson said.   

The next dramatic feature is generally what people see first because everyone comes into the home from the driveway. From there you enter the family room that is seen from the front of the house with the floor-to-ceiling corner of glass.

“The nicest part about living here is that every morning when you wake up and move from room to room, you see a view from every room,” Henrichson said. “It’s very refreshing and in the afternoons, you can easily unwind from a long day at work.” 

The 16-acre property is perfect for horse lovers, and of course, there is an agricultural exemption, so the tax savings are a bonus. There are five run-out sheds, holding pens, and two barns but the best thing is simply having space, inside and out.

“We have bonfires all the time,” Henrichson said. “The kids loved it when they were growing up. There is a place at the back of the property where no one can see you, so the kids would stay out there for sleepovers in the hammocks.”

This Sunnyvale retreat is what we all need right now. It’s a reminder that slowing down, enjoying life and our surroundings is what matters most. Imagine raising your children in the safety of a property that offers the freedom to roam, ride, fish, and sleep under the stars while you sip cocktails by the bonfire and watch the sunset every evening. Heaven! 

Allie Beth Allman agents Mary Alice and Mike Turner have 339 Town East Boulevard listed for $3.95 million.