A Los Arboles Estate Features Thoughtful Updates That Bring The 2000-Built Beauty Current

Los Arboles is one of those hidden gems in Dallas. Filled with ponds, water features, and majestic trees, it’s the most beautiful private and secure neighborhood in Dallas.

At last count, only 32 estate homes were in the 30-acre gated community.

Most homes here were built in the 1990s and early 2000s but have aged exceptionally well because they were architect designed and constructed by noted custom builders such as Michael Remsick, who was the brains behind this home.

Updated Los Arboles Estate

Of course, trends and styles change over the years, so we see some lovely cosmetic updates like those in this Tudor-inspired Los Arboles estate.

Interior designer Devin Savage knew he was in the right place when he entered the neighborhood.

“Los Arboles is like being in a different world,” he said. “It feels like a secret.”

Savage had finished a project at the Ritz and was looking around for his next challenge when he spotted this Tudor-inspired estate home online.

“I fell in love with it,” Savage said. The house had loads of character, with details like witch hat gables, an Oriel bay window over the front entry, and the large metal planter basket under the left-facing window. 

“I’m attracted to a house that when you see it from the outside, you immediately want to see what is inside,” Savage said.

The previous owners for 18 years were Micky and Renee Harrison, founders of The J. Reneé Group in 1978. Look in your closet. You have at least a few pairs of their shoes! You already know with owners who design shoes, this house was built with style and organization.

“She paid attention to the smallest of details in this house and designed every little built-in,” Savage said. “There is a lot of detail, and I appreciate that.”

The house was well-designed but not current. It still featured the dark wood and heavy draperies favored in the early 2000s, and that no longer resonates with buyers today.

“I feel like the architect and builder were very progressive when they built this home,” Savage said. “For instance, it already had an open-plan living area, which was not common for the build date. I was not interested in moving walls and wanted to keep the woodwork because of the detail. I neutralized the kitchen cabinets by removing the arched doors and rebuilding them to create a more transitional, less formal feeling. But so much was done by just simplifying. Removing draperies, lightening woodwork, and painting made a huge difference. I went through 32 samples of white paint to find the exact shade that would complement the woodwork and work with all of the greenery you see through the windows.” 

Savage spent as much time working on the exterior as the interior, creating a lush landscape that adds to the feeling of privacy and serenity.

“There is a fountain on the side veranda, and you hear this beautiful sound and the waterfall in the pool. You feel like you are in a resort when you hear the water features.”

Having lived in California for a time, he was used to designing the outside of a house like the inside. For this home, he specifically wanted to impart the feel of an interior dining room. 

Dave Perry-Miller listing agent Sharon Redd said that every step of the renovation was thought out.

“It’s sophisticated but comfortable,” she said. “Devin has the most meticulous eye for detail and design and did a brilliant transformation.”  

Redd has this 7,062-square-foot, four-bedroom, seven-bathroom Los Arboles estate at 30 Robledo Dr. offered for $5.749 million.