This Little Forest Hills Cottage Is Chic As, Well, You Get It

It’s not the first time I’ve talked to The Michael Group’s Kristen Martin — and no way it will be the last. She already has her next project all lined up. It’s a house on Swiss Avenue that’s completely original and she said it will be her best one yet.

I honestly can’t imagine because all of her houses are incredible. She buys them, renovates them, and lives in them until she finds her next one. This is one of her two houses on Groveland, a street she describes as a tree-crowned storybook in Little Forest Hills. It’s her favorite pocket in Dallas. She’s East Dallas forever and says there’s a lack of pretense over there. It’s filled with wonderfully friendly, creative people and whole lotta gardeners — which this house would be perfect for. Martin said about 16 trees are on the lot.

It’s a corner lot and although this house has a smaller footprint inside, the generous deck and rambling front yard with a seating area, Koi pond, and Japanese Maples far extend the living space. It’s a rare lot that’s gently sloped with a patch of bamboo in the back. It feels secluded and neighbors are only on one side.

Original stained glass is in the bathrooms and the giant circle peek-through was there when Martin moved in, but she swapped out the railing and gave it a clean, modern look. She said the stairs were carpeted so she redid those as well. She also said — and is the kind of thing you’d file under fun facts — murals were everywhere when she bought the house. One of them even featured a minotaur, so there you go.

In the Primary bathroom, she added a mix of three ornate mirrors. She said it fits with the funky vibe of the neighborhood. The flooring is Malibu Engineered White Oak and if you backtrack three years to when the renovation was complete, that makes Martin an early adapter. She said she just loved the minimal, classic look of the floor. That’s always her goal with each remodels to pick finishes and materials that are timeless and will look fresh for years to come.

Martin has 8823 Groveland Drive listed for $675,000.