Architect Index: When You Think of Lakewood, You Think of Clifford Hutsell
Share News:
Clifford D. Hutsell built homes for people that appreciated art, character, style, and quality. To own a Hutsell-designed home is to own a piece of Dallas history. It’s the antithesis of the white box. It’s eclectic. It’s cool, and these homes are meant to be owned by people that are equally eclectic and cool.
Hutsell Throughout Dallas
Born in Grapevine, Hutsell first found success in the 1920s during a construction boom in South Dallas. He built a significant number of modest Prairie-style homes, Craftsman bungalows, and Tudor cottages on Park Row. Today the South Boulevard – Park Row historic district consists of over 100 houses on two streets of the Edgewood addition, built primarily by the city’s Jewish community around Temple Emmanu El near South Blvd. and Harwood.
Hutsell then moved on to Oak Lawn and East Dallas. After working in the M Streets, he began the transformation from builder to architect-builder. This is when we see a radical style change, primarily influenced by a trip to California in 1929 when Hutsell saw the home of Tom Mix. Mix was “the” star of Western films between 1909 and 1935 — so yes, a very big deal who could afford a very cool house. Hutsell fell in love with it and Spanish Eclecticism. Lucky for Lakewood, this is about the time he implemented his own creative and fanciful take on Spanish Eclectic architecture.
That’s why it’s fitting that Lakewood is home to so many of Hutsell’s creations, whose designs regularly included multi-colored Spanish tile roofs, iron gates, lanterns, and grand walled courtyards at the front entrance. Between 1926 and 1941, he designed and built approximately 50 houses in Lakewood.
Interesting fact: Stucco wasn’t allowed at the time due to deed restrictions in Lakewood, so Hutsell used a cream-colored brick to simulate the stucco needed to create these architecturally whimsical homes.
In the late 20s and early 30s, Hutsell created some of the most architecturally significant homes of his career in Lakewood. This is in no small part due to the fact he was also skilled at finding, and keeping together, a talented team of artisans and craftsmen. So, when you see a gorgeous Lakewood Spanish Eclectic home with a tile roof, stained glass, and an enclosed courtyard you can appreciate the artistry of all of these fine craftsmen working together over the years.
As an insider’s source for Dallas-Fort Worth real estate news, Candysdirt.com may have the most extensive archive of information on Hutsell-designed homes in America because Dallas is blessed with so many of them. Here’s a look at the many Hutsell homes we’ve covered here at CandysDirt.com.
Hutsell home at 7035 Lakewood Blvd. | Built in 1930
We’ll start with the most architecturally-significant home in the bunch, Hutsell’s own 1930 home at 7035 Lakewood Blvd. It’s magnificent and it’s one of the most carefully preserved iconic Hutsell homes in the city.
It’s evident from the exterior that Hutsell pulled out all the stops on his own home. How often do you find a house with a mammoth stained glass window featuring a Spanish galleon and exterior curtains? Never. That stained glass window featuring a grand Spanish ship and Batchelder fireplace anchors the living room.
Carol Gantt of Gantt Design is a construction consultant, designer, and our local authority on all things Hutsell. She’s known for her amazing work restoring these homes and guiding others so they get it right.
“Hutsell used his own home as sort of a sales office, and he would bring prospective clients there to show them what he could do,” Gantt said. “This is why you’ll see every possible style element in the house. Gorgeous fake-painted plaster logs surround the living room. He even had little bugs painted on the logs! There’s original multi-colored cork flooring in the entry in an ashlar pattern. He painted a tent on the ceiling of the turret bathroom, used beautiful and unusual tile combinations and strange colored toilets, sinks, and tubs.”
And just for time capsule sake, I’ll give the home’s specs and listing price at the time. In this case, David Bush Real Estate listed 7035 Lakewood Blvd., a 4,777-square-foot home with three bedrooms, and three full- and two half-baths for $1.64 million in May 2016.
Browse all 7035 Lakewood Blvd.‘s photos on this 2016 CandysDirt.com feature from the Hutsell archives.
7023 Lakewood Blvd. | Built in 1930
Well, hang on. Some folks believe this impressive turreted home at 7023 Lakewood Blvd. is actually Hutsell’s home. While the size of 7035 Lakewood lends itself more to the home of such a successful architect, the eccentricity of this home gets us thinking.
The home features hand-painted plaster walls, elaborate metalwork hidden throughout the house, custom murals, colorful mosaic tile accents, handcrafted iron gates, fanciful light fixtures, and a Spanish courtyard. The tile work is mind-boggling — every bit of it is perfect and pristine, even from a home built in 1930.
And yes, that’s a real turret. Here’s a look inside.
In May 2015, Wayne Garcia of Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate listed 7023 Lakewood Blvd, a 4,509-square-foot home with five bedrooms for $1.375 million.
Read one of CandysDirt.com publisher Candy Evans’ early dispatches about Cliff Hutsell and this eccentricity at 7023 Lakewood.
7226 Lakewood Blvd. | Built in 1932
This 1932 Spanish Eclectic at 7226 Lakewood, designed by Clifford Hutsell, hasn’t been on the market in nearly half a century. The family lived here for 48 years and kept it beautifully intact, with many features we have not seen in other Hutsell homes. Hutsell was known for his quirky embellishments, and this one has elements that are rare finds. The living room is wrapped from floor to ceiling in a distinctive paint treatment with a painted landscape of the same hues, almost concealing doors to the exterior and continuing onto the fireplace.
Look at this wonderful living room. This is no ordinary home.
In this October 2023 update to this CandysDirt.com Architect Index, we share Karen Eubank’s report on one of the most unusual Hutsell homes we’ve ever seen. David Bush of David Bush Realtors listed 7226 Lakewood for $2.5 million. It was quickly snapped up, but is now at risk for demolition.
7203 Lakewood Blvd. | Built in 1931
When 7203 Lakewood Blvd. hit the market, listing agent Susan Baldwin of Allie Beth Allman understood how special an architect like Hutsell was to this neighborhood.
“This home has a colorful history of wonderful caretakers,” Baldwin said. “Everybody loves it. Just recently someone stopped by whose grandmother had lived in the neighborhood years ago. He remembered as a kid that the Hutsell homes had bells in the archways, and parents would ring them when it was time to come in for dinner. We think this one probably had a bell as well, so you could install one and be right in keeping with the history of the home. Lakewood is very much a front yard community, so those bells come in handy!”
Read Karen Eubank’s deep dive into 7203 Lakewood Blvd., and take note of the Batchelder fireplace that’s especially rare because it features scenes of White Rock Lake engraved in the brick. Allie Beth Allman agent Susan Baldwin listed 7203 Lakewood Blvd., which has 2,260 square feet, three bedrooms, and two baths, in October 2018 for $799,999
6969 Lakewood Blvd. | Built in 1936
We’re venturing over to the 6000 block of Lakewood Boulevard for this truly one-of-a-kind Spanish Eclectic at 6969 Lakewood Blvd. This home features the coveted extraordinary details that define Hutsell’s style and has been called one of the most important Hutsell homes in Lakewood, if not, Dallas.
One of the most prominent and rare is the first round plate glass window in a Dallas residence. The round window in the sunroom is fitted with original ironwork to hold candles. It must surely be one of Hutsell’s most creative innovations. Directly opposite this window is a mirror of the same shape and size. It serves not only to reflect the beautiful courtyard but to also bounce light into the multiple stained glass windows in the room.
The 2,204-square-foot Lakewood Hutsell at 6969 Lakewood Blvd. has three bedrooms and three bathrooms and a guest house in the backyard. It was recently listed in Sept. 2022 with Compass agent Nancy Johnson for $1.649 million and sold. Back in October 2019, John Angell of what was then called Dallas City Center listed the home for $1.25 million.
We’ve written about this home twice, so for a deep dive into this uniquely-Hutsell home, browse Karen Eubank’s two articles from the archives below.
Like we said, we’ve covered quite a few Hutsells in our day. Here’s a look at the rest of Dallas’ Hutsells that have hit the market or been featured on a home tour in the past 10 years.
More From the Archives
7218 Lakewood Blvd.
Wait till you see the kitchen in this stunner. Back when it was still allowed, Nancy Johnson had 7218 Lakewood Blvd., a hip pocket listing off-market, for $1.475 million in Oct. 2014. Most recently listed in Jan. 2019 for $1.399 million, the 1936 Spanish Eclectic has three bedrooms, two baths, and 3,114 square feet.
7327 Lakewood Blvd.
See what color this 1936 beauty used to be in Karen Eubank’s archive feature on 7327 Lakewood, a three-bedroom with 1,800 square feet that was listed in Dec. 2011 for $439,000.
6006 Mercedes Lane
Inside 6006 Mercedes, plenty of those classic Hutsell touches remain, including meringue stucco ceilings and an eclectic Rookwood tiled fireplace. Yet, it has plenty of updates for a whole new look and feel. Enjoy a crisp white kitchen adorned in custom cabinets, quartz, and stainless.
6021 Mercedes Lane
This one’s a little different. Hutsell designed the M-Streets property at 6021 Mercedes Ave. in 1927 and you can see his signatures, like Batchelder gas fireplace, handcrafted marble mosaic floor, cove ceilings, stained glass windows, and glass doors on cabinets in the breakfast nook. This home has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and 2,275 square feet on two stories.
4 Comments
Leave a Comment
Thank you for such an amazing overview of Hutsell. I recently stumbled on a house he designed in Longview, TX – 814 Charlotte Dr. Apparently one of the few he did outside of Dallas. Same incredible details and tile work. And the bells in the ironwork archways seem to still be intact. Incredible!
My wife and I bought one of Hutsell’s homes back in 1972, we paid $28,500. The last time I looked, it sold for over $600,000
I lived in Lakewood in the early 1980’s. Always wished I could’ve picked it up and move it with me to each city I’ve lived in ever since!
Thank you!!
Sadly there are some in Lakewood who see no crime in the impending demo of the Lakewood Hutsell next week. The ones of us with souls are heartbroken and if nothing else Candy’s Dirt shines a light on the rich invaluable legacy of Hutsells homes.