Photography And Staging Changed Perception Around This Gated Preston Hollow Luxury Estate

I’m always struck when I see a house and barely recognize that I’ve written about it before. That’s the case with this stunning gated Preston Hollow luxury estate.  

The 13,104-square-foot mansion has undergone two extraordinary transformations over the years. The first massive expansion and overhaul was done in the 1990s with architect Cole Smith Jr. AIA. For those new to Dallas, Smith was one of the most talented and highly respected architects of the ’90s, designing iconic homes in Preston Hollow and the Park Cities. He completed more than 2,000 projects, including the first Dallas Holocaust Memorial. 

Smith converted this home from the original French Mansard style and added a 2,300-square-foot pool house. When that renovation was done, all that was left of the original home were some piers under the eastern wing. This is why you will see a build date of 1951, which is meaningless as every square inch of this home has been enlarged, remodeled, rebuilt, and updated — twice. So, don’t let a build date ever put you off.

Preston Hollow Luxury Estate Déjà Vu

The present owner touched everything, reconfiguring the floor plan and bringing it up to speed for a modern homeowner. When his team finished, I wrote about it last April with a slew of before-and-after photos.

They made inspired selections like the kitchen island’s leathered Taj Mahal solid surface and the custom wall covering printed for the exercise area. So, with five bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, and every country club feature you could dream of including a pool, spa, and sports court, you’d have thought this Preston Hollow luxury estate would have been swept off the market instantly.

Well, that’s not always the case with multimillion-dollar homes. We’ve also left the stratospheric phase of real estate behind with the pandemic and come down to earth with new expectations and a new pricing reality.

Bringing in Dallas Luxury Expert Ryan Streiff

It’s never easy to be the second agent on a luxury listing, but Ryan Streiff is uniquely positioned to solve real estate issues. As a former investment banker who has been in the real estate profession for 16 years, he’s got a depth of experience in leveraging existing assets and advising on the best ROI when it comes to necessary expenditures for a property. He can also spot hidden issues a mile away.

“The two-story principal closet was confusing,” Streiff said. “We reevaluated the space and added a wall and a door upstairs, allowing for a second home office space. It was transformative and now makes sense. We also added a secret door in the bookshelf to make more sense of the au pair suite.”

When you are the second listing agent, not only do you have to problem solve, you have to create a new vision. You have to put what essentially looks like a new product out there. That means new photography and tweaks to existing staging. So, if I did a double-take, those tweaks were incredibly successful.

“I think, in general, the specialist needs to be the specialist,” Streiff said. “But if something is not working, or if too many chiefs are adding their opinions, then the stager cannot do their work properly. We had a very collaborative process with George Bass Stage & Design.”

Bass partnered with Samuel Lynne Galleries to supply the three beautiful paintings in the foyer and central formal living to give the house a pop of color.

“They are the premier gallery in Dallas,” Bass said. “We were honored to work with them and exhibit some of their wonderful paintings. In the luxury market, there is an expectation that the staging will reflect the house’s stature and one-of-a-kind works of art achieve that exceptionally well.”

Stephen Reed reshot the house in a manner befitting Architectural Digest, something I’ve been begging photographers to do for years. The new photos showcase the home beautifully, bringing out the warmth and a more realistic view of the scale and proportions of the rooms.

Streiff has already had multiple showings, which is not at all surprising. With the current craving for a home with a resort lifestyle, this Preston Hollow luxury estate checks all the boxes. 

Streiff and Jamie Kohlman have 4700 Dorset Rd offered at $8.395 million.