Tavis Westbrook Shows That When The Bones Are Good, Midcentury Modern Magic Can Live On

Maren Morris sang it metaphorically, but it has a literal meaning as well, “When the bones are good, the house won’t fall.” It might be torn brick by brick and rebuilt, but it won’t fall. Builder Tavis Westbrook knows good bones, and that’s why this Dixon-Furlow Midcentury Modern caught his eye.

Dixon-Furlow And The Midcentury Modern Home

Don Dixon and Dave Furlow established Dixon-Furlow Inc. in 1963, the same year they built this cutting-edge Midcentury Modern home. They specialized in contemporary-styled homes, favoring native stone facades, clerestory windows, dark ceilings, and redwood decking.

Dixon-Furlow’s work was concentrated in the Canyon Creek Country Club neighborhood, and old Dallas Morning News articles aptly described their style as “beauty welded to livability.”

Unfortunately, much of the work of these talented and prolific builders has been razed because very few people have Westbrook’s eye for good bones, and fewer have his skills at both building and making the numbers work.

I think Dixon and Furlow would be tickled pink at what Westbrook has done to their original design.

Taking Good Bones to Great Lengths

The property had been purchased by an investor who did not possess all the resources necessary to revive this Midcentury Modern, and it went into foreclosure.

“I walked in and fell in love with the character of the home,” Westbrook said. “It was beautifully sited on the lot, and despite knowing it would be a lot of work, I knew it could be a masterpiece. It also feeds into great schools in Richardson, so I felt confident this was a project my business partner at the time, Trae Williams, and I could take on.”

It was not their first Midcentury Modern reno rodeo. There were successful renovations on James Drive in Richardson and Timbergrove in Stevens Park. Each project got bigger, and Westgrove knew he had a real calling for this style.

There is a core group of Realtors in Dallas that are founts of information about Midcentury Modern architecture, and Westbrook found his way into that circle. Ed Murchison was instrumental in bringing him up to speed, and John Weber invited him to his house in Palm Springs for an inspirational immersive visit.

“I was there for three days,” Westbrook said. “It was a crash course in Midcentury design!”

When this Dixon-Furrow home became available in 2016, Westbrook was well-versed in the Midcentury vernacular and completely inspired. He brought in architect Charles Bobo to collaborate on the floor plan, and within five months, plans were submitted and approved, and work had begun.

Eleven months later, the house was on the market. It was, indeed, a lot of work. Westbrook sent us a terrific video of the transformation in 2017. He received a Preservation Dallas Achievement Award for this home in 2018.

“I liken this project to a frame off classic car restoration,” Westbrook said. “You peel the car apart, go through every nut and bolt, and rebuild it.”

But that process allows for even better design, and energy efficiency that works for families today.

The house was expanded to the north allowing for a reconfiguration of the original principal bedroom, adding a walk-in closet and a new bathroom. This wing expansion also created room for a Jack-and-Jill bathroom and an increase in the size of two more bedrooms.

A primary suite was added to the opposite side of the home, and the garage was expanded, making room for a half bath, walk-in pantry, and mud room. Westbrook even redesigned the existing pool and added a spa to it.

One of the best things about renovation on this scale is when former owners drop by. Dallas DJ Jon “J.D.” Dillon and his wife Nancy lived here from the 1990s until 2008.

Dillon, who passed away in 2022, was known as a legend in rock radio and was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. He was one of the KZEW-FM Zoo Freaks and this house was the rock scene for years. Nancy happened to pass by and stopped in to see the work done on the family’s home for over a decade. She regaled Westbrook and his team with tales of the famous people and rock stars that partied in the house.

Ebby Halliday’s Kitty Ross listed this magical midcentury modern at 2300 Custer Parkway on Tuesday for $1.375 million. The best and final offers were submitted on Thursday. Needless to say, there were plenty.