Every Day’s a Holiday in This Preston Hollow Mediterranean Hacienda
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With the right home, you can feel like you’re on vacation every day. Although this Mediterranean hacienda is in the heart of Preston Hollow, when you walk through the front courtyard, you’re instantly transported to San Miguel de Allende.
We’ve been sadly lacking lately in luxury homes for sale that have character. Everything is pretty, but also pretty vanilla and pretty much the same. So finding a home with color, texture, and some dramatic flair is a welcome change.
Mediterranean architecture has always been particularly suited to Dallas. With architectural roots in Spain, the style was introduced to the southwest during the 18th century and has held fast. Since the 1920s it has been one of the most popular architectural styles, cemented in our culture by historic residences like Villa Vizcaya on Biscayne Bay in Florida and Hayes Mansion in San Jose, Calif.
Old-World Charm
Terracotta rooftops, arched doorways, and intricately carved detailing always offer an air of old-world charm, romance, and a hint of mystery. It’s no wonder that this style is often chosen for film locations. If you’re a fan of Palm Royale like I am, you’ll recognize the Mediterranean mansion that used to belong to the late actress Yvette Mimieux, deemed Bel Air’s most beautiful estate. In other words, a Mediterranean-style home is always a timeless and elegant choice.
It is almost unheard of to have such an authentic Mediterranean hacienda in Dallas in such a beautiful, private, and secure area. Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s Pogir Pogir is the co-listing agent with Lisa Besserer. He told me the owner who rebuilt the home traveled to San Miguel regularly to create that authenticity, bringing back everything from doors to carved stone benches that are placed strategically into the landscape.
Perfect For Weddings
When Pogir mentioned that he thought the grounds would be perfect for weddings, I dived into the Dallas Morning News archives. I found that the original owners were Mr. and Mrs. Alfred C. West. In 1954, they hosted the wedding of Mrs. West’s brother, Richard Barr, to Miss Jackie Colquitt, marking the beginning of a long history of love and celebration in this beautiful Mediterranean hacienda.
The grounds are as magical and romantic as the home. Bordered by Bachman Creek, you are enveloped in the most lush setting imaginable.
“When you stand in the backyard and look to the left or the right, you feel as if you are in a massive garden because there are no fences. It all blends seamlessly together,” Pogir said. “The owners did something I’ve never seen before; they built a rock water feature that begins at the driveway, flows through the landscape to the creek, and is pumped back from there.”
Although the focal point of the yard is the large swimming pool, you can’t help but wander down the winding pathways, looking for the charming water features and benches. The secret garden effect is full on here. I have to agree with Pogir, who told me, “I could live there and feel like I’m always on holiday.”
Besserer and Pogir have this classic Mediterranean hacienda at 9308 Guernsey Lane listed for $3.95 million.
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There was an estate sale at this property within the last year or so that I was lucky enough to have gone to. BEAUTIFUL home and grounds. The interior has a completely different feel now that it has been staged than when the previous owner’s items were still in the house. The pool and grounds are truly stunning.
My Uncle Richard designed and built this home for our family in 1952. We lived there until 1957 when my parents divorced. Years later my Uncle bought the home and occupied it until 1972 when it burned to the ground.