Oh, Plano!  We Did Not Expect This Cutting-Edge Soft Contemporary

Plano is not the place that immediately comes to mind when shopping for a cutting-edge soft contemporary luxury home. That’s not a diss. Plano is known as a fantastic place to raise a family. In fact, last year, WalletHub named it the No. 1 Best City in Texas to Raise a Family and the fourth “Best City in the U.S. to Raise a Family.”

It’s always been a more affordable alternative to Dallas, with lower taxes and one of the lowest crime rates of any city. However, it is just not where we have seen extraordinary luxury homes — until now. 

This Cutting-Edge Soft Contemporary is Setting a New Standard For Plano.

Due to extraordinary circumstances, a global pandemic, and winter storm Uri, what began as a simple addition turned into a complete transformation. When the Snowmageddon hit Dallas in 2022, everything in and on the property froze. Drew Baird, owner of Baird Contracting, had been working with the owners, and the storm meant starting over — essentially from scratch.

“I drew up the plans on the back of a piece of cardboard,” Baird said.
  
When you’ve been in business for over 30 years, you can do that. Baird opened up the house, added a pool house and a cabana, ripped out the old pool, and decked around it. Yes, he basically rebuilt the entire house.

“It’s definitely a mullet house — business in the front, party in the back,” Baird said. The backyard is almost like Las Vegas. It’s a one-of-a-kind property in Plano and great for entertaining.”

Let’s start at the business end of this spectacular cutting-edge soft contemporary. There’s incredible privacy as the home sits on almost three acres, well back from the road and surrounded by over a hundred mature trees. If you check out Google Maps, you can just manage the smallest sneak peek, and isn’t that the sort of privacy we all want?

This clean-lined luxury home is now 7,184 square feet with five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms, a gym with a sauna, and the coolest sports bar and cigar lounge we’ve ever seen. When a builder and client are on the same page, sheer magic happens, and that’s what we see in this house. 

We all want a cool kitchen where we can hang out with the guests, and this one is uber cool. The homeowners loved the mirrored tile on the swimming pool and requested it for the front of the kitchen island. See what I mean about those smack-your-head ideas? It’s brilliant, bouncing and reflecting light into the room. Not to worry, there is a tricked-out catering kitchen just behind the primary one. The dining room table is conveniently located next to the massive island, which creates a seamless entertaining experience for friends and family. You can seat 16 at the dining table and then put at least six kids at the kitchen island. No one is ever going to complain about sitting at the “kids’ table” here.

Some features in this cutting-edge soft contemporary just make you smack your head and say, “Why didn’t I ever think of that?” For instance, the dramatic sports and cigar bar has a state-of-the-art filtration system. You will never smell smoke in the house. The owner wanted to riff off the concept of cognac because, you know, it’s a bar. So Baird sourced possibly the most beautiful cognac-veined blue Brazilian quartzite in the world for the bar top. It’s a beautiful but comfortable space, and, yes, there are four TVs in this area alone. There are 21 TV’s in the home including one that descends from the principal bedroom’s ceiling, because these owners take sports seriously. You are not going to miss a single play in this home.

There’s an elevator, of course, because this was intended as a forever home, and you just don’t rebuild without one today. It’s an essential feature in any luxury home with more than one floor. This one leads to the primary suite, which has a private balcony, an incredible showcase closet, and a bathroom with heated floors that looks like it’s from a Bravo real estate show.

Then there are the grounds with the 1,200-square-foot guest house, a sports court, pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, and a barn.

“The guest house is a true independent living area,” listing agent Carol Thompson of Keller Williams Realty Plano said. “This home is a great collaborative effort between Drew and the owners.”

You’re wondering how this scenario could get any better, aren’t you? Well, how about the fact that this stunning cutting-edge soft contemporary is being sold WITH indoor and outdoor furnishings and even some of the artwork?  Everything was custom designed for the home, so it makes sense, and what a deal for a lucky buyer. We are seeing more and more luxury homes being offered with furnishings, which is such a bonus. When you think about the waitlist for a great interior designer, then the wait for furniture, buying a furnished home is really the wave of the future. Yes, the 21 TV’s are also included!

Thompson has this extraordinary cutting-edge soft contemporary at 3512 Willow Bend Dr. available for $8.7 million.