Serene Setting, Timeless Design, Complete Privacy — This Preston Hollow Modern Home Is Made for a Sophisticated Buyer

You may not know our city has been at the forefront of modern residential architecture. Dallas has embraced the style since Art Moderne was introduced at the Texas Centennial in 1936. Frank Lloyd Wright and Edward Durrell Stone were among the influencers in the 1950s, and Lionel Morrison and Gary Cunningham were creating a new look for modern homes in the 1970s and ’80s.

Consider also the influence of Antoine Predock, who in 1992 designed the nationally known Rose House backing up to Turtle Creek. If you’re unfamiliar, that’s not surprising. It’s well hidden on a cul-de-sac with a facade that is rather imposing. There are similarities to our featured home today.

The Rose House was created to take advantage of the beautiful landscape at the back of the home and to provide the owners, both avid bird watchers, with the perfect perch. This Preston Hollow modern established those same themes. It’s almost perfectly hidden from the street. When you drive by, all you can see is a glimpse of the side of this 7,144 square foot home. If you are looking for privacy, this home is pretty deftly hidden.

Of course, lifestyle trends have been an enormous influence on the movement towards rear elevations in residential architecture, gaining significance. Homeowners desired privacy, but they still wanted massive amounts of light and views of the landscape. This Preston Hollow modern offers both. It sits on an acre, beautifully designed by Bonick Landscaping to be reminiscent of a park setting. There is a koi pond with a fountain and a bridge crossing the creek to the heated saltwater swimming pool. It’s the sort of yard you want to spend as much time in as possible when the weather is mild.

When the weather is challenging, you can still enjoy the landscape because every room has a view of the backyard. The most impressive is the two-story living room with floor-to-ceiling corner views, but I’m partial to the cozy study’s view of the trees.

The interiors are truly next level with beautiful yet classic materials. The current owners brought in interior designer Rick Rozas to customize it to their tastes. We’ve featured Rozas before, and his approach to design is that it never has to be redone, which I find particularly refreshing. The living room, for instance, features a fireplace made from Danby marble and 90-year-old burning bush mahogany crotch wood. It’s called crotch wood because the wood is cut from the juncture of a tree’s trunk and main branches. The burning bush name is from the appearance of the wood, and, as Rozas would remind us, it’s timeless.  

It’s important to me that it never feels like any particular period, so it never has to be refreshed. That’s the most precise philosophy on how I approach a project, no matter what the style. I like things that don’t show age and time. I don’t want them to be trendy.

Rick Rozas for CandysDirt

I wish I could tell you the architect of this phenomenal Preston Hollow modern luxury home, but no one seems to know. So, if you do, please tell us in the comments below. I also feel it’s necessary to clear up a bit of mystery, as the home has a 1985 build date. However, MLS indicates that the original house was scraped, as it was being marketed as land in 2003. The assumption is that the foundation remained, hence the build date. Regardless, it’s a cool modern home. I just don’t want you to think you are buying a home built in the 1980s.

What I can tell you, is that digging through the archives, I found Norman Flurry, an executive with Mobile Oil, sold his 1985 home to Jason Hopcus in 2004. It would appear Hopcus tore it down and built this four-bedroom, six-and-a-half bathroom custom home, then sold it in 2006 to the present owners.

All the necessary elements are here for a luxurious lifestyle, including art lighting, museum finish walls, a home gym, and a media room. The architectural firm Bernbaum Magadini added a safe room in 2008. It offers the trifecta —location, privacy, and a relaxed, comfortable, yet elegant, lifestyle. 

Allie Beth Allman Realtors, Alex Perry, and Eric Narasov have this Preston Hollow modern home at 9630 Inwood Rd. available for $5.6 million.