A Highland Park French Transitional That Evokes Classic Parisian Style
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If you’ve ever seen a classic Parisian residence, you’ll immediately understand how this Highland Park French transitional home captures that style.
It’s the simple elegance, the attention to detail, and a flow of light that washes over rooms without overwhelming them. The ceilings are high, and the windows are tall. There is beautiful wall paneling. The moldings are deep and sleek. Marble fireplaces anchor the formal living, family room, and principal bedroom. It’s as if the home was plucked up out of the 16th arrondissement and carefully settled into Highland Park.
When I realized who was responsible for this beauty, I was not at all surprised. Architect Richard Drummond Davis and builder Colby Craig are the dynamic duo behind the creation of this Highland Park French transitional home. If anyone understands the elegance, grace, and sophistication of French architecture, it’s these two.
“Richard created the plan, and then, when I was building it, I had him come back and do all the interior elevations,” Craig said. “It’s intentionally very Parisian.”
There is the expected drive-up wow factor with a stately white stone exterior, cast stone detailing, and gas lanterns. “It’s on a wider lot than you usually see in Highland Park, and that makes it feel grander,” Craig said.
However, it’s the interior that will make you want to settle right in. Of course, there is a dramatic foyer with a sweeping spiral staircase, but there is that intimacy that I’ve only seen the very best architects and builders achieve in a home of this size.
With 7,787 square feet, five bedrooms, six full bathrooms, and a powder bath, you might expect that attention to detail to rest solely with the first floor. Dieu m’en garde! Or for those of you who have forgotten your high school French, God forbid! These two never cut corners, ever. The quality and details are consistent throughout the house. This is always a given with Craig because when he builds a house, he builds it to the standards he would want for his own home.
Although there are many beautiful homes in Dallas, I believe we are now seeing more appreciation for those with character, detail, and ambiance. There is just so much visualization that must go into a modern, clean-lined home, and that’s a lot of mental gymnastics for most.
However, when a buyer can walk into a house that has classic details like wainscoting and paneling, it simply feels more like home. It’s easier to understand and to visualize life in a house like this because it feels familiar. Of course, staging is essential in any home, but especially in a large one, because it’s essential to show that even in a grand home, the rooms can feel intimate.
“I’m going to quote our stager, Cindy Musgrave of BluSky Living,” Craig said. “When you walk into a home, you should feel like you are wrapped in a cashmere blanket.”
Very apropos, and a very Parisian sensibility indeed.
