Ripley Renovations’ Very Own Flawless Munger Place Craftsman
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Travis Ripley began Ripley Renovations in this Munger Place Craftsman. What have I told y’all about buying the home of a builder? Yep. Run to their Realtor and sign that contract instantly. You will never, ever find a better constructed house than the personal home of a builder.
Ripley and his wife, Amy developed a love for old homes while living in Pittsburgh and New York. In 2012, when they decided to move to Texas to be near their respective parents, the search was on for a home with character.
“Our Realtor took us along Swiss Avenue,” Ripley said. “We took a wrong turn and found this house. It was a great price, but in rough shape. The fireplace was actually falling through the floor.” They set up a trail cam to see what was going on and found that possums and raccoons had been calling it home on a regular basis.
But Ripley was confident he and Amy could bring this 1913 Munger Place Craftsman back to its former glory. “The big hail storm came the year we moved in, so we started with a new roof. I built the detached garage and carriage house, restored the exterior, and rebuilt the porte cochere, which was basically being held up by a nail! That carriage house is a real bonus. It features a Murphy bed and a kitchenette, making it perfect for guests or short-term rentals. Ripley used mesquite and mahogany and put in five gables with windows. “When you are sleeping there, you just see trees,” Ripley said.
The Ripley’s saved as much of the long leaf pine trim as possible, then reproduced the rest of it with quarter-sawn oak. He built the dining room bar, reproducing the original fireplace columns as accents, and milled all the wainscotting in the room. You’d swear it was all original. They was able to save and restore all of the windows and stained glass that is now in the kitchen.
Liz Gibson, the lead designer for Ripley Renovations and a recipient of a Preservation Dallas Achievement Award, was instrumental in recreating the 1913 historic look. She used William Morris wallpaper, which is hand-crafted in England with the designs drawn from their original 19th-century archives. Gibson is clever about resourcing and found light fixtures that you’d swear were have been here since 1913.
One of the truly brilliant nods to modern-day living was transforming the original sleeping porch into a giant closet. It took six years, but now this 2,478-square-foot- foot, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom Munger Place Craftsman is truly ready for its close-up and a new family.
If anyone knows how to take a home from the 1900s and adapt it to today’s lifestyles, it’s Ripley Renovations. And as I mentioned, this is a rare opportunity to nab a builder’s own home that is not only beautifully remodeled, but also picture-perfect.
Compass Realtors Neil Broussard and Nina Sachse of the Rhodes Group have this Munger Place Craftsman at 4901 Victor Ave. available for $1.2 million.
Open House Sunday, September 14, from 2 to 4 p.m
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That house is fantastic! I love how they updated and kept the integrity of the home and did not just white and gray wash the entire place. I have been dying for soapstone counters for about 20 years and am so jealous. Pairing them with the green and cognac was perfect. And seeing the price makes me sad that I passed on that neighborhood when I bought my first home in DFW 31 years ago!!!!
I typically SCOFF at the seven digit prices, but wow, this is one I’d definitely go for if I could!
Gorgeous house and exquisite renovation. I’m surprised that Amy Ripley, co-owner of the house and a major part of the renovation, was not at all mentioned in this article.
Ouch. It certainly was not on purpose.I interviewed Travis.
Amy and Travis Ripley did such an amazing job on this house! It always stands out as such a show stopper in the neighborhood.
Yes they are an incredible team!
I have been so fortunate to watch the remarkable renovation of this home from the beginning to its final product. Travis and Amy Ripley poured their love into this home with Amy picking out the exquisite wallpaper, fixtures and much of the decor of the home early on while Travis shined in his craftsmanship. Their hard work and keen eye to preserve the details of the home has lead to the final product of an extraordinary and beautifully restored historic home. Congratulations to the next owners of this elegant home.
This house is amazing! I remember Amy talking about that wallpaper before picking it! She has a professional eye for decorating and has set up the future buyers for a gem!
Amy, you obviously outdid yourself with all the personal touches and high-end fixtures you were able to provide for your home. A stunning house, top to bottom. I’m sure your next home endeavors will be even more remarkable!
I don’t believe Gibson had any input on this project while the Ripley’s restored it. It is definitely a beautiful home though and a great representation of the craftsmanship at Ripley Reno. The next owner will be lucky to call it home.
David surely you are not suggesting I’d arbitrarily include someone in a story that was not involved? Gibson is part of the Ripley Renovations team as lead designer. When I interviewed Travis he told me she was involved. I don’t fabricate information.
I do not mean to imply you are fabricating anything. I understand you are reporting the information you were given. Gibson was not at Ripley Renovations when the renovations were done however, I shouldn’t have insinuated she wasn’t involved or hired by the owners. Again, it is a lovely home and whoever was involved did a spectacular job bringing it back to life.
Thanks for that clarification.