This Los Arboles Estate, Reimagined by Chad Dorsey, Is the Hottest Property in Town
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As Kylie Kelce says, “I’m not gonna lie.” This 1.24-acre Los Arboles estate is everything you want in a family home and more. I’m rarely so impressed by a listing, but considering the talent involved, it’s no surprise it’s the hottest property in town right now.
The luxury gated community of Los Arboles in Preston Hollow was built in the 1990s on the former estate of Clint Murchison Jr., founder of the Dallas Cowboys. The 30-acre community features ponds, mature trees, and just 32 homes. You cannot ask for a more exclusive, secure, or centrally located setting.
The 9,023-square-foot home sits at the highest point in the neighborhood, where the original Murchison home was located. It was designed by the esteemed architect J. Wilson Fuqua in 1995 and completely updated into a fresh vision of luxury by MORE Design + Build’s Chad Dorsey in 2017. He chose to feature the Los Arboles estate in his recently released debut monograph, Relaxed Luxury, so you know he really enjoyed the experience and the outcome. Take note that Dorsey was also tapped to design the Auberge Resorts Collection’s Knox Residences.
Dorsey named the home The Amagansett, and the description in his book, of course, says it all:
The custom-designed former home of a retail CEO, this Dallas manse needed a total architectural and interior renovation for its new owners, a family with five children. We were hired and worked with the wife on the design and the construction for two years, transforming it with a “Hamptons meets Dallas” concept — very light, very white, very airy, and very bright. We moved several walls to open up the layout and reduce its existing formality (a new challenge to me at the time), painted over dark rafters in the large living room, and added new crown molding, baseboard, and wood paneling throughout.
Relaxed Luxury by Chad Dorsey
Several years later, Dorsey worked with new owners during the pandemic to rework the upstairs playroom and downstairs kitchenette, the latter of which became a fabulous cabernet-drenched speakeasy.
The five children were more into video games than blocks. And the parents needed a place to relax with an after-dinner drink.
Downstairs, we created a jewel-box wine bar inspired by a to-die-for chandelier from a French hotel that the client had picked up at the Paris flea market but never brought out of storage. With cabernet in mind, we lacquered the cabinetry, walls, base of the marble-topped island, and ceiling in Farrow & Ball’s deep-purple Brinjal paint. In the sunlight, it really takes on a life of its own and feels so special.
Relaxed Luxury by Chad Dorsey
Dorsey created a kids’ lounge upstairs with comfortable, durable furniture. When you look at the floor plan, it’s clear just how much Dorsey kept flexibility in mind. Spaces lend themselves to many different uses, depending on the interests of the owner.
There are five living areas, six primary bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a media room, a gym, a home office, and that dramatic speakeasy-style bar.
Wherever you turn, there is access to a private balcony, terrace, or outdoor living area. This Los Arboles estate truly provides resort living with a covered pavilion featuring a fireplace, a separate screened-in patio, a regulation lighted tennis court, plenty of yard space for the kids, a putting green, and a pool and spa.
