A Case of ‘Jamais Vu’ With An Extraordinary Preston Hollow Contemporary

Déjà vu is the feeling of being certain you’ve experienced something before, but it’s actually happening for the first time. Well, this extraordinary Preston Hollow contemporary mansion is a situation of jamais vu, which is a phrase we need to adopt in real estate because it happens often. Jamais vu is when you experience something familiar as if it were new or unfamiliar. 

I see a lot of homes, drive by more, and scroll through even more online every day, and I felt like I’d seen this spectacular Preston Hollow contemporary mansion before. However, as I opened the link to this fresh listing, I was confused and pretty sure I was mistaken that I had been in this house. But that dramatic drive-up kept striking a chord of familiarity in the back of my brain.

Guess what? Not only had I seen it before, I’d also written about it!

Yes, it’s changed that much, and the beauty of multimillion-dollar homes is that the buyers for them can make substantial changes and render them almost unrecognizable. Mind you, it had been transformed once before and was pretty darned gorgeous then. But this particular owner is gifted when it comes to transforming residential real estate. You can go down the rabbit hole and try to figure out who it is, but trust me, he’s known for immaculate and creative makeovers. This 13,104-square-foot Preston Hollow contemporary on 1.2 acres has not just been reimagined, it’s also been expanded.

It has all of the features you expect to find in a luxury home, but everything has been altered just enough to cause that sense of jamais vu. 

There is a grand foyer, plenty of natural light, expansive walls for a substantial art collection, a temperature-controlled showcase wine room, a media room, a home gym, and a gorgeous teal study. The study, in fact, is a lesson in how paint can completely transform a room. What I thought was pretty before, having been brought from the original wood paneling into a soft cloud of gray, is now just jaw-dropping in that rich teal color.

A dramatic floating staircase was added along with all the items that make life easier but are not that visible, including a smart home system.

The gated estate was also updated outdoors. A large covered terrace overlooks the 22-foot-long pool, a new sports court, and extensive landscaping. Across the pool lies a 2,300-square-foot pool house that I hesitate to call a pool house. It’s a two-story, fully equipped guest house with a striking vaulted ceiling.

“The entire home has a grand feel,” Dave Perry-Miller listing agent Charles Gregory said. ‘Although it’s contemporary, there are enough traditional elements inside to make anyone feel at home.” 

Gregory has this Preston Hollow contemporary at 4700 Dorset Road available for $10.695 million.