Edward Baum and Diane Cheatham’s Urban Ranch Duplex Concept Stands the Test of Time

You can always spot a home designed by an architect, no matter how simple. In fact, often, simplicity is the dead giveaway. That’s certainly what made me stop and start scrolling because this Urban Ranch is both refreshing and shocking in its simplicity.

It’s refreshing because, seriously, where can you find a one-story home in the center of Dallas anymore? Look around. Developers not only maximize lot size but also build three stories high. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to complete my daily steps inside my own house. 

This Urban Ranch is shocking because it’s so unexpected. We don’t expect a 1,672-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom home to have massive amounts of light, energy efficiency, 10-foot ceilings, and more storage than you’d ever need. 

In the early 2000s, Diane Cheatham, who most of us know from Urban Reserve and Urban Commons, and her pal architect Edward M. Baum decided to work together on a unique project. Baum had purchased a couple of lots in Oak Lawn in what, at the time, would have been seen as an up-and-coming area. Baum’s concept was to bring the single-family home back to an urban environment. As we know now, he was way ahead of his time.

The exterior design, while simple, is pure genius because flexibility was paramount in this Urban Ranch.  What you imagine to be a garage door entry opens into a front courtyard patio. The tilted roof allows fresh air to circulate continually. This is not your grandma’s garage, it doubles as party city!

The present owner is a chef, so the kitchen was completely remodeled with modern lighting, custom cabinets, quartz countertops, and a five-burner Bertazzoni range. The bathrooms were also remodeled, and all of those important but unseen items, like the HVAC system, were replaced.

“They’re just simple little wonders,”  Baum relates. “They’re minimal but capable of maximum living potential.”  

Edward Baum for Dwell Magazine.

The most mind-blowing feature of this house is the storage. Eighty-inch-tall closets run the length of the hallway, and guess what? They came from Home Depot! At the time, Cheatham and Baum were keen on making smart budget decisions, and this one was truly inspired.

Baum’s clever design allows for unimpeded views of the interior courtyard and for light to flow through the house without any loss of privacy. The seamless floor plan honestly has to be experienced because you’ve probably never seen sliding walls!

This Urban Ranch was so ahead of the time period in which it was built that it beautifully fits the mold of what buyers want today: smart design, simplicity, and ease of living.

Compass Realtor Phillip Murrell has this splendid Urban Ranch at 2712 Throckmorton St. available for $699,000.