A Flawless Lakewood Hutsell Spanish Eclectic Is Available for the First Time in Over 30 Years
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When you think about what defines Lakewood architecture, you soon realize it’s the historic Tudor and Spanish Eclectic homes. Two architects can be credited with creating what I call the Lakewood Look: Charles Dilbeck and Clifford D. Hutsell. Both men embraced craftsmanship and whimsy, which is a significant part of what makes homes like this Hutsell Spanish Eclectic so sought after, and why people remain in them for decades.
Both Dilbeck and Hutsell were prolific. While Dilbeck’s work can be found all over Dallas, you will find a large concentration of Hutsell homes in Lakewood. Between 1926 and 1941, he designed and built approximately 50 homes here. It was a heady time in Dallas, and there was plenty of money for the detailed architectural craftsmanship being done by these two men.
On a trip to California, Hutsell was deeply influenced by the home of Western film star Tom Mix. He returned to Dallas inspired to create homes we’d never seen before, featuring a myriad of glorious details, including Spanish tile roofs, stained glass, turrets, and walled courtyards, as well as interior iron gates and even exterior curtains.
When Mark and Linda Beasley were house hunting in 1993, they spotted this 2,364-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom Hutsell Spanish Eclectic. It was love at first sight.
“We knew nothing about the architectural significance or history of Hutsell or about the Spanish Eclectic style,” Mark said. “Lakewood was a picturesque neighborhood, and were just captivated by this house.” Fortunately, it happened to be for sale and Realtor David Bush helped them seal the deal all those years ago.
The house is a veritable catalog of wonderful Hutsell features, from the Potter Art Metal Studios’ ironwork staircase, the magnificent leaded stained glass window and barrel-vaulted ceiling in the living room to the inteior balcony overlooking the living room. By the way, Mark tells me the acoustics in this room are fantastic, so if you have a Steinway like he does, you will never sound better!
One of the most unique features is the rare Mayan tile design of the Batchelder fireplace. To give you a little insight, there is currently a group of only 40 Mayan Batchelder tiles on eBay for $799.00. Less decorative entire mantels are going for $25,000. Don’t get me started on the charming vintage tile bathrooms. After the demolition of the magnificent Hutsell at 7226 Lakewood, every preservationist in town is still in mourning the loss of the bathroom pillow tile.
This brings up an important point. This Hutsell Spanish Eclectic is now, thankfully, protected from destruction by the new Lakewood Conservation District Expansion, which means the Lakewood Look will continue to enchant newcomers for decades to come, and we won’t have further catastrophic historic losses.
Over the years, the Beasleys have made appropriate and seamless updates to the home without altering its character in the slightest. These include a beautiful kitchen with an oversized island and all the bells and whistles any serious cook would be happy to find. The kitchen also overlooks the gorgeous backyard with a screened porch, grilling station, and a koi pond.
“We have loved this home”, Mark said. “I’m going to miss our large stained glass window, our fireplace with the Mayan carvings, and our wonderful backyard with the koi pond. You hear the sound of water all the time. Birds will sail down, sit for a minute, and splash around a bit. When we bought this house, it felt almost like we had won a contest to be able to live in such a lovely, wonderful home.”
You may wonder, as I did, why the Beasleys are leaving their beloved Hutsell. Well, they are not going far, I’m happy to say. “We are moving three homes away,” Mark said. We were thinking about a larger house and have driven by the house we just bought hundreds of times.”
Then they saw a coming soon sign, and the same fate that drew them to this home played out again. You guessed it, didn’t you? They bought another Hutsell Spanish Eclectic!
