Articles by

Eric Prokesh

Eric Prokesh is an interior designer whose work has appeared on HGTV, in books and publications including DHome, Southern Accents, House Beautiful, and House and Garden. In January 2005, HG named Eric one of the 50 tastemakers in America and DHome has included him as one of Dallas’ Best Designers for 10 years. Having lived most of his life in Dallas, he now calls Fort Worth home and is one of our experts on beautiful Fort Worth Dirt.

Fort Worth Friday
07/13/18 4:10pm

Impeccably Updated Modern on El Campo

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5535 El Campo is a beautifully updated modern with a convenient Westside location.

In spite of what some readers may have inferred from the bulk of my posts, I don’t have a bias against modernism. It’s just that it can be oh so serious, or worse, oh so silly. Or cold.

A 1976 build at 5535 El Campo has everything we love about modern domestic architecture — a sleek profile composed of balanced modules, free of superfluous ornament, with clean, sun-drenched, pleasingly proportioned interior spaces.

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Fort Worth Friday
06/29/18 3:45pm

West is the Future or Walsh Ranch Revisited

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Amon Carter didn’t actually christen Fort Worth as the place “where the west begins”  — it was a visiting mayor from the small town of Munday who came up with the moniker that Carter placed on the front page of his newspaper, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where it has remained to this day.

West certainly seems to be the direction Fort Worth is marching — think Montserrat and Mira Vista, all built on former ranch land. And then there is Walsh Ranch. We’ve been watching Walsh from the beginning. Barely more than one years old, with Phase 1 still to be completed, I thought it was worth another look.

And Walsh Ranch has to be seen to be believed. Vast, over eleven square miles, straddling two counties, Walsh seems like remote, rolling country, though (as has been frequently noted) it is a straight 15 minute shot on the West Freeway, (aka Interstate Highway 30) from downtown.

Eventually, over 50,000 people are expected to live here requiring substantial infrastructure building, including the rather beautiful Westside Water Treatment Plant which I toured. Aledo schools are an additional draw though 12 more schools are slated for construction. (more…)

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Fort Worth Friday
06/22/18 9:00am

Quaint Updated College Avenue Craftsman Cottage

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When considering an older property, what defines move-in ready? Renovated kitchens and baths? Yes. Refinished hardwoods? Of course. New HVAC, plumbing roof, and electrical to prevent unpleasant, and expensive surprises down the road? Yes, PLEASE. A 1924 Craftsman bungalow at 2712 College Avenue in Ryan Place ticks all of those boxes. Freshly painted with a new front porch, the 1,765-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath cottage beckons with loads of curb appeal. (more…)

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Fort Worth Friday
06/08/18 5:24pm

Winsome Monticello Manor on Virginia Place

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The U.S. Census Bureau says that more people are moving to Texas than any other state. Tracking population from 2016 to 2017, they found San Antonio to be the most populous with a population now of 1.5 million.

But guess what city was next in population growth in this state? Fort Worth.Other cities experiencing population gains, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, last year were Phoenix, Arizona, (24,000 population growth in 2017), Dallas, Texas, (18,900), Fort Worth, Texas, (18,700), Los Angeles (18,600) and  Seattle, Washington, (17,500). Look at that: nearly the same amount of people moved to Fort Worth as Dalla, just 200 shy. Fort Worth has now kicked out Indianapolis as the 15th most populous U.S. city. There is just so much to love about Fort Worth!

And there is so much to love about Monticello. Apart from its desirable west side location, near museums and minutes from town, there is a real sense of community evident in the frequently frequented Monticello Park at its northern edge.  On the downside, Monticello is one of the few neighborhoods in Fort Worth that has caught the Dallas disease — Chronic Teardownitus. Some of the new builds are good neighbors and make an effort to respect their elders but one does encounter the occasional “Junior League Georgian”.

Virginia Place is one of the plum avenues in this desirable neighborhood, with its deep lots and mature trees. And the 1943 vintage Tudor at 106 Virginia Place embodies the best Monticello has to offer. The residence exudes charm and curb appeal from the brick inlayed driveway and winding walkway leading to the discreet front door, to the artfully asymmetrical, but balanced façade. (more…)

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Fort Worth Friday
06/01/18 3:00pm

Value Priced And Move-in Ready on Windsor Place

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On my way home a few weeks ago, I saw an “Open House” sign in front of 2017 Windsor Place in Berkeley Place. And, it was in the middle of the week around five o’clock in the afternoon. Inside I met up with Ruth Story, head of the Ruth Story group, a boutique agency created in 2003 under the umbrella of Keller Williams Fort Worth. Ruth Story is truly a family operation with Ruth’s husband, Rick, specializing in ranch and farmland sales and daughter, Kati, concentrating on new construction like Walsh.

“Odd time for an open house,” I opine.

“We find we pull in more serious buyers during the week, though we still do week end open houses,” explained Ruth.

Inventory in Berkeley Place is famously low, with listings on the market for  60 days or less. And, access to highly rated Lily B. Clayton Elementary School creates a strong draw for young families to this old, Near Southside neighborhood. (more…)

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Fort Worth Friday
05/25/18 3:34pm

New Build in Monticello Boasts Timeless Style

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Ever on the lookout for a new build we can love, I stumbled onto a Monticello gem of a listing at 3710 West 6th Street that has timeless appeal in a perfect west side location. The style isn’t just traditional, it’s Texas Mediterranean vernacular that, at first glance, you might mistake for a 1920s’ era construction which happily blends with it’s older neighbors. The façade is rich in thoughtful architectural details like the symmetrically disposed windows, arches, and mirror curved peaks in the center. (more…)

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Fort Worth Friday
05/18/18 9:54am

Ryan Place Pioneer on Elizabeth Boulevard Retains Historic Charm

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Before I am accused of being lazy, allow me to note that when the first house in the first planned development in Fort Worth — Ryan Place — comes on the market, I can’t not write about it even if it is just down the street from me, on Elizabeth Blvd.

When 1112 Elizabeth Blvd. was built, in 1911, the world was a very different place. My grandfather was living in his city of birth, Vienna, under the rule of  Franz Joseph, the Austro-Hungarian Emperor. It was still the Belle Epoque, with the upheavals of World War I three years in the future. In the photograph above, taken about 1912, the boulevard was already handling motor car traffic but the original hitching post remains in front, just in case. A short 20 minute buggy ride would have taken you into town. Like all of the original dwellings on Elizabeth Boulevard built between 1911 to 1928, 1112 Elizabeth Boulevard was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

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Fort Worth Friday
05/04/18 9:00am

Trails Edge Ranch Sports Midcentury High Style

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Resting on a beautifully manicured half-acre lot replete with twisting, mature oak trees behind a classic ranch façade lies a midcentury modern dream. This 1959 build at 3809 Trails Edge in Overton Park has been impeccably maintained and thoughtfully amended to its current whopping 6,848 square feet and flawlessly staged by Alyson French and Tina McMackin of AЯRANGE. (more…)

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