Joanna England
Joanna England is the former long-time executive editor and a founding editor at CandysDirt.com.
Let’s do some word association, mmmmmmkay?
When I say “starter home,” what pops into your mind?
For me, I think of three bedrooms, two baths, well-priced and with good schools. Not terribly small but not overwhelmingly huge. And dollars to donuts, it’s inside LBJ.
Personal taste is such a funny thing. When it comes to gorgeous homes I can’t afford, I feel like my personal taste swings wildly in all directions, and regardless of how different one house can be from the last luxury love affair, I still picture myself moving in.
With my affinity for Craftsman bungalows, modern architecture, and Texas prairie homes, why, oh why am I in love with 7210 Lakewood? The Clifford Hutsell-designed estate doesn’t even remotely fit into any of these categories, and yet there I am, trying to find a spot for my brass-footed dining table and my reading chair.
In my journey to the center of 75208, I have stumbled across the most improbable house.
You see, most houses I find end up having one or more things I can really nitpick about. Maybe it’s an ugly master bathroom, or perhaps it’s outdated wallpaper. Sometimes it’s even an update that feels so out of place that it grates me. But Kessler Park’s 1232 Lausanne Ave., marketed by the amazing Hewitt & Habgood Group, has none of those things. It is like a double rainbow emanating from a unicorn’s nether regions: A house with such personality that it feels like there is nothing missing from it.
I have a list of things I want in my next home. It goes a little something like this: 1. Pool, 2. New or like-new kitchen, 3. Two full baths, 4. Pool.
Not only does this house have everything on that list, but it’s also in the highly sought-after neighborhood of Greenland Hills. In fact, 5330 McCommas is not only a great house for a small family, empty-nesters, or a professional couple, but the location makes it all but ideal.
Seriously, this house could be a set for 2001: A Space Odyssey! Everything is white, white, white, and there’s a “reading tube” that reminds me of several scenes from Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, but this one particularly strikes a chord!
The home, 16919 Brushfield Dr., was built in 1979, and Kubrick’s 2001 hit theaters in 1968, so it’s doubtful that the architect was inspired by the film. Still, this house is so cool! I love the sunken living room, which is super common for the era. But what sells this house is the natural light. Because there are practically no walls and some cool floor-to-ceiling windows, there is tons of it. You’ll hardly need to flick a switch with all of the windows.
