Joy Donovan

Joy Donovan is a contributing writer for CandysDirt.com covering the Midcities and Fort Worth.

Swiss Avenue Home Tour Continues Tradition of Giving Mothers the Royal Treatment

By Joy Donovan / April 24, 2026 /

The Swiss Avenue Mother’s Day Home Tour is as traditional as giving Mom a corsage on her special day. Now celebrating its 51st year, the tour aims to make sure mothers and others will have a special weekend. Event planners will mix their long tradition of highlighting interesting homes with new activities for families to…

Why This I. M. Pei Home’s Provenance Matters

By Joy Donovan / April 17, 2026 /

Fort Worth real estate doesn’t keep secrets like this for long. A landmark home designed by I.M. Pei in Westover Hills is heading to market with a reported $22 million price tag. The approximately 19,000-square-foot estate sits on four acres in one of North Texas’ most private enclaves, but for Fort Worth, the story is…

Hollywood Santa Monica’s 32nd Home Tour Opens Doors to Six Tudor Cottages

By Joy Donovan / April 14, 2026 /

Realtor Anne Tudhope knows a good neighborhood when she sees it. One of her favorites is the historic East Dallas neighborhood of Hollywood Santa Monica, where the tree-lined streets are known for their 1920s and 1930s Tudor cottages, Craftsman bungalows, and midcentury traditional homes. It’s her job to know the city’s best residential areas, but…

This Fairmount Craftsman Bungalow Is Both Lovely and Lavender

By Joy Donovan / April 10, 2026 /

As a CandysDirt.com writer, I have been known to write more than once about the glorious white houses. As a homeowner, I also have been known to paint houses white — two so far. Why? They’re crisp and clean. They stand out from the landscape. They glow in the summer sun. They gleam at dusk.…

Historic Fort Worth to Honor Preservationist at 22nd Annual Hidden Gardens Tour

By Joy Donovan / April 7, 2026 /

Historic Fort Worth has named Brent Rowan Hyder as the honoree for the organization’s 22nd annual Hidden Gardens Tour, planned for May 15 and 17. During the always-anticipated Hidden Gardens Tour, five private landscapes will be on view, offering the public a rare, rain-or-shine look inside some of Fort Worth’s most unique home gardens. Exactly…