Dallas Architect

A Great Architect Can Make an Ugly Duckling Into a Swan, Says Wilson Fuqua

By Joanna England / November 3, 2014 /

Have you seen a house with plenty of potential, but less-than-stellar looks? These are the ugly ducklings of the housing market. According to architect Wilson Fuqua, perhaps all these crooked, flawed homes need are some figurative braces. These will help re-align the good things about the home. Jump for Fuqua’s unique perspective on turning a…

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Lease of the Week: Lionel Morrison-Designed Travis Street Townhome Offered For $9K

By Joanna England / September 3, 2014 /

What an exceptional opportunity to live in one of these gorgeous modern townhomes designed by Lionel Morrison. The architect, which has a fondness for minimalistic modern design that pairs metal and natural materials seamlessly, has designed amazing Dallas homes and landmarks, including this light and bright mansion on Northaven Road, One Arts Plaza, and many…

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At Thrasher Works, Husband and Wife Team Design And Build The Furniture, Cabinetry, And Interiors You Dream Up

By Joanna England / October 17, 2013 /

I met Bart and Karen Thrasher years ago when they lived in my neighborhood. When they moved to a Prairie Four Square in Winnetka Heights a while back, I mourned the loss. Why? Besides being some great friends, both Bart and Karen were our family’s sounding board when it came to home renovation and improvement. Their backgrounds in architecture, construction, and design made them the go-to source.

Well, now the couple has gone and started offering their expertise to just about anyone. My loss, your gain, I suppose. Thrasher Works, which has become a labor of love for the pair, is a burgeoning business of building furniture, custom cabinetry, and unique interior spaces that are tailored to your taste.

Of course, they want to grow this family business, too, so they’re trying to win a $250,000 Mission Main Street grant from Chase. You can vote for them here. Find out more about the husband and wife team behind Thrasher Works after the jump!

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Ask an Architect: The Story on Second Stories — How to Decide Between Building on or Moving Off?

By Joanna England / August 20, 2013 /

Two families in my neighborhood, Casa View Haven, recently announced that they’d be selling their modest post war-traditional homes and heading for the ‘burbs. Sure, that’s an option, but sometimes families choose to invest in an addition to accommodate growing families rather than packing up and moving.

Of course, there are pros and cons for both choices. Sometimes the investment in building onto a home isn’t recouped. And sometimes you can’t sell your existing home in time and end up carrying two mortgage payments. And sometimes, too, Homeowners Associations and deed restrictions can keep you from adding more space.

Michael Staten, a Dallas architect and senior project manager at CBRE, considered adding on to his Lake Highlands home. Instead, Staten and his family of four moved to Richardson. Why?

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