22 minute read
Real Estate Quarterly
FEAR OF MISSING OUT AT CHRISTMAS?
Experts suggest where to focus when decorating time is running short
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Florist/decorator Keely Vendig and Dallas author Kimberly Schlegel Whitman recommend focusing on what is essential to your family when decorating for the holidays. (PHOTOS: COURTESY KEELY VENDIG)
By Bethany Erickson
bethany.erickson@dmagazine.com
It is a weird sort of calculus, but the time when you most want to decorate for the season dovetails with the busiest time at work and school.
Then you look over at your neighbor’s home, and it seems like overnight, it has bloomed with enough holiday decor to make a Griswold envious. Across the street, a tasteful display of lighting and vintage decorations has sprouted among the manicured shrubbery.
What gives? How did they find the time?
“My number one suggestion would be to just hire me,” quipped a laughing Keely Vendig, owner of the faux-floral company Navy Blooms.
“I have so many clients that are working moms and dads,” she explained. “Everyone’s just busy, and we are elves and come in, we put it all up, we clean up, and we’re gone.” But if you must DIY your decor this Christmas, Vendig suggested focusing on one thing and doing it well. “Obviously, it would be the Christmas tree because not only
It’s really about is it beautiful and you have the lights, and finding out what that kind of stuff is is meaningful for reminiscent of Christmas, but it’s also a you and for your place where a lot of family and what people put like their presents,” Vendig said. works for you. “It’s a center, almost Kimberly like a cornerstone.” Second, she said, is Schlegel Whitman focusing on perhaps a mantle display. After that, see what gaps you have and what you’d like to use to fill them. She also suggested setting up calendar reminders throughout the year to help create a game plan.
“I’m a little bit more of a planner, and I think if you set reminders, people would feel less overwhelmed,” she said.
Focusing on what is meaningful and what gives you joy during the season is essential, too, said Dallas author Kimberly Schlegel Whitman. Her book A Loving Table explores family traditions.
“It kind of goes back to either starting or carrying forward a tradition,” she said. “If you really know the meaning behind what you’re doing, you can focus on the things that are more meaningful and get rid of the rest of it. That’s what really will resonate with your family and your guests.”
Whitman said that while she is “not good at keeping things simple,” she also recognizes that it gives her a lot of joy to decorate her home for the holidays.
“It’s really not about comparing yourself to your neighbor or others,” she said. “It’s really about finding out what is meaningful for you and for your family and what works for you.”
Chef’s Advice for Smart Entertaining
Remember the 1997 book Entertaining for Dummies? The book that sold more than 30 million copies promised to transform hopeful hosts and hostesses from dumb to Martha Stewart.
I had a copy, and people consider me entertaining. I give all credit to the books perceptively branded with bright yellow and black, conjuring images of caution tape and street signs. The holiday seaKERSTEN RETTIG son is upon us, so I asked a few friends to give me their tips for making holiday entertaining less stressful and more enjoyable.
Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, José
“For me, holidays are all about familia — gathering around the table, spending time with loved ones in the kitchen, and cooking up recipes that have been passed down through the generations.”
One trick AQ uses to liven up her gatherings is using Jose’s Turbo Salt to dress up cocktails with a sweet and salty sparkly rim.
Jim Seversen, Sevy’s Grill
Known to his friends and guests as Sevy, Jim offers timeless, practical advice. “Organization is key” to holiday entertaining. “Prepare the spread over different times, don’t try to do it all in one day,” he said. He also loves variety in his menus, with warm foods, cold foods, and choices for everyone. “My wife doesn’t eat fish, so I will always have options for her.”
Corbin See, Duro Hospitality
If you’ve ever been to The Charles, Sister, or Café Duro, you know that design and interesting visual elements are everywhere. Corbin See offers his must-haves in a very on-brand way. “Fresh floral. A tablescape always needs a bit of nature. Also, everyone loves a personal touch. Handwritten place cards or, even better, have the kids in the family decorate them.”
Franchesca Nor, Dive Coastal Cuisine
“I’m an old-fashioned chef who’s not into gadgets and gizmos,” said the talented, no-nonsense chef and mother. “I recommend a basic knife, cutting board, Dutch oven, skillet, and sauce pot,” she added, saying that keeping things simple and organized is the key to success.
Follow Kersten Rettig on Instagram @ KerstenEats.
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Period homes (generally defined as any home built before WWI) tend to have high ceilings, beautiful detailing, and architectural features you don’t often see in new homes. MARGARET CHAMBERS For many homebuyers, the creaks, the cracks, and the repair costs of a period home are well worth it.
You might wonder how an interior designer like myself would approach a historic property. I think it’s disturbing to obliterate the interior and redecorate in a minimalist style. Of course, there’s no need to turn your house into a museum, either.
Here are some tips for decorating a period home in a way that’s sympathetic to the house’s history but still looks current:
Start by doing research on how homes in the period were originally decorated, then pick and choose the elements that look the most timeless. Don’t be afraid to use soft, contemporary paint colors in a Victorian house. If you use saturated wall paint colors, keep the period detailing (such as the cornicing) in more understated tones for contrast.
One of the advantages of period homes is the high ceilings. You will probably want a large lighting fixture, such as a chandelier, to take advantage of the extra height. On the other hand, one downside to period homes is that they sometimes have dark, narrow hallways. Hang mirrors in hallways to reflect more light into the space.
When it comes to furnishings, I think
CLOCKWISE: This formal living room in a classically French home is traditional without being fussy. The contemporary artwork to the right matches the color scheme. Clean, elegant, geometric wallpaper pattern doesn’t distract from architectural details such as the dentil crown molding along the ceiling of this dining room. Robbie Fusch was the architect for the project. (PHOTOS: DAN PIASSICK. DESIGN: MARGARET CHAMBERS) Light and pastel colors, like the pinks in this English cottage, can help a traditionally decorated room feel fresh. (PHOTO: MICHAEL HUNTER. DESIGN: MARGARET CHAMBERS)
juxtaposing modern and traditional elements is best. If you’re using traditional art and wallpaper patterns, mix contemporary furniture into the room. The simple lines of the furniture will stand out beautifully against the traditional backdrop. Likewise, if you use a lot of antique furniture, you may want to use updated colors for the walls and contemporary art, which adds an element of surprise.
An alternative to buying a period home is to work with a classically trained architect (like Larry Boerder, Richard Drummond Davis, or Robbie Fusch, to name a few), who can build you a new home in a period style.
If you already own a period home and need help deciding which parts should be kept as is, restored, or torn out, it might be time to consult an interior designer. A professional designer can help ensure your renovation doesn’t go too far and will have connections with lots of restoration experts who can help breathe new life into the home.
Margaret Chambers, a registered interior designer (RID) and member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), leads Chambers Interiors and Associates. Her colleague Caitlin Crowley helped edit this column. Visit chambersinteriors. com/blog for more design advice.
Artful Living
4242 Lomo Alto Drive #N38
$1,050,000 3 Bed / 3.1 Bath / 2,512 Sq. Ft.
Juli Harrison
214.207.1001 juli.harrison@alliebeth.com
Extraordinary In and Out
5138 Deloache Avenue
Alex Perry
214.926.0158 alex.perry@alliebeth.com
A Great Fall Find
7429 Colgate Avenue — SOLD
Christine McKenny
214.300.5539 christine.mckenny@alliebeth.com
Malabar Modern
7447 Malabar Lane — SOLD, Represented Buyer
Marc Ching
214.728.4069 marc.ching@alliebeth.com
Land of Luxury
9511 Inwood Road
Susan Baldwin
214.763.1591 susan.baldwin@alliebeth.com
Friendly Welcome
4301 Windsor Parkway — SOLD
Private Sale 4 Bed / 4.5 Bath / 5,456 Sq. Ft.
Lucinda Buford
214.728.4289 lucinda.buford@alliebeth.com
A Conversation Piece
11203 Bushire Drive
Susan Bradley
214.674.5518 susan.bradley@alliebeth.com
4048 Stanford Avenue — SOLD
Private Sale 5 Bed / 5.1 Bath / 4,629 Sq. Ft.
6829 Anglebluff Circle — PENDING
prestonhollowpeople.com | November 2022 35 University Park-Raised Designer Talks Kips Bay Decorator Show House Cathey received inspiration from homes, supportive community while growing up
Maria Lawson
maria.lawson@peoplenewspapers.com
Ashley Cathey’s University Park upbringing sparked her interest in design from a young age.
I was always really inspired through some of the more beautiful homes that my friends lived in. Ashley Cathey
She describes it as an “easy place to think you can realize your dreams” due to the supportive community and creative inspiration from beautiful homes and interiors across the city.
“One friend in particular — her father had a really spectacular and early American federalist antique furniture collection that was smattered throughout their home, so I was always really inspired through some of the more
Ashley Cathey was raised in University Park and now resides in Greenway Parks. She wanted to be an architect as a child, but when she got to college, she realized she is more interested in the artistic side of interior design. (PHOTOS: COURTESY STEPHEN KARLISCH AND NATHAN SCHRODER) REACH AVREA AND COMPANY
AvreaandCompany.com 214-468-4170 1115 Slocum St., Dallas
beautiful homes that my friends lived in,” Cathey said.
Cathey, founder and principal of Dallas-based interior firm Avrea and Company, has been involved in the design industry for more than 20 years. This year, she was one of 24 designers selected for the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, open in Preston Hollow from Sept. 22 to 25.
She was assigned to one of the upstairs bedrooms, which she opted for the theme “Pretty in Plaid.” Inspiration came from a design by Mario Buatta in the Manhattan show house in 1984, and she placed the fabric he used in his room on her bed in the reimagined version of the space.
“When we found out we were going to be in Kips Bay and we had a bedroom, we started researching the old Kips Bay books, and that was our inspiration because we loved that fabric and we wanted to do our twist on his iconic room,” Cathey said.
She was urged to apply for the Kips Bay Decorator Show House by one of the Dallas chairs, so she submitted a bio and portfolio images to show her chops.
Upon selection, designers had eight to 10 weeks to pull together their rooms, but two weeks were lost because of permitting issues. Due to this quick turnaround, many design choices were based on available supplies instead of their top picks.
“With this type of project, you don’t have the same type of lead times that we traditionally have for a ‘real room,’ not a pretend room,” Cathey said.
During her time in the show house, one of her favorite parts was connecting with the other designers, creating a fun camaraderie.
Avrea and Company has another designer who assists Cathey and two project managers. The team has worked on projects across the country, including in Manhattan, Wyoming, and Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. They’re looking forward to finishing a renovation in Highland Park that is set for completion next year.
“Our goals are to expand and do projects in cities that we would aspire to do projects in,” Cathey said. “We’re really grateful for clients who let us be creative for them and realize their visions and the best version of their vision.”
SEPTEMBER 2022 MARKET NUMBERS
PARK CITIES?
When a seven-figure Park Cities home sells in an otherwise slow month for real estate, does it still count? Possibly not in new MLS Summary Reports prepared by the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University WILLIAM TAYLOR using data from the North Texas Real Estate Information System (NTREIS) Multiple Listing Service.
The former report format allowed us to pull breakdowns of single-family sales for the Park Cities combined and the Preston Hollow portion of Dallas.
The new format instead provides data for whole cities but only when specific thresholds are met.
“Cities with fewer than 10 sales in the month will not show up in the summary report,” explained David Blake, chief technology officer for NTREIS Inc.
Neither of the Park Cities met that threshold for September, leaving us to wonder how many homes did sell and for how much.
Should I be surprised that a report prepared at Texas A&M seems as thorough as the Aggie football team’s preparations for Appalachian State?
University Park made the August report with 15 single-family sales, down from 24 the same month in 2021. Median price ($2,805,150) and price per square foot ($567.18) were up from $1,868,013 and $480.94).
Highland Park last appeared in June with 12 single-family sales, down three from June 2021. Median price ($2,347,500) and price per square foot ($639.28) were up from $2,171,000 and $542.01.
Months-old numbers tell us something about Park Cities real estate. So does getting left out of reports.
DALLAS
2.1 month’s supply
September 2021: 1.5
95.7% sold to list price
September 2021: 98.5%
720 closed sales
September 2021: 825
$442,000 median price
September 2021: $425,000
$233.24 price per square foot
September2021: $211.04
1,616 active listings
Designing homes for families that allow them to live their best lives is a privilege for our firm. We take pride in the creation of wonderful places to thrive and grow in the Park Cities and Preston Hollow.
WWW.MMDARCHITECTS.COM
214.969.5440 office@mmdarchitects.com
With the holidays fast approaching, many homeowners start thinking about how different the
SHERRY AND PAUL ZUCH holiday enter taining experi ence would be if they had a newly renovated, updated home to entertain and create new memories with family and friends.
It’s not uncommon for us to start receiving calls as soon as summer vacations end and children return to school about renovations to kitchens, bathrooms, and common areas of the house that are front and center during the holidays.
What most homeowners don’t realize is how long it takes to plan and execute a remodeling project properly.
We suggest homeowners start the design and planning process six to 12 months before the desired completion date to ensure their remodel is completed in time for a significant event such as a wedding, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, especially if you are planning a large-scale renovation.
Smaller cosmetic remodels that don’t involve reconfiguring spaces or moving or opening walls can be planned and executed in a shorter timeframe. However, you need to have realistic expectations before you engage a professional designer, architect, and builder.
By now, most are aware of the lingering
Such major kitchen remodels as these designed by Joanie Wyll and Associates and Ronda Marstiller help make a home the ideal place to celebrate the holidays. However, planning should begin six to 12 months before an anticipated event. (DESIGNERS: RONDA MARSTILLER, JOANIE WYLL
AND ASSOCIATES. PHOTOS: VAUGHAN CREATIVE MEDIA)
supply chain issues that have, in many cases, drastically raised the cost and anticipated lead times of building materials, appliances, windows, insulation, etc.
A shortage of microchips has not only disrupted the auto industry but has also affected the home building industry. Many building products with smart home technology, such as appliances, are taking 10-12 months to receive.
A seasoned builder, along with the design team, can identify these extended lead-time products and pre-purchase them early in the design process to ensure they are received when it’s time to install.
To minimize lengthy delays during construction, we educate our clients about the benefits of spending more time in design and project planning before rushing to start a project. This helps alleviate issues, especially if you’re living in the house or temporarily renting a place during renovations.
If you are considering renovating or building a custom home, there is no better time than now to start planning. Choose a builder or remodeler with extensive experience with your type of project, who works in your surrounding neighborhoods, and has solid relationships with great interior designers, architects, engineers, trades, and vendors to ensure your project is thoughtfully designed, planned, and specified before you ever sign a construction agreement.
Sherry and Paul Zuch are partners with Alair Homes Dallas|Zuch, a building, remodeling, and renovating company. Visit www.alairzuch.com.
GLIMPSE YOUR FUTURE GLIMPSE VENTANA
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• Gorgeous 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartment homes • Comfortable, elegant community areas • Fine dining venues • Spa-like amenities
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8301 N. Central Expressway I Dallas, TX 75225 214.473.5880 I VentanaByBuckner.com
6428 Tulip Lane
(PHOTOS: COMPASS REAL ESTATE/PATRICK FLORES OF REAL PHOTO)
Windows cover the front elevation of this fully redesigned and reimagined Preston Hollow modern Tudor, pouring natural light into the home at all hours of the day. Upon entry, an arched opening leads to the formal dining room. Through another oversized arch, an art wall provides a backdrop to your formal dining and connects to a wet bar and butlers’ area. Adjacent to the downstairs living room, the open-concept chef’s kitchen sports an agreeable and neutral palette with quartz counters and a herringbone laid backsplash. Also, downstairs, a private study offers private access to the front porch. The primary bedroom downstairs includes access to the backyard and a terrazzo-wrapped ensuite featuring floating dual vanities and a soaking tub. Upstairs find four secondary bedrooms, an oversized game room, and a media room. Other highlights include the mud and utility rooms off the three-car attached garage and a porte-cochère.
Lindley Arthur (PHOTOS: HEACOX CREATIVE CO.)
Lindley Arthur launched her namesake interior design business more than a decade ago, seeing it as a natural expansion of her shop on Antique Row on Lovers Lane.
“I originally studied journalism at OU and worked in corporate PR for several years before transitioning back home to be with my two sons,” she said. “In 2008, I opened a booth at Antique Row on Lovers Lane, which slowly evolved into designing my own home and my friends’ homes before I launched Lindley Arthur Interiors in 2010.”
She and her team focus on residential projects in Texas and beyond.
If you could go back in time and give yourself any advice, what would it be?
I believe the time I spent in PR was more valuable than studying interior design in college. So much of what we do is client communication and handling issues when they arise — my background prepared me for that. Another piece of advice is to stay true to your aesthetic. Read design books and magazines and follow bloggers whose style you admire. Have the confidence to express your own personal look, and don’t be influenced by the current trends that ebb and flow.
What is the best thing about being an interior designer?
Without a doubt, the people I work with. Not only do I have an amazing team of women that I work with at Lindley Arthur Interiors, but I have had the ability to build relationships with so many of my clients that have become close friends.
What is your outlook on the Dallas market?
I’ve seen clients in Dallas get more specific about what appeals to them personally. Several years ago, most of our clients wanted very similar looks for their homes, but lately, we are seeing homeowners with more diversified tastes who have a better idea of what design style they want to achieve. In addition, I believe Dallas is getting more traditional overall. We continue receiving more requests for a curated, collected look with deeper colors to provide a comfortable space that feels like home.
Can you give us a fun fact about yourself?
In my first job in corporate PR, I decided to grasscloth my gray cubicle — that should have been my first clue that maybe I was in the wrong profession.
GOT TO BE AWAY?
Carol Stine’s tips on what to do before leaving your home for an extended period:
• Do not post on social media that you are going out of town.
• Turn off or turn down your water heater.
• In case of storms and a power surge occurs, unplug appliances such as TVs and microwaves.
• Cancel mail.
• Leave lights on a timer.
• Install outside motion detector lights.
• Make sure windows and doors are locked
• If you don’t have Blue Tulip Home Watch, have someone to call to check on the house.
Home Not Alone: Blue Tulip provides travelers peace of mind
By Karen Chaney
Special Contributor
Dallas native Carol Stine has her roots planted deep in the heart of Texas.
She graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 1975 and earned a degree in finance from Texas A&M University in 1979, followed by a master’s in business administration in 1985 from SMU.
Along the way, she married and started a family, which was a catalyst for a career change from accounting to real estate. She earned her real estate broker license in 1986.
“What I decided was I would get my real estate license and be a parttime real estate person,” Stine said. “Real estate is not a part-time thing, and I had three boys in four years, so I was mostly a stay-at-home mom.”
Over the ensuing years, Stine volleyed between working in real estate, accounting, finance, and small business ownership.
“I really wanted to be a business owner,” she said. “My grandparents had a grocery store way back when I was little bitty down in Gonzales, Texas. My dad had his own business for a while; my brother had his own business. Small business ownership is in our genes.”
In 2016, while living in Minnesota, Stine purchased a non-medical home healthcare agency. By 2019, due to family obligations, she sold that business and moved back to Dallas, where she resumed working as an accountant. Due to the impact of COVID-19, Stine was working remotely, her hours were dwindling, and she began to ponder additional revenue streams.
An idea she had been mulling over for some time became her second venture into business ownership when, in 2020, she launched Blue Tulip Home Watch.
“Our business is not home security; it is a home watch service,” she said. “We do visual inspections of the outside and inside of homes and look for issues such as water damage from leaking pipes, vandalism, and storm damage.”
She chose the business name because she said blue tulips symbolize peace, tranquility, trust, and loyalty.
“I want my clients to get that feeling of they trust me and have peace of mind,” Stine said.
Her first clients came about because of pandemic travel restrictions.
“He had a house in Dallas, and his parents were elderly in England,” she said. “He could work remotely, so he left his house in Dallas and went back to live with his parents for a while.”
Another couple had a house in Dallas, but they were in China when the pandemic lockdowns occurred, so they couldn’t come home.
Stine recently moved from University Park to Colorado to be near her grandson, so hired Katherine Winford, a Preston Hollow resident, to take care of her Dallas clients.
