M-Streets Estate Home

One of the most recognizable estate homes located on Mercedes Avenue, the most iconic of M-Streets, sits between two quintessential East Dallas neighborhoods, the M-Streets and Lakewood. The original home, which contained 2,340 square feet of interior space, was constructed in 1938. This landmark home had endured several renovation efforts throughout the decades, none of which was particularly inspiring, all of which leaving layer upon layer of remodeled mediocrity. However, the foundation was sound and the framing structure was strong and straight.

The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were wholly inadequate and, except for a few clumps of old rock wool, the house had virtually no insulation. It leaked both air and water, and the crawl space under the pier & beam foundation was perpetually wet. Worse still, every cosmetic improvement added during its 65 years drove the home further and further from its Federalist architectural heritage.

I tore all of the interior finishes down to the wall studs, and removed four layers of roof shingles and decking, stripping it down to the rafters. I preserved only the foundation, framing, brick on the exterior, and 4,000 square feet of oak hardwood floors on the interior. I designed and built 2,500 square feet of new interior space, and added 700 square feet of covered patios and verandahs. New roof decking, gable and ridge vents, and new 50-year architectural roof shingles were added. The aesthetics were greatly improved with solid mahogany exterior doors all the way around, and Weathershield® wood casement windows completed the exterior shell.

New electrical wiring in commercial steel conduit replaced the old knob and tube wires, and the original fuse box was replaced with 400 amp service and new circuit breaker panels. New water and sewer lines, upgraded plumbing fixtures, and two state-of-the-art tankless Rinnai® gas water heaters were installed, along with a new Trane four-zone 16-SEER air conditioning system. Environmental improvements included heavy insulation in all wall, floor, and attic spaces, and an active mechanical foundation ventilation system corrected the moisture in the crawl space.

A gated entry system for both vehicles and pedestrians, a European motor court with parking for eight automobiles, wrought iron fencing, and access gates along with hundreds of shrubs and ornamental trees completed the front. Behind the 8′ tall cedar, board-on-board fence supported by brick columns was a high-efficiency natural gas heater to warm the brand new saltwater swimming pool enhanced by dark quartz plaster, 12 fountains, and 2 waterfalls. Lush, multi-tiered landscaping and a detached garage with quarters rounded out the back.

Although all of the heavy construction work was done, none of the finer details were overlooked, including solid copper gutters that had been removed and protected at the start of construction were reinstalled. The home was frequently appreciated and was later featured as the High Caliber Home of the Week on D-Magazine’s Dallas Dirt website in 2018.

$1,795,000