Staircase Renovation

The renovated stair with a new balustrade by John Tackett Design compliments the original style of the house.  The custom stencilled decorative painting was executed by the late Robert Jackson and his crew.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

As a continuation of the series of posts on the house in Volk Estates, University Park, Dallas, the improvements for the main staircase in the Entrance Hall are presented here.  Although the house was built in the Tudor Revival style in 1934, it had been remodelled in the 1950s with many of the original details replaced by more modern and eclectic features.  The Fifties iron stair balustrade was the first thing noticed on entering the house, and it was the feature at the top of the list that the new owners were most eager to change.

A BEFORE view of the Fifties balustrade showing the new oak handrail.
Photo by John Tackett Design.

New wood balusters, newel and handrail were designed to compliment the architecture and comply with safety requirements.  The curve of the stairs was continued above, with the floor opening altered and a curved second floor partition added to redefine the space.

An IN PROGRESS view showing the new balustrade and the altered floor opening to continue the curve.
Photo by John Tackett Design.

These changes led to a reconstruction of the entrance to the second floor bedroom located above the main entrance.  Although the bedroom had an attractive triple exposure, the original locations of the doors prevented a comfortable placement of furniture.  The new plan proposed by John Tackett Design shown below was realized, relocating the entrance to a large walk-through closet that also provided acess to an adjacent second guest bathroom and guest bedroom (not shown).

The Proposed Plan of the renovated second floor Stair Hall and the Guest Bedroom.
Drawing by John Tackett Design.

On the exterior, the unique original oriel window of Douglas fir, copper, and leaded glass placed against the exterior wall of random Texas fieldstone and diaper-patterned brick makes the house memorable.  The original architect was Clyde H. Griesenbeck, noted for his picturesque Tudor manors in both University Park and adjacent Highland Park.

An Exterior view of the main entrance with the Guest Bedroom above.
Photo by Steve Clicque from THE HOMES OF THE PARK CITIES, DALLAS:  GREAT AMERICAN SUBURBS.

The 2008 book THE HOMES OF THE PARK CITIES, DALLAS:  GREAT AMERICAN SUBURBS may be purchased through The Devoted Classicist Library at a discount of 37% off the published price and the option of free shipping by clicking here.

Living Room Floor Plan and Sitting Room

Photo of Sitting Room tabletop detail by Pieter Estersohn.

A friend who is a regular reader of The Devoted Classicist asked if I could show the floor plan of the Living Room featured in the previous post.  Normally, I would not for the sake of privacy, but since the photographs had appeared in Southern Accents magazine and my clients no longer live there, I am showing the furniture plan for purposes of education and record.  To fill out the post, I am including a couple of shots of the adjacent Sitting Room as well.

One thing about Southern Accents that I never cared for was the amount of coverage given to the "artsy" shots for which the magazine became notorious.  It would be interesting to know the number of times that a magnolia blossom was featured.  So now I am guilty of the same mis-use, including the first photo simply because it satisfies the Blogger template for thumbnails!  Please forgive my editorial lapse in judgement.

The Sitting Room photographed by Pieter Estersohn.

This Sitting Room, a step down from the Living Room and looking out to the west over the deep extent of gardens, was a much-admired space.  The office of Josie McCarthy is responsible for the interior design here and none of the contributions by John Tackett Design are visible in the photo.  The sofa fabric by Colefax & Fowler is one of my favorites, however.

Drawing by John Tackett Design.

The floor plan of the Living Room featured in the previous post with the folding screen is shown here.  It is a proposed plan that was changed slightly for the final appearance that appeared in the Southern Accents magazine article.  The main difference is that the floor was covered with a patterned sisal wall to wall with antique oriental rugs added on top, a very effective scheme that added charm and helped prevent the room from being stuffy or pretentious.  And the coordinating antique rugs in the adjacent Entrance Hall and Sitting Room helped visually link those spaces.  Normally, the Living Room would have to accomodate enough seating to match the Dining Room, but that requirement was eased here because of the adjacent Sitting Room, Garden Room, and Library beyond.