Houzz Tour: 'Pieced Together With a Purpose' in Dallas

Craving a collected look her 1980s home didn't have, this Dallas homeowner hired general contractor Kevin Key to re-create a century-old look in her spacious home. After hunting high and low for the perfect antique accents, salvaged materials and unique color treatments, Key put it all together in a warm, luxe space. The house's interiors now look like they've been put together over decades. "It has that pieced-together farmhouse look," says Key. "But it's been pieced together with a purpose."

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A Dallas couple with 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren
Location: University Park neighborhood of Dallas
Size: 4,500 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms

Key created a new history for the house through antique and aged elements — including the rusted cold-rolled steel awnings on the house and garage. Lush new backyard landscaping includes Japanese yews, pistachio trees, Blue Atlas Cedars and Lacebark Elms.

Lighting: Vintage Barn Sconce, Restoration Hardware; stone for wall: Austin stone; pavers around pool: Pennsylvania bluestone


The designer turned a third of the home's attached garage into a poolside cabana out back. Wavy cedar siding gave the cabana the lived-in look the homeowner wanted.


A new outdoor kitchen has sturdy concrete counters and a gas grill. Scraped cabinetry, a retro refrigerator and a freestanding sink basin with vintage metal legs make the space feel warm and worn.

Refrigerator: Big Chill Retro Refrigerator


Just past the grill, shutters made from flea market doors hide a flat-screen TV. Wall planters next to the garden gate hold herbs.





Key enclosed the previous patio in big sliding windows and added a multifold door, the same wavy cedar from the cabana and a custom dining table.


The original home had dark stained oak covering most of the floors, ceilings and built-ins. The solid oak was beautiful but too dark for the homeowners' tastes.

Key lightened up the home with plaster walls in warm creams and beiges. A blue pine ceiling in the living room draws the eyes up. The faux beams are made of wood; they're hollow, which made them easier to install. Most of the furniture is from the clients' previous home.

Lighting: Restoration Hardware; ceiling fan: Monte Carlo


Key tackled the kitchen first. A hallway at the end of the kitchen had cut off the space from the rest of the house. The team eliminated the hallway (and an adjacent bathroom and utility space) to bring an existing fireplace, a seating area and an extra 5 feet of space into the kitchen.


Most of the oak cabinetry has the same scraped, hand-painted finish. The clients worked with the same painters on several other projects too, creating colorful custom finishes. The painters used several layers of paint, scraped off each layer for just the right effect and added umber pigment for an aged look.

Key designed the kitchen sink cabinet with a different tone. The clients wanted it to look like the entire cabinet had been casually rolled into place, so he put an indentation in the countertop to make it look like a separate piece.

Sink: Rohl Shaw’s Original Fireclay Apron Sink


One wooden door hides the refrigerator; the other hides a freezer. The custom table and wired antique chandelier reinforce the home's style.

Chandelier: custom; beam over stove: Excel faux beam


The pitched ceiling's beams in this room are authentic and part of the roof's construction. Key had them distressed and a thickening agent applied after painting to intensify the rough, worn look.

Fireplace surround: Coronado stone; chandelier: antique


Salvaged flea market doors lead from the bedroom into the en suite bathroom.

Chandelier: Camilla, Pottery Barn


The same scraped painting effect was applied to the custom vanity, this time in periwinkle and white. A custom soapstone vanity top complements the farmhouse sink's rustic feel.

Sink: Rohl Shaw’s Original Fireclay Apron Sink


One of the homeowners found the refinished antique tub at a local reclaimed-fixture shop. A salvaged stained glass window next to the tub was distressed, framed and mounted for one-of-a-kind art.


A colorful and cozy porch swing instantly beckons for an afternoon nap out front. The custom-designed piece can easily hold the clients and their two grandchildren.


The entire landscape — including the custom fountain, made with a Louisiana sugar kettle (used in traditional sugar production) — revolves around the existing red oak tree in front of the house. The tree also marks the start of a dry creek bed, which Key turned into a walkway from the street to the home's front door.


Interior Design: Becci Meier Architectural Design
Landscape Design: Jason Osterberger

URL: Houzz Tour: 'Pieced Together With a Purpose' in Dallas http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-21028.html