“The trees enticed me in initially,” says Dallas architect Christy Blumenfeld. “They reminded me of growing up in Alabama, along with the land just felt Southern.” While Blumenfeld along with her husband, Adam, loved their 1948 ranch-style house, it was in need of extensive renovations. The mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems were outdated, and the couple needed more space for their family. “I opted to utilize the foundation of the original home in lieu of tearing down,” Blumenfeld says. “more is recycled that way, and I also like to enhance the integrity of an existing home. If you strip away all of the layers, then you’re left with the essence and honesty of the space and stuff.”
in a Glance
Who lives here: Christy and Adam Blumenfeld and their 2 children, Alexandra and Ben
Location: Dallas
Size: 6,500 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 5 baths
That is interesting: The kitchen and family room attribute brick flooring original to your home.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Blumenfeld added another level to the home, visually proportional to the outside. She also introduced a Southern vernacular with slurried brick, enlarged windows and operable shutters. The tree-lined circular driveway creates an inviting first impression.
Bill Bolin Photography
Blumenfeld made her kitchen with ease in mind. Two separate sinks and 2 faucets are flanked by appliances. The countertops are Calacatta gold marble, but the island is concrete. “Concrete is so simple to maintain,” says Blumenfeld. “I used it on the entire island and lowered part of it for seating for my children.”
Bill Bolin Photography
After adding a new bay window, Blumenfeld says her kitchen eating place is now her favorite place in the home. The area features a round dining table for six and Oly chairs sandwiched between a classic French chandelier and original brick flooring.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
The family’s formal dining room features an antique dining table, custom seats and an antique armoire. Hanging between the enlarged windows is a painting by the architect’s mother, Jackie Good Briscoe of Decatur, Alabama. Other paintings by Briscoe are found throughout the home. Above the dining table hangs a white feather “chandelier” that Blumenfeld set up for a party. She states, “I thought it was fun, so why not keep it for a while?”
Bill Bolin Photography
The former living room has been transformed to the study and sitting place. The original fireplace mantel was painted to match the interior doorways and is flanked by custom wrought iron shelving components. Four leather seats atop a classic Oushak rug anchor the area.
Wall paint: Ashley Gray, Benjamin Moore; seats: Restoration Hardware; painting: Andrea Rosenberg
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
The 2-inch herringbone plank flooring throughout the home are original. In the foyer, a classic church pew provides seating, and above it hangs a framed classic architectural drawing. The drawing was formerly brown with age, and Blumenfeld bleached, restored and mounted on it for display.
Grass-cloth wall covering: Ralph Lauren Home
Bill Bolin Photography
The back entry opens up to the new porch addition. A leaded glass door, side lights and an arched transom mirror the front entrance and are original to the home.
Bill Bolin Photography
Inside the back screened-in porch is a grill and bar area with concrete counters, refrigerator drawers, a gas grill and one burner.
Bill Bolin Photography
Slated to be an “all-year entertaining area,” the new screened-in porch comes with an arched brick fireplace with a TV above, Bevolo gas stoves and Pennsylvania bluestone floor along with brick. “We slurried the brick to hide where the old house stopped and the new house starts,” Blumenfeld says.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Daughter Alexandra practices piano in the main living area/family room, which adjoins the kitchen and dining areas. The window to the right looks out on the new porch addition.
The sitting area features two seats Blumenfeld purchased in a flea market in Paris. “My couch cover is really a lifesaver,” she points out. “It’s machine washable.”
Wall paint: London Fog, Benjamin Moore; ottoman cover: Le Gracieux; couch cover: Quatrine
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Ben, Blumenfeld’s son, sleeps to a king-size bed composed of 2 twin frames woodworked together. The twins were used in Adam’s youth bedroom.
Wall paint: Arctic Blue, Benjamin Moore; map: National Geographic; sconces and bedding: Pottery Barn
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
In this guest suite, formerly the master bedroom, Blumenfeld created a greater awareness of scale and opened the views by expanding and lowering the original bay windows.
Wall paint: Silver Sage, Restoration Hardware; art: Jackie Goode Briscoe; furniture: classic
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
In the newly added master bedroom, a custom chandelier hangs from 16-foot vaulted ceilings, and symmetrical entries to some his-and-hers toilet help balance the area. Blumenfeld made the bedframe as a gift for Adam.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
The ceiling marginally lowers in the master bedroom sitting area, which has an oversized ottoman with Aubusson tapestry and a different painting by Jackie Goode Briscoe, that hangs above a custom camelback sofa. The couple enjoys views of the back porch and garden, as well as of a swimming pool along with joint basketball/tennis court, from this sitting area.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
In the entryway to her husband’s wardrobe region from the master bathroom, Blumenfeld installed magnificent classic French walnut doors along with a transom, all with hand-forged wrought iron details.
“I found these while studying in New Orleans and got them for a steal,” she states. “I held on to them over the years, knowing one day I’d rely on them for a client. That client ended up being me.”
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
The original single-level home had two baths. For the newly added second floor, Blumenfeld produced a bathing alcove overlooking a freestanding bathtub surrounded by 1-inch blue mosaic glass tiles.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Blumenfeld’s latest splurge was updating her three wheeled doorways to create a carriage house feel. She also expanded the garage to accomodate a new home office.
Valerie McCaskill Dickman
Blumenfeld is an avid gardener and planted 25 dogwoods around the property when her family moved in. She believes her landscape to be in constant evolution, like her residence, and states her next project will be planting a new vegetable garden. “I think about gardening a daily ritual,” she says with a determined grin.
