In the 1950s, Chevrolet dealer Earl Hayes owned a huge chunk of land south of Colorado Avenue along Kidd Springs Creek. Formerly a nature preserve, it was “an exceptional piece of land,” realtor Eugene Gonzalez says. And when the dealership giant set out to build his Oak Cliff home, he “had his pick of the lot.”
Hayes chose a 2.09-acre plot at 718 Kessler Lake Dr. From the road, it slowly sloped up a hill leading to a cliff that overlooked a small spring-fed lake. He and his wife, Alline, hired award-winning architects Harold E. Prinz and LaVere Brooks to design the property. “They wrote the architects a blank check,” Gonzalez says. “He really spared no expenses on the property.” The resulting house is a mid-century modern masterpiece.
The architects “fully took advantage of its very unique geographical features,” Gonzalez says. The entry hall looks out over the cliff and lake, which is shared by only one other property, and divides the private bedrooms and public areas of the home. There are floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the front yard, back lawn, pool, and lake areas.
And the architects employed many key mid-century modern design features. The house is not overly ornate but still has plenty of drama. The primary suite is cantilevered over the cliff, and there are many porch overhangs. In true MCM fashion, no matter where you are, inside or out, the framing of the house emphasize sightlines and guide you to where you should be looking. The lines in the interiors, like in the living room, draw your eyes to the huge windows and to the pool and landscaping, for example. Additionally, from the back of the house, the ceiling is continuous from one end to the other. It looks like the roof is set right on top of the house, Gonzalez says, so “there’s nothing stopping your eye.”
Now on the market for $4 million, the house has only had a handful of owners over the years, and it was featured in The American Institute of Architects Guide to Dallas Architecture and on Preservation Dallas’ 2014 home tour. Much of the house is original, including the travertine floors, many of the built-in closets and cabinets, as well as the brick and walnut-paneled walls. Gonzalez says the windows were redone at some point and part of the lake was filled in, creating a backyard. A sunroom and office were also added in the 1970s. Some of the wallpaper was also redone, and the carpet has been replaced, too.
Neighborhood Spotlight
North Oak Cliff
The house is ideal for those who love to host. “This house literally is all about entertaining,” Gonzalez says. An open, L-shaped layout and huge sliding glass doors in the public spaces make for an easy flow of partygoers inside and out. There are three separate wet bars, including one in the primary suite and one off the dining room that has a window to the outdoor patio. The dining room is intimate but large with lots of storage for servingware. The kitchen also has plenty of space to host.
The house has four bedrooms, plus attached and detached guest quarters. There is also a three-car garage and a motor court.
Scroll through the gallery to learn more.
Author
