I have to credit Iconic Real Estate’s Dustin Merritt with the headline. It certainly caught my eye in his MLS copy, as did so much about this Midcentury Modern split-level ranch in Old Lake Highlands.
Dallas has a great collection of architecturally significant midcentury residences, from the Disney Streets to Sparkman Club Estates and Highland Meadows. They include atomic ranches, A-frames, California ranches, and the beloved split-level ranch. Designed with creativity and flexibility, these homes remain one of the most sought-after styles.
In the 1960s, the Building Research Council published a pamphlet on the split-level ranch offering this wisdom: “The floor plan offers the advantages of privacy, noise control, and good interior circulation.”
These homes also looked big, and the tri-level split offered the best of all worlds: main-level living, a sleeping level, and a lower-level multi-purpose room. That’s what we have here. Eight steps lead to two bedrooms upstairs, the main living floor has one bedroom, and eight steps down lead to the lower level, which houses the owner’s sauna, home office, and gym.
When Carolyn Kramer and Brett Fountain bought their split-level ranch 15 years ago, they had been renting in Lakewood. Merritt, a long-time friend, was their Realtor then as well. He suggested looking across White Rock Lake at a house he thought they’d like.
“It had great bones,” Carolyn said. “Dustin and my husband had a vision more than I did, so we bought it and got to work.”
They redid the siding, landscaped, and replaced all the major systems. A couple of years ago, they completely remodeled the main level with the help of their contractor, Eric Cantu, and initial drawings by Stratera Interiors. Carolyn is a professional wardrobe stylist, so she is a veteran of style and research, which proved essential in the remodel.
For instance, the original main floor had four rooms with a small galley kitchen.
“What we wanted was an open floor plan and lots of natural light,” Carolyn said. “We took it down to the studs, raised the ceiling, and made it one big room. The kitchen was inspired by the California ranch style. I wanted to stay true to the ‘60s aesthetic and not go into atomic style because it needed to balance with the rest of the house.”
The kitchen is the centerpiece of the home, and Carolyn’s research expertise really came into play.
“I wanted the ‘60s feel but with modern conveniences, warm wood cabinets, and terrazzo countertops,” she said. “I found Dynamic Terrrazzo in Carrollton. You can actually go in and play with rocks to make the samples. It was awesome.”
As they were thinking through alternatives to wood or sheetrock for the space above the custom flat panel oak kitchen cabinets, Brett glanced across the alley from the house they’d rented during the remodel.
“He said that’s what we should do and pointed out the neighbors’ gabled windows,” Carolyn said. “I pieced together what it would look like in Photoshop, and we took it to Eric, who facilitated the construction.”
The result is a show-stopping main level with vaulted tongue-and-groove ceilings, custom gable and clerestory windows, and warm hardwoods. Enormous 12-foot sliding glass doors open to the pool and lush backyard, which includes a covered patio, a treehouse, and an outdoor shower.
“With equal parts architectural statement and everyday livability, this is the kind of midcentury home that’s increasingly hard to find,” Merritt said.
