Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Tudor Cottage in the Heart of Texas
A vintage charmer comes to life with classic yet contemporary colors fit for professional couple's lifestyle
With three days to find a home for her new life in Dallas, Rhonda Blair made her list of must-haves short and sweet. “I told my realtor I wanted three things: flow, light and hardwood floors,” she says. Luck favors the brave, and a quick search landed her a Tudor-style home that fit all three of her criteria. New paint in timeless hues and classic furniture complete the warm feel of this charming Dallas home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Rhonda Blair, Bill Beach and their dog, Lettie
Location: The M Streets, Dallas
Size: 1,860 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
That’s Interesting: The home was built in 1926, a time when many people took in boarders, so each bedroom has its own outside entrance.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Rhonda Blair, Bill Beach and their dog, Lettie
Location: The M Streets, Dallas
Size: 1,860 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
That’s Interesting: The home was built in 1926, a time when many people took in boarders, so each bedroom has its own outside entrance.
Blair moved into the house in 1995, and her partner, Bill Beach, moved in three years later.
SG: How did you know this house was the one?
RB: It wasn't so much that I knew this was "the one," but that I was moving for work and came in from Massachusetts on Wednesday to look at properties with my real estate agent, Ryon Hukill. I looked at 20 places, narrowed it down to two and made an offer on Sunday evening. I was pretty clueless about Dallas, neighborhoods and geography, but it turned out to be brilliant.
SG: What inspires your personal style?
RB: Bill and I are big on comfort, ease and flow. I like for the things on the walls to mean something to me — like Laurence Scholder's prints above the sofa. They're beautiful, but they're also Larry's, who is a local artist and our neighbor. And the tchotchkes we have tend to be attached to people and memories.
Paint color: custom Sage Green, Sherwin-Williams
SG: How did you know this house was the one?
RB: It wasn't so much that I knew this was "the one," but that I was moving for work and came in from Massachusetts on Wednesday to look at properties with my real estate agent, Ryon Hukill. I looked at 20 places, narrowed it down to two and made an offer on Sunday evening. I was pretty clueless about Dallas, neighborhoods and geography, but it turned out to be brilliant.
SG: What inspires your personal style?
RB: Bill and I are big on comfort, ease and flow. I like for the things on the walls to mean something to me — like Laurence Scholder's prints above the sofa. They're beautiful, but they're also Larry's, who is a local artist and our neighbor. And the tchotchkes we have tend to be attached to people and memories.
Paint color: custom Sage Green, Sherwin-Williams
SG: Did you work with any design professionals?
RB: We went to Ethan Allen when we decided to redo the living room and finish some parts of the dining room. Susan Medlin was the decorator who worked with us, and she was great. She really helped with the fabric on the chairs in the living room.
Chairs: Ethan Allen
RB: We went to Ethan Allen when we decided to redo the living room and finish some parts of the dining room. Susan Medlin was the decorator who worked with us, and she was great. She really helped with the fabric on the chairs in the living room.
Chairs: Ethan Allen
SG: What state was the house in when you moved in?
RB: It was very clean, and all the walls were white. I didn't even think about painting until Bill moved in. He inspired me!
The paint color in the dining room is custom from Sherwin Williams, mixed to match the apple photographs (to the right of the door) by Jerome Liebling. The secretary on the far wall and the bird print to the right belonged to Bill's grandmother.
RB: It was very clean, and all the walls were white. I didn't even think about painting until Bill moved in. He inspired me!
The paint color in the dining room is custom from Sherwin Williams, mixed to match the apple photographs (to the right of the door) by Jerome Liebling. The secretary on the far wall and the bird print to the right belonged to Bill's grandmother.
Blair and Beach were very particular about choosing colors appropriate for the home's age that also had a contemporary feel. Since each room flows into the next, the colors had to harmonize as well.
Blair purchased the dining table years ago in Lexington, Kentucky. The rosewood chairs came from an antique store in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the upholstered end chairs are from Ethan Allen.
Blair purchased the dining table years ago in Lexington, Kentucky. The rosewood chairs came from an antique store in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the upholstered end chairs are from Ethan Allen.
The original black tile in the hall bath was another selling point of the house. "The very cool bathroom cinched it," says Blair.
Blair's study, just off the master bedroom, is a haven where she can focus on her work as a university professor, researcher, playwright and occasional actor.
Paint color: Terra Cotta, Sherwin-Williams
Paint color: Terra Cotta, Sherwin-Williams
Beach is quite the chef. He and Blair spend a lot of their time in the kitchen catching up at day's end while preparing dinner. The home's open kitchen layout impressed Blair during her initial house hunt. The cheery yellow paint, and black and white checkered floors preserve the home's vintage feel.
Beach's home office has an easy, breezy feel. He's a real estate agent at Ebby Halliday, specializing in the Lakewood neighborhoods of Dallas.
The couple's dog, Lettie, also known as Princess Leticia, oversees Bill's real estate transactions from her personal sofa.
Paint color: Urban Putty, Sherwin-Williams
The couple's dog, Lettie, also known as Princess Leticia, oversees Bill's real estate transactions from her personal sofa.
Paint color: Urban Putty, Sherwin-Williams
Despite some space restrictions, Blair and Beach managed to create a well-manicured backyard that boasts a raised deck and hot tub.
Homeowners Rhonda Blair and Bill Beach at home in their cozy living room.
SG: As a real estate agent, do you have any advice for those interested in buying a house?
BB: Get a good agent, someone with professional training and a listening attitude. If you've got a good agent in place, then the rest will work itself out.
Houzz call: Do you live in a Tudor? Share it with us!
SG: As a real estate agent, do you have any advice for those interested in buying a house?
BB: Get a good agent, someone with professional training and a listening attitude. If you've got a good agent in place, then the rest will work itself out.
Houzz call: Do you live in a Tudor? Share it with us!
Sarah Greenman: What do you love most about your neighborhood?
Rhonda Blair: I love that this is, by Dallas standards, an older neighborhood with Texas Tudor and prairie-style homes. It's a conservation district, which means if the old houses are torn down or remodeled, there are regulations that preserve the old flavor of the area.