Turning commercial warehouses into luxury residential living spaces has been happening in New York and Miami for years, and the trend has finally arrived in Dallas. Now some of the most incredible homes you could ever imagine are renovated warehouses in the Design District.
“It’s one of the hottest secret areas in the city for people to live, work, and play,” Briggs Freeman listing agent Pogir Pogir said. “I see so many incredible homes that no one knows exist. They are off-the-charts amazing, designed by Dallas’ top architects, and with the sort of quality you expect to see in Highland Park. The area is so unique, so special, so private, and people in the know are creating spaces that are incredible.”
One of those spaces is Pogir’s latest listing, priced at $2.695 million, at 2278 Monitor St. As the listing notes, "This is one of the most extraordinary live-work-play buildings available in the hot Dallas Design District. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, this home is near the Trinity River Corridor and its network of parks and trails."
The owner of this luxury warehouse is a pioneer in renovating commercial warehouses into living spaces that double as work spaces, having renovated her first one on Dragon Street in 1993. (This was when most of these buildings that were not used as showroom were boarded up, and safety was questionable. The photographic community found sanctuary here after being priced out of Deep Ellum, and as more designers moved in, a slow-but-steady evolution began.)
This luxury warehouse is the fourth property she’s renovated. This former warehouse space was artistically transformed to create a unique residential and studio area, which open to a dramatic central atrium with large water feature and spectacular new skylight. Not only are you in for 10,906 square feet of inspired design, you get a low carbon footprint enhanced by the 19 kilowatt-hour solar array installed on the roof last year, tankless water heaters, and energy-saving Thermo windows.
And then there is the drama both inside and out. Outside, specifically on the roof, you have some of the best views of downtown Dallas. Inside, the dramatic central atrium, complete with a waterfall, allows you to lounge by the sound of water, in air-conditioned comfort, on your artificial turf lawn with nary a mosquito in sight.
With 18-foot ceilings and an ability to carve out a live/work space and a commute of mere feet, it's easy to see why people embrace living in a warehouse. At present, space is divided into a residential side and a work side, but the beauty of this luxury warehouse is that you can so easily create the exact arrangement your family requires.
“You can keep a business side, or you can convert space to more bedrooms, and the kids can have a whole inside playground,” Pogir said. “I am seeing people with art and car collections drawn to these luxury warehouses. They are creating second homes downtown where they can entertain, have a party, and not bother the neighbors. I’m also seeing a lot of families that want to be here.”
Gone are the days when dining choices in the area were limited. As the seller said, “Now FT33, Town Hearth, Pakpao Thai, Sassetta, Oak, and Pie Tap Pizza are just a few of the restaurants that are blocks away. The Bishop Arts District and downtown are both five minutes away. Theater, movies, galleries, and world-class shopping is reached by either the toll road or I-35. Trinity Trails is just outside the door. The Design District is continually evolving.”
Added Pogir, “So much is going on down here it blows your mind. There is so much energy, it’s safe, and it’s a very close community. There are neighborhood happy hours. To me, it’s absolutely fabulous.”
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A version of this story originally was published on Candy's Dirt.
Be sure to look for the enormous hidden medicine cabinet when you tour the home.
