This midcentury modern beauty at 626 Rainbow Dr. comes on 2.1 acres in East Kessler, nestled next to a stunning stone bluff that says, “Dorothy, we’re not in Dallas anymore.” But just wait until you see the master closet — which they sure did not have in 1958, when the house was built.
Perched in the center of the neighborhood’s largest residential expanse, the home first belonged to Liz Hart, a sculptor and the first female photographer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It has been extensively, compulsively updated by the talented and well-resourced current owners and a few owners in between.
In fact, the ownership lineage of this home is rather a who’s who in the building and design world of Dallas. The current owner is Jarrett Ouellette, a Dallas Design District and Atlanta entrepreneur and investor; he and his wife clearly took the house to soaring new levels.
Past the gate is a huge circular driveway that lands you in front of the house and onto an outdoor relaxation patio with seating for four. The expansive backyard (approximately 1.2 of the 2.1 acreage) is visible from this little Zen garden through the glass, which is a trick that opens the house up to the outdoors.
Enter into the spaciousness of the original era design: a large living area with the fireplace and brick wall as focal point with a mounted flat-screen TV. This long room — the entire home is 4,439 square feet — connects to the open dining room and the pièce de résistance kitchen.
Cook here? Hell, this room is museum-worthy: antique granite slab, sleek white custom cabinetry, huge stainless sink, Miele gas stove, double fridge, SubZero wine captain, and a nook around the corner from the stove with built-in coffee maker and espresso machine. There also is counter seating for up to six.
Off this room is a private guest suite, created with space stolen from the garage. Nearby are the laundry room and mudroom, and this entrance from the driveway leads to another little side garden and patio with a copper water sculpture now patinated blue — a treasured leftover from the home’s first owner.
Proceed back into the main heart of the home, and go up a contemporary flight of oak steps, where on the other side of the wall-to-wall brick fireplace is the upstairs media/game room. Views of the bluff are priceless.
Down that first-level hall are two bedrooms with en suite baths and the master(piece). Here is where the magic begins.
There’s another brick wall behind the master bed across the expanse of the wall. A freestanding, two-sided fireplace serves double duty for a sitting area. Beyond that fireplace is a sanctuary of glass, the perfect place for a couple to sit and chill.
The Ouellettes took the master bath to the next level too. An extra-deep, square, jetted bathtub built into a corner window overlooks a private fenced courtyard. You’ll find dual vanities; a huge step-down shower; and a dressing room/closet with built-ins, mirror, cubbies, and shelves. That master closet is a retreat unto itself.
Out back find a large patio and enough space for an Olympic-size pool, as well as a wonderful children’s play ark and swing set.
Melissa O’Brien, with Dave Perry-Miller’s Hewitt Habgood group, has this property listed for $2,100,000.
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A version of this story originally was published on Candy’s Dirt.
The unique front patio offers a space for al fresco conversation.
