Home Tour Season

The Dallas real estate voyeur's guide to spring 2015 home tours

Swiss Avenue Mother's Day Home Tour.

Courtesy photo

Spring is the best time in Dallas-Fort Worth to slip on those blue booties and tromp around some of the finest homes in North Texas. From historic to modern, these home tours give voyeurs plenty of opportunities to see beyond the the front doors of the area’s most exceptional houses.

Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society Home Tour
When: April 11
How much: $20 in advance or $25 at the door

This annual home tour benefiting the only preservation organization in the Park Cities features four homes of distinctly different styles, including Claude Albritton’s home at 3432 University Blvd., Melissa and Philip Wise’s home at 3444 University Blvd., Erika and Matthew Yeaman’s home at 3607 Amherst Ave., and Jennifer and Sean Royal’s home at 3505 Lexington Ave. Considering the real estate you’ll be covering, the ticket price is extremely affordable.

Turtle Creek Association Tour of Homes
When: April 12
How much: $50-$60

The 14th annual tour features six unique residences, giving attendees an exclusive peek at the Turtle Creek high-rise lifestyle. Participants can hop on complimentary shuttles to and from the homes, and Turtle Creek Association volunteers serve as docents, sharing information about the art collections, designers, architects and builders. The tour concludes with a separately ticketed post-tour reception from 6-8 pm at the home of Trammell S. Crow. This tour is the primary fundraiser for the nonprofit dedicated to preserving the Turtle Creek area’s 87 acres of greenways and parkland.

White Rock Home Tour
When: April 25-26
How much: $15-$20

This home tour is high on our list because of the architecture. This is the 10th White Rock Home Tour benefiting East Dallas’ Hexter Elementary, and it features only modern homes. You can visit one of the more memorable homes on Vanguard Way in Urban Reserve, the ultra-modern container home called PV14, plus the gorgeous Cliff Welch modern on East Lake Highlands Drive near Easton Road (pictured in the slideshow). There also is a reception at Design Within Reach on April 24.

Hollywood Santa Monica Neighborhood Association Home Tour
When: April 25-26
How much: $15

This is another annual favorite, and this year a lovely collection of Tudors awaits, as well as one new build. There is a candlelight tour from 6-7 pm on April 24, as well as a preview party replete with silent auction (which you can preview and register for online) at the Dallas Arboretum from 7:30-11 pm. You can also attend a free Art in the Park event at Lindsley Park on April 26, featuring works from local artisans, food trucks and music.

Fort Worth AIA Tour of Homes
When: April 25-26
How much: $20-$25

The third annual Fort Worth AIA Tour of Homes has a fantastic collection of architecture as diverse as the city itself. From rehabbed midcentury moderns to stately Craftsman homes to a condo in the Miller Manufacturing building, this home tour is coming into its own. Proceeds support the variety of programs offered to the public throughout the year at the Center for Architecture in Fort Worth.

Preservation Dallas Spring Architectural Tour
When: May 2
How much: $25 for members and $30 for non-members

Okay, so technically this is not a home tour, but people do live downtown, and that is the theme: Celebrate Downtown. Preservation Dallas, which is dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the city’s historic buildings, neighborhoods and places, has resurrected one of its most popular events, in partnership with Downtown Dallas Inc. Attendees will take a closer look at downtown’s evolution over the last five years — from above. It starts in Thanks-Giving Square and continues with multiple historic properties, where people ascend to rooftops for refreshments and unparalleled views. The tour runs from 10 am-2 pm; there is a wrap party from 2-3 pm at Third Rail Lofts. Ticket price includes both. Call 214-821-3290 for reservations.

Swiss Avenue Mother’s Day Home Tour
When: May 9-10
How much: $20

Now in its 42nd year, this Mother’s Day tradition showcases homes in one of Dallas’ most famous historic neighborhoods. The Swiss Avenue Historic District is just what you’d expect — delicious mansions coated in classic fixtures and finishes — and you can just waltz through them in awe. Visit six of the city’s most fabulous early 20th century homes, one of which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Also enjoy an art fair, antique-car display and children’s play area. Coaches and carriages shuttle attendees between homes, and historians are on hand to answer questions.

Fairmount Historic District Tour of Homes
When: May 9-10
How much: $15-20

One of the nation’s largest historic conservation districts hosts a great home tour every year that highlights the Craftsman architecture for which the neighborhood is known. Located on the vibrant south side of Fort Worth, it’s about one square mile of gorgeous homes built between the 1880s and the turn of the century. Founded in 1978, the Fairmount Neighborhood Association is one of the most active neighborhood associations in Fort Worth.

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A version of this story originally was published on Candy’s Dirt.

White Rock Home Tour.

Courtesy photo

White Rock Home Tour.

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Swedish Meatball News

Sleek furniture store IKEA to open first location in Dallas

IKEA

IKEA's signature Billy cabinet

Dallas finally gets its own IKEA store. According to a release, the Swedish-born furniture company is opening a new location — the first in Dallas proper — to debut in late 2025.

Called IKEA Dallas - University Park, the store will be located at The Shops at Park Lane, the center at US-75 and Park Lane that's home to stores such as Whole Foods Market, American Girl, Saks Off 5th, and Home Goods.

The address is 8080 Park Ln., and they're not specifying exactly which storefront it will occupy, but it will be a smaller-format store at 63,000 square feet than its suburban siblings such as Frisco where the square footage is 310,000 square feet.

IKEA is on a journey to become more accessible, affordable, and convenient, with smaller "urban" stores that have a limited inventory of items sold on site: 3,200 articles.

IKEA's entire range will not be available for immediate takeaway; big furniture items like beds and couches, for example, can only be ordered online, with options for store pick-up or home delivery at a minimal fee.

Nonetheless, the Park Lane will be two levels and will be the 11th store in Texas: Currently, there are five full-sized IKEA stores, three "Plan and Order Points with pick up, and two smaller-format stores opening in San Marcos and Rockwall.

IKEA Rockwall, which just celebrated its groundbreaking, will comprise 108,875 square feet and the store be built from the ground up. IKEA Dallas-University Park will be built in an existing building at The Shops at Park Lane, which building it is, they do not say.

The Rockwall store will have a new Swedish Deli cafe where they'll serve meals onsite, as well as their Swedish Bistro takeout concept, serving their signature Swedish meatballs which they also offer in a delectable plant-based version as well, you should totally try it if you have not already.

Park Lane will have food, as well, although no word on whether there'll be a cafe.

"At IKEA, we want to create a better everyday life for the many people and one way we can do that is by bringing IKEA close to where people live, work, socialize and shop, says IKEA US CEO Javier Quiñones in a statement. :The opening of IKEA Dallas - University Park is a perfect example of our strategy to develop smaller, more accessible urban store formats, bringing a more connected and accessible IKEA experience to everyone."

shopping openings