Take a stroll through this home at 902 Stewart Dr. in Kessler Park, and you know there is a story behind it. The interior design is simple yet stunning and executed with precision, and the architectural design of the addition is equally impressive (hello, glass roof). Then you learn that the owner is an architect, and it all falls into place.
"The seller raised his family in the home and designed the back specifically to be able to raise young children," listing agent Jennifer Stolarksi says. "The openness of the space really lends itself to family life, don't you think?"
Not your typical tiny bungalow, this particular pad offers potential buyers four bedrooms and three bathrooms. At 3,050 square feet, the home was designed to maximize usable space. For example, reach-in closets and cabinets serve multiple rooms.
"Walk-in closets, as fun as they are, waste quite at bit of space," Stolarksi says. "The seller did that to make every square foot usable."
Other quirks — including passive solar-designed glass for efficient use of sunlight and antique doors from a 17th-century French chateaux — combine in the most unique was to create a quintessential custom bungalow.
There's also an additional 550-square-foot full apartment above the two-car garage (not included the home's square footage). Since the home is located on a corner lot, the garage is accessed by a side street, which makes for an easier rental situation should you decide to do so, given that it is listed for a cool $759,000.
To some, this might seem aggressive, as Oak Cliff has long been know as the quirky neighborhood where down-to-earth Dallasites could find an affordable bungalow with loads of character. But like any good thing, people got wind of what was happening over the bridge, and before you knew it, the Kessler Park market got hot.
"The homes in this neighborhood are great and so very diverse," Stolarski says. "It's true, they don't build 'em like this anymore."
But despite rising prices in the neighborhood , one thing has remained the same — the people who decide to call Kessler Park home.
"I love how friendly this corner of Kessler Park is," Stolarksi says. "When you're on the front porch and neighbors walk by, they stop to talk. It feels more like a small town than a giant city over here."
The bungalow at 902 Stewart Dr. in Kessler Park is listed for $759,000.
