To say this Park Cities listing has a designer touch really doesn't do it justice. The home at 3520 Granada Ave. — featured in Veranda, Traditional Home, and Britain's Country Homes and Interiors — belongs to Dallas interior Lisa Luby Ryan and her husband, Jay.
The couple built the 3,700-square-foot home in 1995 and married their knack for design to the architectural talents of Robbie Fusch to create a special home that Briggs Freeman listing agent Lucy Johnson says defies any label.
“One of Lisa's greatest design talents is the juxtaposition of the new and the very old, resulting in a timeless, crisp and wonderfully inviting home,” Johnson says.
“The comfortable gathering of family and friends drove every decision Jay and I made as we designed this house,” Lisa Luby Ryan says.
This four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom home is Ryan's greatest and most personal project. She spent countless hours searching the globe for items to reclaim and repurpose, to give her dream home the romantic cottage look that captured her heart so many years ago.
This love for pieces from the past can be seen in dining room's vaulted ceiling, complemented by the leaded glass windows created by Ryan using hand-blown glass reclaimed from the University Park cottage that had previously stood on the lot. Other notable acquisitions include a pair of 19th century carved stone medallions from a property in London (used here on the fireplace) and French limestone for the downstairs master bath. A door from an original Highland Park estate is now used as a dramatic bathroom entrance.
You might think Ryan values style over function, but this mother of two sons made her home a comfortable gathering spot for kids, parents, friends and neighbors. Take a look out the window and you can almost see the countless cookouts around the pool or the many sleepovers held in the 600-square-foot backhouse that is equipped with a full bath and kitchen.
“The comfortable gathering of family and friends drove every decision Jay and I made as we designed this house,” Ryan says. “We love to cook and entertain, so we made certain the house had an open flow to accommodate our family as well as large groups.”
But the true heart of this home, like so many others, is the kitchen. Open to the breakfast area and family room, it's adorned with Danby marble, custom cabinets, and Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances. The sound of the waterfall from the pool ensures a seamless transition to the outdoor entertaining area.
Johnson says most people in University Park have to settle for either a grassy backyard or a pool, but this property is large enough to accommodate both.
Pulling off a comfy chic abode likes this comes at a price; it's listed at just over $1.5 million. For the right buyer, however, it's priceless.
Owned and designed by Lisa Luby Ryan, 3520 Granada Ave. in University Park is listed for just over $1.5 million.
