June 10, 2024
Do you ever cruise through an interesting neighborhood, gawking at houses? I love to. While in Dallas a few weeks ago, I detoured through historic Lakewood to gawk at its storybook houses. Around 50 Lakewood homes were built by architect Clifford D. Hutsell in the 1920s and ’30s. Described as Spanish Eclectic, they stand out with colorful tile roofs, turrets, walled courtyards, wooden balconies, arched doors and windows, stained glass — and this one even has blue outdoor curtains hanging two stories high!
And check out that stained-glass window. What is that, a galleon on the high seas? Such fanciful architecture! I like the waterwise foundation planting too: a pair of Arizona cypresses (although they’re going to get big, and I’d never want to cover up this architecture), prickly pear, and silvery ‘Powis Castle’ artemisia.
Potted sansevierias dance up the wrought-iron railing of an exterior staircase. You just get a glimpse of a tiled fountain in the walled courtyard. I adore the personality of this whimsical house. Lucky owners! To see the interior (back in 2016, when it was for sale), check out this article at candysdirt.com.
I snapped a few more Hutsell homes from the car window. I’m totally in love with these colorful Spanish tile roofs.
This one has a Hobbit-esque door and interesting diagonal hedges.
And wrought-iron dragon lanterns!
Another turreted beauty
That’s a wrap on my Dallas trip. To go back to my visit to North Haven Gardens nursery in north Dallas, click here. You can find links to my Dallas garden tours at the end of each post in this series.
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