What could be better than growing up in a home you love, and years later returning to that family house as the owner? There’s a lot of satisfaction in coming full circle.

Gary McDonnell grew up in the close-knit neighborhood of Lake Park Estates in this 1950 ranch at 1015 Erin Drive. In 2001 he and his designer wife, Belinda, remodeled the family home into a Texas regional contemporary.

“You’d never guess the work was done 15 years ago,” listing agent David Collier with David Griffin & Associates said. “They are very forward thinking and everything they did is absolutely timeless. They really transformed the house and they did it before anyone was really renovating in this neighborhood.”

The McDonnells hired architect Bill Mackey, who, as you may have guessed from the photos, was a protégé of Frank Welch, the father of Texas modern vernacular architecture. You can see a lot of those influences from the covered stone front porch to the open-plan main living area.

Not only did they open up that living area with a vaulted-and-beamed ceiling and a two-story stone fireplace, they also added a second story, bringing the home to 3,040 square feet with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a powder bath.

A gourmet kitchen was created with tongue oil-finished cherry cabinets. Tongue oil is used to give wood a perpetual glossy look that showcases and the grain and creates a warm look. It’s also an excellent waterproofing finish — perfect for kitchens.

You may think the den was original, but it’s not. The glass barn doors that enclose it are a nice homage to the iconic knotty pine dens of the 1950s.



One of the many renovations that was ahead of the time for any neighborhood was creating two office spaces, one with a private entrance. “Remember, this was way before it was common practice for people to work from home,” Collier said.

Lake Park Estates is one of those neighborhoods that used to be a well-kept secret. Even today you need to know where you’re going to find it. Tucked between Garland Road, East Lake Highlands Drive, and just across the street from Buckner Boulevard, Gary could actually see White Rock Lake from the backyard when he was a kid. Of course, the trees have grown over the years creating a private paradise in the enormous backyard.

Collier has the home listed for $715,000, and if you’d like to see it in person — and you know you do — he’s having an open house Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.

Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager for more than 25 years. She’s been a professional writer for 20 years. Karen is the mother of a son who’s studying music at The University of Miami. An ardent animal lover, she doesn’t mind one bit if your fur baby jumps right into her lap. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com