We are excited to announce that the much requested New Leaf home next to Hexter Elementary will be featured on the 2025 tour!

In 2024, New Leaf Custom Homes—a longtime WRHT supporter—unveiled this stunning urban retreat, designed for a vibrant, multi-generational family who loves to entertain. From the street, the home presents a bold, modern composition, partially screened by classic plastered walls. Beyond the gate, a private courtyard unfolds, featuring a lush native plant garden, play yard, and a striking multi-level pool.  The captivating stepped pool gracefully follows the home’s footprint, offering tranquil views from the primary living spaces. Inside, warm gray plaster walls and polished concrete floors create a calm, serene experience. A custom sculptural staircase and a remarkable art installation frame the majestic living room, while exquisite finishes and custom cabinetry add thoughtful detail throughout this home.

In 1961, architect Donald Speck designed an iconic home for his own family, carefully responding to the unique character of the site. Rather than imposing a design on the land, the floor plan weaves around existing trees, while seven stepped levels work with the natural grade, ensuring every room has a direct connection to the outdoors.

The roof slopes up toward the Dixon Branch Greenbelt, drawing in soft, diffused north light and expansive views of the surrounding trees. True to its era and Speck’s design philosophy, the home showcases an honest expression of materials—fieldstone and concrete block, both structurally essential and visually striking, extend seamlessly from exterior to interior, creating a highly textural, durable backdrop for family life.

Fortunately, this remarkable residence has been thoughtfully preserved and renovated, honoring its original spirit while ensuring its longevity. We can’t wait for you to experience this architectural gem—one of Speck’s finest works, alongside the Van Dyke home, featured on the 2023 White Rock Home Tour.

The dynamic team at BuildTX Solutions transformed this simple Lake Park Estates bungalow into a vibrant, light-filled sanctuary. Through a remarkable renovation and addition, they created a home that seamlessly blends modern amenities with a deep connection to the outdoors—perfect for a nature-loving family.

Honoring the neighborhood’s character, they retained the original gable and low-sloped porch roof massing while introducing two contrasting towers that engage the sloped site and house the vertical stair hall and two-story addition for the garage and bedrooms, infusing the home with a contemporary exuberance.

Inside, high ceilings reflect the natural light pouring in through expansive windows, offering stunning views. Thoughtfully crafted custom white oak cabinetry with rich, warm finishes adds depth and character throughout.

Although the family’s beloved pets won’t be present during the tour, their influence is unmistakable—from the charming A-frame cat house to the many bird and squirrel feeders, a nod to the homeowners’ passion for wildlife rehabilitation.

Architect Lou Simmons continues to draw inspiration from the rich history and character of Little Forest Hills, a charming lakeside community of small, wood-framed cottages that became a haven for artists, writers, and architects, celebrated for its creativity and eccentricity.

In the Santa Clara project, he honors the spirit and scale of the neighborhood from the street by preserving the original structure and reimagining it as an open-concept Living/Dining/Kitchen area, complete with a small pantry and coffee bar.

Beyond, the home meanders around a sculptural elm, creating a courtyard reveal that provides natural light between the original structure and the rear addition. To minimize its visual impact from the street, the connecting hall ramps down to a two-story addition with a slab foundation and flat roof that discreetly houses the bedrooms, bathrooms, and garage.

Throughout the home, every detail is thoughtfully crafted, artfully integrating the old and new, creating a warm, modern, soulful place unlike any other.

Architect Laura Juarez Baggett crafted this home as a dream fulfilled—an inspiration for a spirited couple in their 70s, who bid farewell to the house they had cherished for 38 years. Though aging-in-place was a priority, the site’s natural constraints and their vision demanded a two-story design. To balance accessibility with beauty, daily living spaces were strategically placed on the main level, seamlessly connected to the carport. Nestled into the sloping terrain, this level opens to a tranquil private lake, preserving the couple’s cherished view and a beloved, mature tree.

Entry from the second floor offers an entirely different experience: a striking catwalk-style passageway, framing soaring double-height views and doubling as a prime perch for birdwatching. Inside, every element was designed with both function and grace—stairs with gentle risers and restful landings ensure easy navigation.

Despite a limited budget, sustainability remained central. The couple honored their past by salvaging materials from their former home—the rich ipe deck now forms the primary shower floor, while reclaimed wood floors breathes new life into the second level. Modest in footprint but grand in intention, this home is a testament to thoughtful design, where creativity and resourcefulness elevate both function and beauty.

Originally showcased in the inaugural White Rock Home Tour in 2006, this remarkable Ju-Nel home returns to the tour 2025! We are deeply grateful to the dedicated stewards of these exceptional homes for their care and commitment to preservation. Thanks to their efforts, we have the privilege of celebrating these architectural treasures—all in support of the vital work of the Hexter Elementary PTA.

Nestled under a canopy of mature trees, the low sloped roof shelters a private facade articulated by a perforated brick screen wall that marks the entrance.  Beyond the screen, a serene courtyard frames a tree that continues up through an intentional opening in the roof, sensitively providing natural light and a thoughtful place to transition from the public to the private.

Inside, the home unfolds with clarity and efficiency, leading to a signature Ju-Nel Great Room – meeting every hallmark of these beloved mid-century designs. The open living, dining, and kitchen areas share a generous vaulted ceiling, supported by exposed beams that extend through floor-to-ceiling windows, visually connecting the interior to the heart of the home: a treed secluded courtyard. Stained wood panels and a custom fireplace, adorned with midnight blue and gold tiles, create warmth and character.

In 2010, the home received the prestigious AIA 25-Year Award after a previous owner, an architect, expanded the Great Room with meticulous care, seamlessly matching the original materials. More recently, the new owner installed a FORM kitchen, skillfully preserving the character of the home while updating its functionality.