Historic Homes With Modern Lines

Horsey Set

A Texas vernacular home blends clean lines and accessible geometry.

The clients for this custom home asked Dallas-based Bernbaum-Magadini Architects for a ranch-style compound that would accommodate their love of horses. The firm responded with this Texas vernacular home that possesses the spirit of traditionalism but the lines and details of a contemporary house. They “wanted the clean lines and accessible geometry you usually find in contemporary architecture, but in this case, we removed the rigidity typical of most contemporary homes,” the firm says.

Located north of Dallas in Oak Point, the property is essentially a working horse farm that allows the animals to have full run of the land, says architect Patricia Magadini. The project consists of a series of buildings that include a 6,327-square-foot, four-bedroom, six-bath main house; a stable; a barn; and a riding arena.

Bernbaum-Magadini conceived of the project as a Texas regional home, with local elements such as a metal roof and a stone exterior. The architects also established a strong indoor/outdoor connection with “large windows and careful orientation of each structure to take advantage of the [property’s] views, large trees, and ponds.” The large windows are a contemporary touch, but “there are some traditional details, such as divided lites” that make them seem familiar, Magadini explains. The interiors are equally clean, marked by a wood-lined ceiling, exposed beams, and dark-stained wood millwork. But the architects chose popular details to give the space a modern feel, including clerestory windows in the kitchen, polished concrete floors, and variable height ceilings.

“We picked our spots to have a lot of impact with high ceilings,” Magadini says. “In some areas of the home, the ceilings drop down to soften the area and give the space a more intimate feel.”

Despite the clear referential elements, the firm managed to avoid making the home look like a caricature of a historical design.

“A lot of times people try to copy the exact details of period architecture, but unless you stick to the style, it looks fake,” Magadini says. In this case, however, the architects created a home that looks familiar, but feels fresh.