This is the most extraordinary, private 5.3 acre estate ($19,500,000) Dallas has never seen. Purchased in 2007, the current owners spent the next year and a half gutting and reworking the entire home: adding a pool, terrace and sweeping lawns. Perched atop a ridge, the 14,139 square foot residence, aptly named “Dans Bois Crête,” translated into English as “In Wood Ridge,” serves as a royal retreat just minutes from downtown Dallas. Enter through laced black iron gates and wind alongside a tranquil creek to the grand entrance, whose circular drive features an Italian fountain studded with fire torches. The home’s sandy stone veneer and steep slate roof with shades of green and blue give a sense of great age and timeless style. A regal aura suffuses the residence, most notably in the ceilings of the entry hall and dining rooms which are coated with gold leaf and accentuated with timeless fixtures. Original brass pieces adorn the entry while a classic Baccarat chandelier hangs from the octagonal coffered ceiling of the formal dining room. A door camouflaged by the wood-paneled entrance opens to reveal a stairway to the basement playing host to the home’s most impressive spaces: a majestic sound proof screening room and 2,200 bottle climate-controlled wine vault. The theater offers incredible acoustics with comfort seating and is bathed in rich blue and gold velvet carpeting. The wine cellar has a rustic ambience and features built-in wine racks, a humidor and space for tasting, lounging and dining. The main level’s living spaces are connected by a luminous Venetian plaster corridor that, when the lights are dimmed, takes on a glimmering life of its own. The formal seating area lined with arched glass French doors appears to unite seamlessly to the verdant landscape outside. The room sets an opulent tone, lending itself to sophisticated company as guests can pour out through the doors onto a shaded terrace where renowned landscape designer Harold Leidner’s superb gardens are admired. Steps away and set within burgundy colored leather walls is a more casual living area – the perfect space to gather for a round of cards or a watch the big game on dual screens. Here, conversation flows as freely as the cocktails served at the bar at the end of room. Characterized by its cathedral ceiling and floor to ceiling windows, a third living room offers idyllic views of the maze gardens outside. Against the backdrop of walls clad in Venetian plaster, alternating floors of hand scraped herringbone and polished marble lead the way through this decidedly poetic home fusing modern conveniences (including an elevator, Niles Audio and LiteTouch lighting systems) with a love of romance and history. The kitchen is distinguished by a dramatic stone archway and ceiling striped with wood beams, red and sand toned granite countertops and state of the art appliances including a Míele coffee system, Sub-zero fridge/freezer and Wolf gas range. Anchoring the west wing is a sophisticated cherry wood paneled library, recalling time-honored novels from its richly polished bookcases. An elegant master retreat and spacious sitting room is wrapped by a screened porch and meticulously manicured, private courtyard. His and Her bathrooms complete with heated flooring, are soothing and luxurious with extensive custom built-in closets and safe room. A second, smaller study on the first level resembles a Tiffany’s jewel-box with a silk aqua fabric accent wall lined with glittering diamond-like strands. Just outside is a private, peaceful courtyard with a cascading fountain. The finishing touch, for the car enthusiast, is garage space for up to ten cars with six of the spaces being climate controlled.
