A Former 1940s Fishing Cabin Is Now a Gorgeous, Minimal Organic Modern House
Name: Mindy King, husband Christopher, son, Jonah (age 7), and puppy, Sunny
Location: Dallas, Texas
Type of home: House
Size: 1,800 square feet
Years lived in: 6 years, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: Our home was built in the 1940s and was originally a fishing cabin (we are close to White Rock Lake)/weekend house for someone in nearby (fancy) Highland Park, where all old-Dallas money lives. Our house was tiny when we bought it. (See above re: fishing cabin). I’m talking less than 1,000 square feet and with one bathroom we all shared! The neighborhood we live in was populated by artists and creatives beginning in the ’80s and ’90s and is now a hip and liberal pocket of Dallas, which we love.
We live in an area called Little Forest Hills, which now has a reputation for unique and cool homes. The nickname of the ‘hood is “Funky Little Forest Hills.” Last year (2020), we began an addition and almost doubled the size of our home, adding a mudroom/laundry, sunroom/reading nook, and new primary suite with bedroom and bathroom. We designed it all ourselves and lived through the construction while working from home and sheltering in place. It was quite a thrill! We love how it turned out and are so incredibly grateful to have been able to expand our home during a time that we are all recognizing the importance of making our home a safe haven.
We are big on buying once and buying the best we can afford. I do think our home aesthetic is minimal but very warm. Edited and curated in a way that takes time. We don’t buy anything we don’t love, and because of that, it is all still a work in progress as we wait for the right art to find us.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Organic modern, minimal but warm
What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is the sunroom/reading nook. The sunlight can’t be beat, and we worked to include so many design details to make it feel special and of the original era of the home. Plus, it houses all of our books, and we are all book lovers!
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? These ottomans from Blu Dot, which we adore, are the last things we added to the sunroom! They are so functional (a place for drinks, books, bodies), and the colors are so wonderful! We love them!
Any advice for creating a home you love? Don’t rush! It’s better to look at an empty wall than to look at a piece that you grew tired of in six month’s time. And do it your way. If you love it or find it functional, that’s all that matters. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else in your home journey.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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