Once You Walk Through the Doors of This Dallas Home, You'd Never Know It Was an 1980s Property — Its Design Feels So Rich and Soulful

Sitting on the corner of the coveted Highland Park, Dallas, is this pristine example of classic Southern charm. The 1980s home with a sprawling porch, white brick facade, and chocolate-box symmetry opens up to reveal a striking contrast within — a slice of modernity hidden within a wholly traditional shell.

Allison McAfee and Naina Hotchkiss of Park Interiors were first approached by Coats Homes to work on this home as a spec renovation, but when a Canadian family purchased the property halfway through construction, it took on a whole new lease of life. No longer designed to appeal to the masses, it became a deeply personal project.

By maintaining a consistent, soft neutral color palette, the designers seamlessly blended the couple's antique collection with modern, custom design pieces, creating an interior design style unbound by time. Homely, cozy, and lived-in, yet strikingly stylish, this home is far from what its traditional facade may lead you to believe.

The Inspiration

"Because the home began as a spec collaboration, there was no traditional client brief at the outset," explains Naina. "Instead, the challenge was to design a home that felt broadly appealing while still carrying depth and character."

The most important consideration when designing this type of property is that it's adaptable enough for any buyer to envision themselves living there, and while a stark minimalist design is certainly one way to achieve this, so is this softer, more considered approach.

"Spec homes can easily lean generic, so our goal was to create spaces that felt layered and considered, yet flexible enough to support a range of lifestyles," says Allison. "We approached the architecture and interiors with adaptability in mind, ensuring the layout could accommodate everything from large gatherings to quieter, everyday moments. It required thinking ahead to different life stages, family sizes, and routines without knowing exactly who would ultimately live there."

However, once the buyers entered the picture, only halfway through construction, the approach shifted. No longer having to appeal to everyone, they were able to narrow in on what this young Canadian family would need in their family home. It also meant the design became even more personal.

"They asked us to curate a thoughtful furniture plan that incorporated many of their existing pieces and artwork. We used those items as anchors, layering in complementary furnishings and materials to create cohesion," explains Naina. "The result feels collected and personal rather than newly installed, which was important to them and to us."

Although this home was only built in the 1980s, the architecture clearly references some far more traditional, historic styles, as was typical of homes built during this era. To create cohesion between the traditional, symmetrical facade and the newly developed interiors, Naina and Allison turned to the original references for inspiration.

"We looked to Georgian architecture and Colonial Revival homes for their symmetry, proportion, and lasting appeal. These influences provided a sense of order and balance that felt well-suited to the neighborhood," explains Allison.

The facade of the home, with its column-framed entrance and romantic balcony, feels classically Southern in style, something the designers wanted to stay true to in their design, while also ensuring it was thoroughly modernized.

"Throughout the design, we honored these historic influences while softening them through material choices and subtle detailing. The goal was to create a home that feels established yet warm and approachable in the way it lives," says Allison.

The Process

Working alongside custom homes builder, Coats Home, the team knew from the get-go that a complete ground-up renovation was never on the cards. "It was important to us from the beginning not to erase the existing structure and start over," explains Naina.

Understanding the significance this home played in the overall design of this neighborhood informed their approach to this project. "One of the things we love most about this neighborhood is its variety of architectural styles, and we wanted this home to contribute to that layered character rather than replace it," says Allison.

Instead, they made small, intentional changes, adapting the home for modern life, while maintaining all of its character and charm.

"We were intentional about preserving the original window placement, simply enlarging the openings to bring in more light while maintaining the home’s proportions," says Naina.

Although maintaining the original architecture was a leading goal for the team, when it came to the interiors, they sought to make it as personal as possible. Ultimately, a personal home is one that's been carefully and thoughtfully considered, each choice a unique reflection of the person living within it.

And this takes multiple forms. "Personalization often comes through scale, lighting, material choices, and how a space supports daily routines," says Allison. "As we furnished the home, we studied how the family lives day to day. We incorporated their curated art collection, antiques, and family heirlooms into the furnishings plan, allowing meaningful pieces to guide placement and balance."

This blend of original antique furniture and modern designs makes for a lived-in, transitional style finish; one that feels stylish and considered, but also lived-in and welcoming.

"New selections were chosen to feel inviting rather than formal, with an emphasis on comfort, durability, and quiet refinement," says Allison. "The result is a home that feels tailored without being overly precious. It reflects the family’s lifestyle while maintaining the integrity of the original design vision. That balance is what transforms a well-designed house into a deeply personal residence."

The Design

This home's cross-contextual style, unmoored by time, is typical of Park Interiors. In fact, according to Allison, "Balancing modern and classic elements is something that defines our work at Park Interiors."

Incorporating elements from various interior design styles and eras may sound overwhelming or messy, but the result is quite the opposite. This mix-and-match approach ends up looking "layered, timeless, and comfortable to live in."

Blending modern pieces with antiques helps to counteract any of that 'new-build'-look, instead creating a lived-in sense of comfort and effortless beauty. Contrasting modern silhouettes with traditional materials, constantly oscillating between the two, helped blur the boundaries of the home's design aesthetic.

And this approach was applied to the architecture, too. "An arched morning room with fully paneled walls and ceiling sits just off a family room anchored by a raw-edge stone mantel and surround," says Naina. "These contrasts create visual interest while still allowing the home to feel cohesive and easy to move through. Layering these juxtapositions throughout the house creates a sense of quiet tension and harmony, resulting in interiors that feel collected, enduring, and distinctly personal."

As well as through texture and form, the team also created contrast through color, most clearly demonstrated in the cozy, moody modern living room.

Color-drenched in an olive, plaster-effect paint finish, cloaked in rich, velvet fabrics, and decorated in an alluring, earthy color palette, this small space is a stark contrast to the light, airy finish of the larger family room.

By bringing the paint color to the ceilings, they created an almost cavernous effect in the room, which is only emphasized by the mottled finish on the walls.

"We chose a plaster finish to introduce depth and softness in a way that paint alone cannot achieve," explains Allison. "Positioned just off the entry, it sets the tone for the home, so it was important that it feel warm, inviting, and visually layered from the moment you arrive."

While the home shifts between classic and modern, and light and dark, the one thing that remains consistent throughout is the soft, neutral color scheme. "We are drawn to warm neutrals and more muted, earthy tones because they create a soft foundation that feels timeless and easy to live with," explains Naina.

"In this home, we built the palette through materials and textiles that work well together, then added depth through texture, pattern, and subtle shifts in tone," Allison says. "The natural stone countertops and fireplaces, along with the walnut trim and cabinetry, introduce richness and authenticity while quietly elevating the overall feel of the home.

"Moodier accents and wall treatments provide contrast and grounding, while the warmer hues keep the spaces inviting. For us, a home should feel layered and full of personality. By thoughtfully combining color, texture, and materiality, we created spaces that feel unique, welcoming, and comfortable for daily living."

Shop the Look

If this home has shown us anything, it's that adding character to a new build is far from impossible; it's all down to layering textures and materials.

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