Dream Homes are interesting because the people designing, building and outfitting them are intent on showing the visitors - and each other - their best work or best product.
The 2014 Fort Worth, Texas magazine Dream Home sits on a 16,000-square-foot lot at 4800 Estonia Court in Montserrat. Montserrat, the developer says, literally translated means "jagged cliff." So it is appropriate that the subdivision features 150-foot cliffs that overlook Mary's Creek. The builder is HGC Real Estate Services.
Tickets for the tour benefit a Wish with Wings, which makes wishes come true for children with life-threatening illnesses. It is the second Dream Home benefiting the charity, and Executive Director Judy Youngs sees the effort of handling and staffing the tours as an investment that pays off in many ways.
"Financially, [the first] was very successful," she said. But perhaps more important is the exposure the charity receives. "We may not see that for 18 months. Or we may have somebody knock on our door saying, "We heard about you or we saw you at the Fort Worth, Texas Dream Home, and we want to sponsor your next wish." "
Visitors won't be able to see much of what Sweeney Lumber is contributing to the project because it will be covered by sheetrock. Still, President Don DeGroot is pleased to participate for several reasons. One is the long association with HGC. But a close second is that the money raised goes to charity. "There"re a lot of win options for everybody," he said.
He's familiar with a Wish with Wings. "My daughter had leukemia when she was 7. She's 32 now. Luckily we didn't have to do the wish with wings," DeGroot said.
And he wants to honor the memory of Robert E. Sweeney and Hal D. Hughes, who founded the company in 1960. Both have now passed on. Participation in such a public project is a kind of testimonial to them. When they founded the company, the trade was dominated by just a few lumberyards, and quality and service weren't very good, he said. Sweeney and Hughes promised materials at a fair price delivered on time. "And then, they just kept building on constant focus on the customer," DeGroot said. "It's now what everybody does; in 1960, not so much."
Scott Pereth of Durango Doors of Fort Worth is providing the decorative entry door and contemporary steel doors from his Millennium line at the rear of the great room.
Trending now in the building industry is big glass - tall doors or windows that, whether open or shut, connect the interior of the house to the outdoors. "The key to this industry is catching on to the next fad at the front end of it," he said. He started by selling windows out of the trunk of his car as a company representative, he says, and opened the door company in 2003 when iron doors were just hitting the market. "People like that all-glass minimum profile look because it really opens up the room and lets a lot of daylight in," Pereth said. "The Dream Home brings it alive with the feel and touch and operation."
Dale Jackson, president of Blooms Landcare Inc., is a new Dream Home participant this year. The company has been in business since 2006, offering specialized services in sustainable landscape practices and water-smart irrigation techniques.
In most cases, landscapers are working for a specific client, but no one knows who ultimately will own this home. And therein lies the challenge. "It is imperative that we work closely with the builder and interior designer to create a landscape that works well for the owners and the neighborhood," he said. "What makes this job different is designing the landscape to be appreciated by everyone and maintaining neutrality in the plants and design, while adding in different features not seen before."| by Paul K. Harral |
2014 Fort Worth, Texas Dream Home
4800 Estonia Court, Montserrat, Fort Worth
Benefiting a Wish with Wings
Tour Dates: Sept. 24 - Oct. 26
Wed.-Sat.: 11 a.m. - 6p.m.
Sun.: noon-5 p.m.
Admission: $10; Free with a $20 subscription ($10 goes to the charity)