This house had everything. Designed by Hal Thomson in the 1920s, it showed the prolific Dallas architect’s grand and graceful style. Yet its limestone exterior offered a color and material departure from the period’s ubiquitous red brick. A sprawling yard could be landscaped into natural glory. Inside, architectural details abounded: paneling, dentil molding, and intricate ironwork. “Initially, this house was just a dream because it wasn’t available, so we bought a different house two streets away,” Jean says. “But as luck would have it, just as we packed our boxes and closed on that house, Erik and I learned that the house we really loved was going on the market. I impulsively said, ‘Yes, we’ll buy it.’ I figured we would deal with our other purchase later.” Jean’s passion for art encompasses all its forms, but she and Erik prefer to share their home with contemporary works, especially by fledgling artists. It was a top priority to create a base that would allow them to show off each piece in all its splendor (and provide flexibility for artwork to be moved around). “I love the process of collecting,” Jean says. “I’m an art enthusiast as a hobby, but I do it professionally, too. Every day I’m learning how to ‘see.’ My friend Caesar is my art trainer, and we have regular discussions about pieces and why they work or don’t. For our collection, it was most important that we bought what we loved, not with the hopes of the art being an investment.” To highlight the paintings, prints, and sculptures, Jean fashioned rooms that are equally arresting and artful. There are spaces that showcase the things she and Erik love—a collection not married to any particular era. Many of Jean’s new art acquisitions debut in this neutral space. Glass pill sculptures pop color onto the cocktail table. The dynamic pairings result from Jean’s willingness to be organic and follow her imagination wherever it leads in her home. “I don’t think that I probably could have sold this room to a client,” she says. “It just happened.” A bold geometric pattern applied to the walls behind the bookshelves contrasts the black lacquered library. “I have a thing for camouflage, and this seemed to be a modern take on it with the acid green,” Jean says. A pair of chairs from Mecox Gardens and a goatskin table temper the business of books and objects that live on the shelves. The antique chandelier was moved from Jean and Erik’s former home. Going with the flow has produced the spaces (and the home) that embodies Jean and Erik’s love of art, comfort, and family. “People tend to aim for perfection,” she says. “This house shows that accepting what the house was and learning to work within its boundaries and confines made a version of perfect that we didn’t know existed. It would be hard to leave this. It’s a part of who we are.” No “for sale” sign will be appearing in this yard anytime soon.
