After falling in love with historic architecture while living in Boston, Eddie Maestri's clients knew they wanted their forever home to have old-school elegance. When the Texas natives came across a 1931 Tudor located on a tree-lined street in the Lakewood Conservation District of Dallas, they were struck by the ideal storybook setting. "It had a lot of great details to start with," says Maestri, the principal of his eponymous architecture and interior design firm.
The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom home retained the original wood paneling and red oak flooring, but needed an overall character boost. "A renovation and an addition were done sometime in the late '90s or early 2000s. We had to work around that and, in a lot of cases, take it apart," the designer says. "It was actually pretty cool for that time period, almost European modern in style, but it just didn't fit the house." Honoring the home's original style—and the family's love of entertaining—Maestri and his team rearranged rooms for better flow, moving walls and expanding the house to a total of 4,821 square feet. They worked with the neighborhood's conservation planners to ensure the structure remained well-preserved. "We wanted to add even more charm and detail to the house than had been original," the designer says.
Enhancing the home's 1930s flair involved layering intricate features. Custom arched built-ins and a bespoke Tudor-Gothic-style mantel in the family room complement the home's exterior. The kitchen cabinets were made to look like wall paneling, some with leaded glass doors. A luxe music room, perfect for socializing, highlights the original espresso-stained wood paneling and showcases a piano and an existing bay window with a view of the front yard.
Throughout, the color palettes strike a balance between bright, airy rooms and dark, moody ones—all embodying the elegance of a bygone era and the ease of today. Patterned fabrics and carefully chosen artwork add personality.
Now the home isn't just renovated but revived and restored to its former glory. "We wanted to capture the essence of the original 1931 home," Maestri says. "If you walked in, you really wouldn't realize tweaks were made."
Family Room
Pictured above.
Walls are painted in Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams throughout the house. Here, the color reflects light spilling in through French doors. Coffee table: Four Hands. Pendant: Arteriors. Picture lights: Visual Comfort & Co. Sofa: custom, in Revolution Fabrics. Rug Unique Loom. TV: Samsung.
Music Room
"We were inspired by high-end hotel lounges," Maestri says. Paint: Studio Green, Farrow & Ball. Bolster and cushions: custom, in Revolution Fabrics. Chairs: Chelsea House (wood) and Bernhardt (upholstered). Rug: Unique Loom. Art: Kaline Carter.
Cozy fireside seating sets the mood for evenings with friends. Coffee table, white rug, and chairs: Four Hands. Seagrass rug: Interior Resources. Sofa and sphere pillow: custom, in Revolution Fabrics. Square pillow: custom, in Schumacher fabric. Fireplace tile: Pratt + Larson. Sconces: Arteriors. Photograph: Slim Aarons.
Kitchen
"We wanted the space to feel period yet updated and timeless," designer Eddie Maestri says. Under-island cabinets provide storage.
Ceiling lights: Currey & Company. Cabinetry: custom, Maestri Studio. Sconces: Chelsea House. Hardware: Rejuvenation. Faucet: Newport Brass. Range: Wolf.
Butler's Pantry
This chic spot links the kitchen and dining room. Paint: Mount Etna (walls) and Silverpointe (trim), both Sherwin-Williams. Faucet: Newport Brass. Sink: Thompson Traders. Cabinetry: custom, Maestri Studio. Hardware: Rocky Mountain Hardware.
Primary Bedroom
Contrasting colors play up the grandeur of the vaulted ceiling. Paint: Alabaster (wall) and Pediment (trim), both Sherwin-Williams. Wallcovering: Aesthetics Wallcoverings. Sconce: Visual Comfort & Co.
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