Whispering, yes because this property is so under the radar that it isn’t even on MLS. We all love an insider scoop so I was delighted to be let in on this Rivercrest gem with a pedigree at 1616 Carleton Avenue, run by some of my favorite people. Uber-talented designer Julie Hayes, husband Jay, and star stager Tina McMackin and her boutique builder husband Tyler Bobbitt have pooled forces and investment capital to form 1616 Carleton Avenue Partners. Completing the dream team is seasoned architect Weldon Turner whose professionalism and breadth of knowledge I was lucky enough to observe at close hand when I was briefly part of a team on another project.
“Weldon’s contribution and support was invaluable to our venture,” notes McMackin.
Naturally, these design pros wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best, and they found it in a 1986 classical francophone pavilion designed by Jack Shutts, architect of Ridglea Country Club, Fort Worth Country Day School, and Holy Family Catholic Church, as well as many residential projects. The elegant symmetrical façade masks over 5,300 square feet of beautifully appointed living space.
Entering one experiences an uninterrupted sight line from front to back with two spacious symmetrical rooms at front. Builder Bobbitt has preserved many of the original decorative elements, including fluted columns and Greek Key crown molding, while subtly reworking the floor plan to gain space. In one of the front rooms, Bobbitt has added a stylish bar framed by the front window.
The second of the “paired” rooms has a living area centered on the fireplace and a long dining table to the left. McMackin has staged all of this with her characteristic eclectic deftness to demonstrate the livability of the somewhat unconventional floor plan…