Don’t you think luxury real estate should be in the risk category? If you’re a regular reader of CandysDirt.com, it’s easy to win. Because we are going to give you all the dirt. So when Rachel Trowbridge of Allie Beth Allman sent me an invitation to a viewing of her new property, a multi-million dollar gated estate on more than two acres in Old Preston Hollow, I couldn’t get out the door fast enough.
I’ve seen amazing luxury properties all over the world, but this stately Preston Hollow gated estate ranks high on my top 10 list. Designed by Richard Drummond Davis and built by Jim Reilly (James Reilly Custom Homes). If you know anything about architects and builders, you know that these two are one of the few who can build a home of this size. Williams design extraordinaire Barry Williams was a key member of the team, as was Warren Johnson of Fall Creek Gardens, who created the dream landscaping. As you may know, Johnson created many of the beautiful landscapes at the Dallas Arboretum.
This beautiful French Renaissance-style mansion was originally built in 2014 for Fischer & Co. CEO Clifford Fisher and his then-wife Gail. It took a little over two years to build a home of this size and with this level of detail. It’s hard for architects, builders, and designers to play favorites because every home is a custom collaboration with them directly in the driver’s seat, but I always ask what elements create pride in a project. In typical fashion of consummate professionals, Davis, Riley and Williams all praised each other.
“I’ve been working on projects with Richard and Jim for decades,” Williams said. “Their professionalism, reliability and consistency are unparalleled.”
Each cited the meticulous attention to detail that everyone involved gave to this project, including the quality of construction, craftsmanship, scale, and interior design. Williams was involved in every detail, from the factory and furniture construction to meeting the client’s desired style expectations.
“The Fishers have done extensive research and compiled a dream book,” Williams said. “They had a lot of ideas and were very supportive.”
Many people don’t realize that a talented interior designer isn’t just tasked with choosing wall colors or getting the client the furniture they want. For example, Williams not only worked on finishing details such as the stunning woodwork and furniture, but also sourced the stunning silk, hand-painted, gilded, and embroidered de Gournay wallpaper in the dining room. When the house was sold in 2020 to Scott and Cam Hall, they bought everything the Fishers had chosen and kept the beautiful wallpaper. Thankfully!
It’s the details that strike visitors the moment they step through its massive doors. The entrance features an impressive floating staircase and dramatic domed ceiling. Adjacent is a luxurious dining room and mahogany-clad library. Straight ahead is a magnificent groin-vaulted hall with latticework inserts, all edged in gold, enclosing a grand salon with an ornate stucco ceiling and flanked by black marble fireplaces overlooking the grounds. Fixed.
It’s a little hard to believe that the journey through the house could be improved, but it has been since I went back to the details. There is a luxurious media room with 5 TVs, a 120-inch drop-down screen, and a fully equipped wet bar.
But it’s the two-story women’s closet that will forever remain in your luxury real estate dream book. I thought Chan d’Or’s black lacquered two-story closet, modeled after a Chanel showroom, took the cake. I was wrong. The second floor here is beyond imagination. It’s an exhibition hall like you’ve never seen before. It’s like opening the lid of a treasure chest.
As the original owners were car collectors, the home has three separate garages with space for two cars, and a four-car elevator that provides covered parking for 10 luxury cars. Equipped with: There’s something here for everyone in the family.
Anyone looking for authentic luxury real estate needs to book at Trowbridge now. I hear there are already interested parties. She has 5100 Park Lane available for $23.5 million.
