Sitting on more than 5 acres and nestled behind a thick stand of trees, the house on Cottonwood Drive in Coppell, Texas, is noticeably modern but with plenty of warmth. That is achieved with a combination of natural materials, living spaces that blur the line between indoors and out, and close collaboration between the owners, designers and builders.
From the street, the 7,500- square-foot home is almost hidden from view by more than 100 post oaks. Its natural appeal continues as you meander up the flagstone walk to front walls clad in smooth Lueders limestone and Oklahoma multicolor stone. Inside the full-height wood door, which is flanked by windows, you step onto gorgeous floors of rift-cut white oak. A quick turn around a white oak paneled wall and you enter the main family and entertainment area, which looks out across an expanse of unspoiled landscape.
The house and its impressive views are the creation of Buford- Hawthorne, a Dallas-based luxury custom homebuilder, and Bernbaum-Magadini Architects.
“We don’t normally work outside the Dallas area but Bernbaum-Magadini asked us to go out there,” says Barry Buford, president and partner along with Gabriel Hawthorne. “They’re a great company to work with. We’ve done at least 10 projects with them since 2000, and we know what their requirements are.”
Even so, BufordHawthorne had to interview with the homeowners, and during the discussion a close family connection was discovered. “She said, ‘That’s karma — you’re hired.’ They were an awesome client to work with,” says Buford.
For these clients, Buford- Hawthorne built a home with six bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, and ample family and entertainment space spread over a floor and a half. A signature feature is three cantilevered glass boxes that extend out from the back and provide unobstructed views of green pastures from the master bedroom, living room and game room. The floor-to-ceiling views can be moderated with Lutron motorized shades, while architectural steel louvers at the ceiling provide natural light around the clock.
“The three cantilevered boxes were the hardest part of the project,” says Buford. He explains that the rooms are cantilevered on structural steel beams that are attached to the home’s pier and beam foundation.
A dramatic floating staircase in the entry presented another design and construction challenge. The white oak stair treads are supported from above by steel rods and are cantilevered into the wall on steel members that prevent bouncing.
Other interior features include museum-quality wall finishes, white oak cabinetry with European-style overlay doors with book-matched veneer panels, a granite slab floor in the master bath, 14-foot ceilings in the main rooms, and three fireplaces.
A fourth fireplace is a focal point of an outdoor pavilion that includes a full kitchen and granite table. The pavilion is part of a landscaped patio that tiers down to an infinity pool, perched higher than the open field behind it, with water cascading over the outside edge.
Buford says projects of this scale almost always have design changes along the way, and a notable change at the Cottonwood house was transforming a flat roof outside the upstairs game room into an ipe wood deck.
“Generally, we work very closely with architects. We’re good at collaborating with all the design professionals and working with clients from start to finish,” he says. “We have a weekly meeting with everyone. We have full transparency on costs. It’s very open.”
The design team on the Cottonwood house included interior designer Rick Rozas, Lang Lighting Design, and David Rolston Landscape Architects. Most of the trades are longtime collaborators with BufordHawthorne. In fact, the builder profiles many of these craftspeople and artists on its website.
Jeff Hampton is a freelance writer based in Garland, Texas. Find out more at jeffhamptonwriter.com.