A Modern Villa in Dallas


WOW! This gorgeous groin vaulted entry was designed by architect Richard Drummond Davis and his firm for Lance and Shari Vander Linden's new house in Preston Hollow. They are building a modern art collection, and this hall will house much of it eventually. The sculpture pictured is by Austin artist Shawn Smith.

What I think is interesting about this house is that the Vander Lindens wanted a traditional villa but modern furnishings and art inside. Merging two such disparate design ideas doesn't usually work, but Davis pared the architecture way down and kept things simple so that it would all work.

Davis, who used all cut limestone, left out most of the decorative cornices and entablatures found in most villa-style architecture, and the arches are without keystones or plinth blocks, and the porches without decorative trim.


Robyn Menter and Alicia Quinans did the interior design for the house.


Menter and Quintans designed this semi circular sofa and ottoman and covered them in indoor/outdoor fabric that Menter says can even be bleached. The Vander Lindens have three teenagers and at least one dog, so they needed something bullet proof.




Builder Barry Buford did a beautiful job with this house, using all cut limestone inside and out, and Douglas fir beams. Davis told me it's every architect's dream to work on a house where you get to use cut stone.


The master bedroom.


Red is Shari's favorite color, so Menter and Quinans used it as an accent throughout.


Turquoise is the daughter's favorite color, so it was used in her bath and in her bedroom. I love it when teenagers get to have chic rooms.


The Eero Aarnio chair makes the room, doesn't it? That floor lamp is from Artemide and goes perfectly in the room with that chair.


This is Lance's study. He requested Thomas Moser furniture, so he got it. Don't you love the painting of books over the fire place? It's by Pablo Luna.

I can't find a reference in my notes as to who did the landscaping and pool but when I do I'll let you know.