OAKLAND RANCH, 230 ACRES OF TEXAS IS LISTED BY
ELEANOR MOWERY SHEETS

Southfork and Reata was fantasy and fiction patterned loosely from real Texas family estates which actually exist outside the urban sprawl of Texas cities.  A quintessential property of this genre is Oakland Ranch, three miles west of Grandview on farm road 916, fifty minutes from downtown Dallas and thirty from Fort Worth.  These incredible 230 acres are accessible through a “formal” gated and landscaped entrance with American and Texas flags proudly waving.  A curving road approaches the main house culminating onto a motor court with two-tiered fountain and gardens through which one walks to the main entrance.  The immediate area includes the main house, a swimming pool with a lap lane, pool house with full gourmet kitchen and wetbar, dining pergola, rose garden, gazebo, tennis court, vegetable and herb garden and play yard.   Additionally there is a barn; Walker Springs, a natural spring used as a picnic area with its gazebo, waterfall and swimming hole and  a multitude of indigenous trees, natural grasses and miles for “riding the range”.  The very custom, main house has approximately 9,232 square feet of living area including formals, five bedrooms, seven full baths, three half baths, family room, library, study, game room, theater, wine room and gym all finished with a most incredible level of   quality workmanship and visual amenities.  Eleanor Mowery Sheets with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has listed the property for $ 6,995,000.

The main house and landscaped grounds were painstakingly researched, planned and executed by the owner over a three and one-half year period in conjunction with architect Joe Line.  The front garden, with two-tier fountain and seasonal color leads one to the handsome Honduras mahogany and  beveled/leveled glass façade and formal entrance to the two-story hallway with its floating staircase,  travertine floor and crystal chandelier motorized for adjusting the height or for cleaning.  Stop now to mention the woods everywhere including hand carved finishes of native Canadian woods and dentil moldings included in friezes upstairs, downstairs and even into the closets.  Perpendicular to the entrance hall is a gallery; forward is the formal living room with travertine fireplace and tremeau with mirror, Brazilian cherry wide plank hardwood floor and French doors leading to covered terraces of Pennsylvania blue stone.  To the right and through wood and beveled glass pocket doors is the library totally paneled in Honduran mahogany, marble fireplace, lighted art niches and a wetbar?  Down a spiral staircase is the 1,000 bottle wine cellar with custom designed open iron wine racks and spacious table for dining and sipping.  The cellar was built first as a “brick box’ with old Chicago brick while the house was constructed over it providing not only a naturally cool place for the storage of valuable wines but also a storm cellar; there is also direct access to the master suite through a connecting spiral staircase.  To the left of the entrance hall through double pocket doors of wood and beveled glass is the formal dining room with crystal chandleries, coffered ceiling reflected in mirrored walls above vitrines with concave glass doors for collectables.  (The vitrines can be removed for additional space in the dining room.)  The center gallery also leads to the powder room and gym with full bath, vessel sink, dry sauna, steam shower and hand troweled wall finishes.

The Brazilian cherry wide plank floors flow through the downstairs and many upstairs rooms.  The gourmet kitchen has the thickest of granite countertops with beveled and/or rounded edges, tile backsplash, Kohler cooking center in the center island, apron sink inset with hand painted dimensional tiles, wood and glass cabinetry, hand carved woods of a grape design in cabinetry and trim, two Sub-Zero refrigerators each with a freezer drawer below, KitchenAid compactor, two Asko dishwashers, two Dacor ovens and warming drawers, 12’ ceiling and walk-in pantry.  There is a butler’s pantry with ice maker and refrigerator, second staircase, elevator with etched glass door panel, breakfast room with oval wall to the pool, mud room, cedar closet and porte a cochere to the three-car garage, dog suite and motor court.  There is a bedroom and limestone bath with barrel vault ceiling.

The spacious family room has Honduran mahogany paneling and vaulted ceiling, a salt water aquarium, entertainment center, faux painted concreted fireplace and tremeau and wood plantation shutters.  A lanai off the family room connects to the covered terrace, pool bath, the pool with lap lane/waterfall/water features, outside shower, entertainment decks and the pool house.  All surfaces are Pennsylvania blue stone.  The wood paneled pool house protected with retractable screens, has a large living room beneath a cathedral ceiling, wet bar and full gourmet kitchen with DCS cook system, Bosch appliances, granite countertops and opens to the wisteria covered pergola which can seat 30 for dining; there is a misting system to keep it cool even in the hot summer months.  Adjacent is the fragrant rose garden centered with a fountain.  Stone walkways connect to the tennis court, gazebo and original water well.  There is a brick smoker station, play yard, walking paths and irrigated herb and vegetable garden.

The formal staircase has balustrades intermingled with ironwork in a grape design and is carpeted in the same pattern as the grande staircase of the Titanic.  The large landing has the Brazilian cherry floor and more lighted vitrines.  Through double doors is the master suite.  The oversized room is divided by a chest on which is a large screen television which lowers into the furniture and rotates to the sleeping room on one side and the sitting room on the other with faux painted concrete fireplace and custom cabinetry and bookshelves.; there is a large balcony through French doors, an office, the staircase to the wine cellar and two marble baths.  Her’s has a coffee bar, jetted tub, fireplace, Kohler Artist Edition fixtures with matching hand painted barrel vault ceiling, beveled mirrors, clear glass oversized shower and walk-in closet.  His bath is rich, sable marble with shower with etched glass walls, corner step-up tub and haberdashery finished closet.  A bedroom has a private bath finished in mosaic tiles; two bedrooms each with a private bath are themed for children. Also upstairs is a utility room, landing from the second staircase, guest bedroom with private bath, living room, large bar, gameroom, smoking porch and bi-level media room with a red velvet curtain.  The third level offers a large office or playroom.  The remainder of the third floor attic is floored for storage.  Other amenities include etched glass and wood doors, a Niles audio system, state-of-the-art security system including cameras inside and out and a high pressure vac system.

The rest of the acreage offers the equipment barn with a foreman’s office, half bath, four overhead doors, a loft and the building is cross vented for adaptation for cattle or horses.  There are four tanks, hay fields and of course, “Walker Springs’ for chuck wagon dinners in the gazebo and overlooking the natural spring and waterfall.  A private road leads to this area from the main highway.  As far as the eye can see are the most wonderful views of the terrain and wide, blue Texas sky.

For a tour of this Texas ranch, contact Holly Kincaid at Eleanor Mowery Sheets, 214.522.6703; visit the Website, eleanor.com