Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/907639
F or PaperCity editor- at-large Maxine Trowbridge, 2018 is already shaping up to be an exciting year. As board president of Dallas C o n t e m p o r a r y, she's ushering the museum into its 40th year with exhibits including the tromp l'oeil and surrealist creations of Mary Katrantzou, the London fashion designer. She is also the event co- chair for MTV Re:Defi ne — her second year undertaking the star-studded event, which this year honors British bad-girl artist Tracey Emin. As Max leaps into the whirlwind that is Dallas' spring art scene, it helps to have a house that doubles as a retreat from the world. A relaxing infi nity pool is viewed through glass walls in every room, including those in Max's home offi ce. Beyond that, a canopy of tall oaks shades lushly terraced, rolling grounds. A soothing fountain bubbles from a modern Japanese-style courtyard. Coming home to such serene environs after a hectic day certainly takes the edge off. "It's like I have my own personal spa," she says. Max and her husband, entrepreneur and cybersecurity industry leader Ben Trowbridge, had been looking for their dream house when she discovered this one online in 2013. It checked all the right boxes. "We wanted a mid-century modern worth saving, something we could work on together," she says. The property also had a pedigree. Built in 1952, it was designed by renowned Dallas architect Harwood K. Smith, who went on to found one of the world's largest architectural and design fi rms, HKS. "That added an extra layer to it," she says. "The house had some history." But it was the spectacular setting that sealed the deal. Set on an acre off Inwood Road, the one-story house rambled beautifully along the lush topography that tugged at Max's rural roots in southwest England. "I grew up with green pastures and trees," she says, "and that garden reminded me of home." With a standing-seam metal roof, copious fl oor-to-ceiling windows, and a façade clad in historic St. Joe brick, Smith's architecture is grounded in early modern Texas vernacular design. Made famous by O'Neil Ford, the style was refi ned by other top modernist architects of the era including Smith, Howard Meyer, and Frank Welch. Over the decades, the house underwent alterations that obscured its pristine materials and lines, including a jazzy 1990s redo with padded suede, mirrored walls, and a shagreen ceiling. After interviewing several potential candidates to return the house to its original minimalist glory, the Trowbridges hired Lionel Morrison protégé Joshua Nimmo of Nimmo Architecture. They also asked him to increase the square footage — carefully. "We didn't want to affect the style of the house by adding another story, and we loved the long roofl ine," Max says. "Josh came up with the idea to go down." A natural 30- foot slope in elevation to the back provided just the right solution for a 1,500-square- foot bi-level wing. The top level includes a master bedroom with a living area, which Max uses as her home offi ce. The lower level has its own entry, with a wine room under the stairs and two more bedrooms and bath. "We wanted to respect what the architect intended," Nimmo says. The new wing also needed to transition seamlessly with the rest of house. "We tried to make a quiet little statement that didn't take away from the original structure. But we didn't want to mimic it." To accomplish this, Nimmo incorporated architectural elements already found throughout the house, such as vaulted ceilings, skylights, and steel rafters. The kitchen, which leads to the new wing, was renovated in the same manner. It all adds 61 New bi-level wing designed by Joshua Nimmo. The den's slatted-wood wall opens to reveal a fl at-screen. Statuary-marble fi replace surround. Minotti chair and ottoman.