Highland Park’s 3 Most Popular Home Styles

Highland Park, Texas, is one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, boasting exquisite homes that are custom-crafted and the height of luxury. Highland Park attracts homebuyers who are ready to build their dream homes from the ground up, pulling out all the stops. Homes in the Park Cities are some of the most beautiful properties in Texas, showcasing top home-style trends.

Dutch Colonial

Colonial home styles are very popular throughout Dallas and are evident throughout Highland Park and University Park. Dutch Colonial homes are typically two stories, with a gambrel roof and eaves that flare outward, using bricks or shingles. The gambrel roof is a low, sweeping structure with dormer windows. This style of home is extraordinarily flexible, with the possibility of arranging the interior to suit specific tastes. Dutch Colonial homes are replete with Colonial Revival characteristics and are beautifully picturesque.

New England Colonial

New England Colonial homes stem from American tradition and are box-like with gable roofs. These houses typically have small-pane windows with wooden shutters, clapboard siding, and shingle roofs. They boast timeless beauty and superb craftsmanship, paying homage to an era of home building that prioritized quality. New England Colonial homes are classic choices that homeowners can remake to reflect their individual spins, customizing the interiors and exteriors while staying true to traditional design.

Southern Colonial

Southern Colonials are large two- or three-story homes that are world-famous for having statuesque front columns and sprawling porches – perfect for Dallas’s year-round good weather. Deep porches and indoor/outdoor living spaces are mainstays in southern architecture. These homes are luxurious, with stately front entryways and columns.

Tony McClung, one of the most respected design/build professionals in Dallas, builds homes from the ground up. He works closely with clients to design and create ideal, completely custom homes in Highland Park, the Park Cities and throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. McClung can skillfully craft a Colonial style or other type of home with all the trimmings, including rustic copper accents, mixed materials such as metal and wood, smart-home technology, indoor/outdoor living spaces, even hidden doors.

With McClung’s creative imagination and knack for incredible architecture design, there’s no limit to what your home can have. Learn more about what he can do. Contact us to start the design process in Highland Park or in another Dallas location or give us a call at (214) 668-7802 today.

Four Things to Remember While Building a Custom Home

Think of new home construction and most prospective home builders think of miscommunication between contractors and missed project deadlines, right? Wrong. While these are hallmarks of less-than-prepared building companies, with the right team, you can step into your dream home on schedule and under budget. If you’re beginning your journey in building a custom home, keep these things in mind to make the process as smooth as possible. You’ll step over the threshold of your new build before you know it.

Address the Present and the Future

Life changes and families grow. Rather than building a home that addresses your present needs, plan one that addresses your future ones, as well. Do you plan to have kids (or more of them)? Do your parents or in-laws rely on you for support? Plan more than the next five years – think 10, even 20 years down the road.

Think Layout and Flow

When planning a home, most people think open floor plan, number of rooms, number of floors, the “man cave,” and so on. While this is part of what makes custom home planning fun, these aren’t your only considerations. While less entertaining, planning the mechanical aspects of your home (HVAC, plumbing, and electrical components) is equally important. For example, ensure that you have enough electrical outlets to run all your appliances and gadgets. Addressing these aspects during the planning process assures your home has both form and function. Also, think of how you’ll use each room. It’s easy to get caught in the whirlwind of custom home building: Will you actually use the craft room, the second sitting room, or the library? Think carefully and prioritize. Put your budget into amenities that make your home functional, instead of rooms that will sit unused.

Choose a Designer and Builder Combination

People often have an architect to create their vision and a builder to bring it to life. When these are two separate teams, you’re more likely to have miscommunication between members and a budget and timeline that go off the rails. Pick a professional who both plans and builds homes.

This has a few distinct advantages:

• Such a professional can bring your vision to life – while following local codes, zoning restrictions, and the law of the land. It would be devastating to spend time and energy building your dream home only to have a builder tell you it can’t become a reality.
• It’s easier to keep track of your budget. Your hard-earned dollars are going to one person, so it’s easier to keep track of where to allocate them – and the project is more likely to come in under budget when finished.
• Seamless communication minimizes chances of mistakes. Your designer/builder combo team will be the point of communication for all subcontractors, like HVAC and electrical. With expertise in both fields, this team can address problems as they arise and keep your vision intact.

Think Location

One of the biggest benefits of custom home building is the freedom to choose your perfect location. You may have wanted that rural lifestyle, only to find you dislike the longer trips to the grocery store, work, or school. Think carefully about the location you choose and make sure you can live with every aspect of living in an urban, suburban, or rural setting.

Have you been dreaming of a custom home? Tony McClung has more than 50 years of experience as an “architect designer/builder” and is responsible for some of the most dazzling properties in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Turn your vision into a reality and call (214) 668-7802 today.

Drones and Building Homes

Using a drone helps our clients get a feel of what kind of view they will see from different areas of their home. Here is the view from a future roof top deck!

In the past few years, drones have taken America by storm. These unmanned aerial vehicles are legal for anyone to fly, so long as it’s for recreational purposes (and meets some restrictions). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has started making changes, however, and it seems that businesses could soon see the commercial benefit of drones. Luxury Homes Designed and Built by Tony McClung is one company that has found some great benefits of using a drone.

How Drones are Useful

More industries than ever are seeking drones now. Surveyors can look at large swaths of land more quickly with less effort. News companies can offer birds-eye views of celebrations, traffic accidents, and construction zones. Insurance firms can survey damaged cars and homes to complete claims. Even security companies are taking advantage of the potential, using drones to keep an eye on neighborhoods and large pieces of property.

Home building is one industry where drones are especially useful. In fact, more than 20 percent of home construction companies have explored options and used drones on a working site. Another 30 percent said they were either likely or very likely to implement the machines in the next three years.

Why Drones Make Sense for Builders

Why do builders love drones so much? To put it simply, these little machines can do things humans cannot, such as:

• Checking roofs safely. Standing on a roof can be dangerous, especially if it’s finished with a slick material (like sheets of tin). Drones allow builders to view roofs in detail while their feet remain on the ground. This is groundbreaking, especially when you consider that roof-related falls account for more than 10 percent of construction deaths in the last 25 years. 
• Providing more information to homeowners. Drones can give special insight that even the best computer programs cannot. If the client wants to see the view from a not-yet-built third floor window, a drone you can hover at the proper altitude and location to give the client a true preview.
• Examining crawlspaces. Working under the foundation of a residence is uncomfortable at best—and downright dangerous at worst. Drones can enter these small zones and survey for damage, such as leaking pipes and exposed wires. This not only saves effort on the builder’s part, but it also keeps him or her much safer.

• Delivering supplies. Nothing’s worse for a construction employee than climbing a few stories on a ladder to realize he forgot his nails or hammer. Drones can make quick, efficient tool deliveries to anyone on site. A business could use them to offer water and snacks to workers, keeping dehydration and weakness in check. 

It might be hard to imagine, but drones could be the future of the construction industry. The best businesses are putting this technology to use and making safer, smarter, and more-efficient workplaces.

Tony McClung is one of the few builders using an unmanned aerial vehicle to improve his construction techniques. If you’d like to learn more about his innovative drone use and how it can get your project done faster than ever, contact him online or call (214) 668-7802.