This morning LRO Residential’s Les Owens was at NorthPark just as the stores opened, but his priority wasn’t to shop. It was to polish up his latest entry for Dallas CASA’s annual Parade of Playhouses in the Macy’s Court. This year he had used his years of experience building residences in Devonshire, Bluffview, Preston Hollow and the Park Cities to produce an enchanting Tudor-style cottage.
Unlike years before when Les and the rest of the builders set up their handiwork the day before the Parade got officially underway, Les got a head start and provided an appetizer of what would follow when the other seven playhouses would be displayed throughout the center starting Friday, July 9.
As NorthPark guests walked by, they couldn’t help but stop and check out Les’ home-sweet-home with its custom-made finishes that included Andersen specialty windows and doors, strips of wood on the exterior walls mimicking the half-timbered look, wood flooring, a cedar shake roof and specially sized sconces.
And it was those sconces that had Les stop his polishing. Ever the perfectionist, he said he was going to have his electrician check them because they weren’t staying put as planned.
When asked where the Jacuzzi was, Les laughed and said, “In the backyard.”
BTW, Les’ Charming Cottage also has an electrical socket inside, so the new homeowners will be able to plug in their laptops, television or reading light for bedtime stories.
Presented by Crest Cadillac/Infiniti/Volvo, the cottage and its seven neighbor playhouses will be available for viewing from Friday, July 9, thru Sunday, July 25. After that they’ll be relocated to their new homes once they’re raffled off.
BTW, the raffle is online now. Tickets are going for one for $5 and five for $20, with proceeds benefiting Dallas CASA’s mission to “advocate in the community and the courtroom for children in the protective care of the state so they can grow up in safe, permanent homes where they can thrive.”
In the meantime, if you get a chance to check out the Charming Cottage, you might want to get a whiff of the shingled roof. Ah, the fragrance of fresh wood!
* Photo credit: Rosanne Lewis