IIn 2009, Greg and Chantal Hickman found a small East Dallas home with strong bones that fit their real estate budget. They renovated the building on a shoestring budget with “paint, windscreen, woodwork and love,” Chantal said. They fell in love with the transformation, as did their friends, family, and fans who caught a glimpse of their design work online. They founded Sunscout Studio and have since worked their magic on 10 of his homes in the East Dallas area. The newest of these homes just went on the market in Lake Highlands.
Like many of SunScout's past projects, 10306 Church Road served as Hickman's personal residence for many years, in this case seven years. They bought the house in its original 1962 condition, with all the linoleum, but like Hickman's first Dallas project, the bones were very cold.
“What we've been working on is really just complementary and just getting us closer to today's standards,” Greg said. “I think the architects were pretty excited to see what we've done to this place over the past few years. We're certainly proud of it.”
Dallas Swan Song at Sunscout Studios, 10306 Church Road
“We choose homes with great lines and wallpaper; just things we fall in love with,” says Greg. “That kind of inspires what we do with design.”
In the case of 10306 Church, the centerpiece of the project was a brick fireplace, which the couple converted into a double-sided walkaround centerpiece.
“That one change set the tone for the entire venue,” says Greg. “It's walkable, airy, and allows the light from the living room and dining room to interact.”
Set your Easter table at Bering's
Other renovations included replacing dark brown carpet with cork flooring and expanding the home's two bathrooms. The Hickmans added countless custom touches, landscaped the area around the covered backyard patio, and of course, gave it lots of love.
“The linoleum was really nice,” Greg says. “It was in such bad condition that we couldn't save it.”
Next, the young family heads to bustling Bentonville, Arkansas. “While we love East Dallas and especially this home, we think we're ready for a change of pace and a new adventure,” says Greg.
*See slideshow up to 10306 Church Road.
anti house flippers
Anyone who has stepped into real estate recently knows that flipped homes are flooding the market, especially in rapidly growing cities like Dallas. The floppiest flips are often bought cheap, quickly refurbished, and put back on the market for hundreds of thousands of dollars more. The photos of the property are well taken, but due to shoddy work and cheap materials, there is a serious problem with style over materials.
The Hickmans don't resonate with the term “house flipper.” The couple, who have typically acquired and sold his 1960s homes throughout East Dallas, prefer to think of their work as preservation.
“We spend countless hours perfecting every last detail, room by room, color by color,” the duo wrote in a November 2023 SunScout Studio Instagram post. writing. It's so huge that when the time comes to sell it, you end up spending all your money. Our work is our art and we truly enjoy sharing it with you. It is always our desire to liven up the neighborhood, inspire others, and save as much character as possible in each home. ”
And although the family is leaving Dallas, the SunScout aesthetic may still be waning.
“As our exposure increased and more people noticed our vibe, we started getting more inquiries. [design work]” Greg said just 24 hours after 10306 Church Road went on the market. “We certainly welcome that. In fact, just today he's been contacted by three different people.”
