Tucked away in East Dallas lies the historic neighborhood Hollywood Heights and its sister subdivision, Santa Monica. I discovered this area of town because my boyfriend lives in Lakewood which is practically down the street from this quaint neighborhood. There are often days when I yearn to move out of my rented apartment in busy and fast paced Uptown and move somewhere more secluded, green, and quiet. Hopefully one day I will own something that I can call my own and I think Hollywood Heights would be the perfect starter house for me. Each house has so much character and history to it. This adorable neighborhood has large lots and beautiful landscaping making it a very sought after place to live in Dallas.
Most of its houses were built around the 1920's-1930's in the Tudor style and are comprised of Austin stone and brick. The houses in this area have been designated a conservation district by the city of Dallas- which preserves the homes and keeps them looking historic. They range anywhere from $300-600,000 and remind me of little gingerbread houses! Within a few minutes from Hollywood Heights is Dallas' beautiful White Rock Lake, the Aboretum, and Lakewood Theatre. This is really the neighborhood for anyone who loves the outdoors, biking, canoeing, and a friendly, relaxed, family oriented atmosphere.
As I drove by the heights today after brunch in Lakewood, I snapped photos of some of the most unique houses I came across....and these are in fact unique! You don't see houses like this in the newly developed parts of Frisco, Allen, and McKinney. You can't find these cute little historic homes just anywhere!
Interesting exterior...
I love how all of the doors and shutters of these houses are painted really funky colors...some turquoise, some purple, some bright pink!
And here's the purple!
You don't even feel like you are in Dallas anymore with this one...England perhaps?
I love the ivy growing over the house...I want my own little cottage!
This one looks a little bit more Spanish..and I actually found this one randomly on a realtor's site- it's for sale for around $450.
I had to post this one because it looks almost identical to the house I grew up in and the one that my parents still live in today!
Then as you go further into the Lakewood area towards the Lakewood Theatre lie the larger mansions... these houses have lots of character but were almost too big and sat too far away for my camera to get a good glimpse of them! Just a little out of my budget and my camera died..so I decided to stop at this one before I got really sad that I still live in my little 1200 sq ft apartment...once my camera gets up and running again, there will be more to come on Dallas' most historic neighborhoods...stay tuned!
Some people love the look of a plasma screen on a fireplace wall; others are fearful that the heat might ruin their TV- but I guess that's why you shouldn't turn on both at the same time! Another factor is that the TV is no longer at normal viewing height. This bothers some; however, I think the photo above from Met Home, designed by Marjorie Skouras, is enough to put anyone's qualms to rest. I love how they are playing old movies in the background. It completes the look of this old Hollywood glam Living area. Not to mention the color of the fireplace accent wall- fabulous!
Shaun Jackson designed this room that was featured in Elle Decor. He placed a mirror above the fireplace making the room appear larger while also adding in a metallic element with the gold frame. Nice and minimal but makes a huge statement.
I love an oversized clock on a fireplace wall...talk about functional and attractive! I don't know about you but I am always scrambling out the door wondering what time it is and how many minutes late I already am. For someone who doesn't wear a watch, this clock would come in very handy!
To add color to your room, a simple piece of art work will do the trick. Depending on how large your fireplace is, you could do a series of two or just one large piece. I am a big fan of placing art work above the fireplace because the eye is immediately drawn to it and what's the point of purchasing art that's on a wall in which nobody sees? Monique Luhllier's house is the perfect example of how art can tie your color scheme together and also express your gorgeous style!
Or are you just the type that likes a ton of miscellaneous meaningful things on top of your mantel? Maybe a pretty vase, a small piece of art you are attached to, a bowl, candlestick- this wall has it all!
This Jonathan Adler designed library {via 
Actress Sarah Wynter's office as seen in In Style. I love the chair and touches of Tiffany blue.
Designer Windsor Smith outside her home.
I'm sure you remember this Living Room from Elle Decor...I love all of the plush velvet fabrics everywhere and those colors- WOW! What a perfect balance between lots of neutrals and colors that provide a lot of punch.
I could vacation in this Living Room. Talk about relaxing! I love blue and green together with just a sprinkle of brown added to the mix- very chic! That lamp is one of the best parts about the room
So this bedroom is a bit more modern and simple for my taste- but I LOVE all of the bright colors in here. I am a bit more traditional than this and usually require a good amount of pattern in my room but this variation of solid colored fabric really makes a statement and works great. The benches at the end of the bed are adorable and what a perfect mix of sleeping and lounge areas. Nice multi purpose bedroom!
This bedroom from Traditional Home is more my style- I am all about the glam as you are probably catching onto by now...that, and cool hues (are you seeing a pattern here?) I love all of the convex mirrors randomly placed on the wall and that chaise lounge- unexpected, and a new spin on the usual bench at the end of the bed...Elements in this room that I can't live without- tufting, silk drapes, crystal lamps, a pretty paint color, and a huge duvet... I think me and this room are meant to be!
This Master Bath is nice and simple. Can't remember what magazine I tore this out of- woops! I try not to go too ornate and distracting in a bathroom because I (personally) want it to be very calming, but at the same time luxurious. What a great view you get from this tub- and a chandelier in a Master Bath is a must have! (for me at least) The dark wood grounds the bathroom a bit and gives it a heavier element which it needs.
Another Traditional Home photo- I love the black granite and carrara marble checkerboard floor- it gives the otherwise simple kitchen some added panache! The chandelier is very eye catching and the cream cabinets (as opposed to bright white) warms up the kitchen a bit more. The great thing about this kitchen is that you can add in another accent color to liven it up- do a vase of fresh brightly colored flowers or if you wanted to keep it classic and simpe, nix the color altogether!
I tend to design my own house slightly more on the feminine side. I can't help it- I am a girly girl at heart. This was one of my favorite Traditional Home articles because it was designed for the Traditional Home Women Showhouse. Scott Laslie, its designer, imagined that a Marie Antoinette/Carrie Bradshaw type girl would be living here. This room is completely my style- it's sophisticated, elegant, and feminine without being too stuffy, uptight, or over the top frou frou. I love the geometric chairs and the murano glass chandelier. The fresh flowers break up all the blue and brown so it doesn't get too matchy matchy.
This Elle Decor study comes from the same home that I featured above with Bedroom #1. The colors are hard to see in this photo but they are very "icy" colors- cool blues, grays, blacks, with crystal and silver accents. I love the velvet pillows and the relaxing mellow color scheme.
Checkerboard floor...hmmm I see a pattern here! I have posted on this one before so I think it's pretty apparent how much I love this outdoor Living Room space by Miles Redd featured in Domino. 
This is my favorite girl's room...I love all the pink paired with brown- I know that maybe it was an overused color trend a few years ago but I still think this room is adorable. They seem to be carrying out a lot of home trends here- ikat pillows, greek key rug, metallic side stool....if you got me a queen sized bed for here, I wouldn't mind living in it!
