The old “Honey, stop the car” phrase could not be more fitting. Except for me, it was “Candy, stop the presses (well, we don’t really have presses), but stop everything and look at this Cliff May Midcentury Modern that just hit the market!
We love a Cliff May Midcentury Modern home around here, and we could not be more excited to share it with you because not only is it flawless, but it also has such a special story.
If you are not familiar with Cliff May, he is historically regarded as the Father of the California Ranch house. In the early 1930s, he pioneered the concept of livability and designed homes for comfort and enjoyment. It was never about having a big house but rather one that functioned beautifully for a family, and he always wanted nature to play a big part in the design. Somehow, Casa View Oaks became the neighborhood with the largest collection of Cliff May-designed homes in Dallas.
However, they are not always in good shape. Remember, these were built in the 1950s, so it is not surprising that they need some attention. Citlalli and Hiram Aguilar knew when they purchased their Cliff May Midcentury Modern in 2015 that it was not move-in ready, and they were up for it.
“We had always wanted a Midcentury Modern house, and when we saw this one, we knew that it needed work, but it just felt right,” Hiram said.
The couple loved the architecture, the openness, and the enormous Live Oak tree in the backyard. They also were not in the market for a big house but one they could live in and enjoy. The home is a great example of the fact that good design lasts forever. Cliff May got it very right.
Even when you realize remodeling is a given, until you start, you really don’t know what awaits.
“The previous owner had tried to do some remodeling, but it was not appropriate,” Hiram said. “Once we began, we realized something else needed to be done, so we ended up stripping out the entire interior. That gave us the ability to insulate, bring plumbing and electrical up to code, and add new energy-efficient windows. The original floors were refinished, and we updated everything to today’s standards.”
The Aguilars continually studied Midcentury architecture and took inspiration from other homes May had done as well as other MCM architects. “We brainstormed every day and looked at all the Midcentury modern homes we could,” Hiram said.
When the Aguilars purchased this Cliff May Midcentury Modern, it had a small, simple fence at the front. They always knew they wanted to incorporate a breeze block wall.
“When we poured a new driveway, we went ahead and did a footer for the breezeblock wall and created it,” Hiram said. “We also built a maintenance-free corrugated steel fence around the yard like we had seen in Palm Springs homes.”
Hiram custom-built the dramatic entry door out of steel plates. Although he’s not in the construction business, he does come by his talents honestly. His dad was a welder in West Texas, and when his parents remodeled their home, Hiram learned a lot. He and Citlalli are perfectionists, so they also knew that doing it yourself means it gets done correctly. I think even Cliff May would have approved and frankly been honored that the Aguilars worked so tirelessly to recreate his vision.
Anyone who has ever remodeled a home will generally tell you it’s never done, but the Aguilars feel they have finally finished. It’s been a labor of love, and their 8-year-old is not thrilled about moving, but with Citlalli’s growing Mi Cielo embroidery business and another kiddo, the time has come for a bigger home.
This means some lucky buyer will get a perfect, move-in-ready Cliff May Midcentury Modern. I’ll be surprised if there are not multiple offers before you read this but go ahead and make one anyway because you just never know.
David Griffin listing agent Brandon Stewart has this flawless Cliff May Midcentury Modern available at 2633 Andrea Lane in Casa View Oaks for $495,000. As he told me, “This house is as good as it gets!”