Douglas Newby Insights
Neighborhoods, Architects, Architecture, Design, Dallas, and Organic Urbanism
First Fall Leaf
Dallas blue skies and October color – actually it was the Dallas blue skies and wide smiles that made me fall in love with Dallas when I visited SMU in October as a senior in high school. The clear skies, fresh air and perfect temperatures seemed to embody the optimism of Dallas and project it as a fresh city. SMU was the perfect school for me as it represented a bright future. I knew I had found my home.
This October, as an extra bonus, a single colorful maple leaf floated into my garden reminding me that in 90° weather autumn is here. We may seldom have glorious painted autumn tree color, but we do have vivid splashes of color here and there, and other signals of fall – the Texas State Fair, SMU Boulevard, Homecoming, and the genuine smiles across Dallas that lured me to the city in the first place. *First Fall Leaf
#Autumn #Fall #AutumnLeaf #Dallas #SMU #October #MapleLeaf #AutumnColor #FirstFallLeaf
Fair Morning
When one is the first through the gates at the State Fair, one enjoys the pageantry without the people. What a joy to see the Hall of State, the Esplanade, the Art Deco buildings, the Ferris wheel, and even the banners and advertisements. It almost feels like a moral obligation to go to the State Fair of Texas, but the obligation always turns into sentiment and exhilaration.
Everyone has their own traditions. Mine always starts with a bratwurst at Hans Mueller and a caramel apple. For years, the Midway was my athletic playground—I’d win stuffed bears with ease at the ball-toss games, insisting the carnie yell out, “We have a winner! Everyone’s a winner.”
My other fair talent is guessing birthdays. At the gates, I asked a woman if her birthday was March 19th. She said March 16th—only three days off. Later, I met a police officer from Cameroon. I guessed May 9th; his birthday was May 12th. State Fair magic: everyone’s a winner.
One of my own great State Fair triumphs was previously winning Best of Show in the photography exhibit at the Creative Arts Building. I felt like such an artist as people walked by my photograph saying, “That’s not the best; it shouldn’t have won.”
And this year, the first person I saw was Bobby Abtahi, former Park Board president and now vice-chair of the State Fair board, with his son, trying to go every day. To me, that makes Bobby a true Dallas patriot.
#StateFair #Texas #Dallas #FairPark #HallOfState #BobbyAbtahi #ArtDeco #EastDallas #DeepEllum
Twilight Highlights
In the softer light of twilight, the home’s proportions and details come to life. On the inside of the home, the golden hour is almost like why a black-and-white architectural photograph is sometimes more compelling than a color photograph. The calmer, balanced light lets the home’s true substance come forward, not overpowered by staging or the flashy play of sunlight and shadows on the surfaces. The twilight shot of the exterior is like an architectural cliff note, highlighting the doors, windows, and angles with a soft amber glow that makes one fall in love with a home like 4400 Belfort Place all over again.
You can see 250 images and further information on 4400 Belfort Place:
https://dougnewby.com/home/4400-belfort-place-highland-park-texas/
You can learn more about the Spanish Revival style:
https://douglasnewby.com/2025/03/why-do-spanish-revival-style-homes-evoke-the-best-of-highland-park/
#4400BelfortPlace #twilightshot #twilight #architecture #HighlandPark #architecturallysignificant #design #HighlandParkHome #ArchitecturallySignificantHomes
High Profile in Print
Opening the Dallas Morning News and seeing the Sarah Hepola high-profile feature on Blair Pogue, Mack Pogue and 4400 Belfort Place was a thrill. Opening a newspaper and seeing a story on a friend or a project—maybe one’s quote in print—is so much different than reading it online. It’s the difference between receiving a handwritten note on an engraved card versus reading the same sentiment in an email. I admit going to 7-Eleven to buy a couple of extra copies is something I can’t resist when I’m included in the feature.
I have always loved the Dallas Morning News high-profile section in its many iterations over the years, but never more than when Sarah Hepola writes it. I always learn more about Dallas through the lens of the people she profiles. Sure, I learn a lot about the interesting and talented people, but what is fascinating is how this diverse mosaic of people makes Dallas the most successful, open and vibrant city. Conformity is scorned; innovation and contributions to Dallas are celebrated.
In this piece, we learn about Mack Pogue—an iconic Dallas figure many revere and many have never heard of. We learn about Blair’s talented brothers and, most of all, we learn about Blair and the incredible mark he has made developing an architecturally significant home in Highland Park. He formed and directed the design team of Larry Boerder, Harold Leidner and Margaret Chambers. The home’s fresh approach and timeless appeal celebrate open modernity and materials inspired by best homes over centuries.
I have offered many architecturally significant homes in my career, but offering this home brings a whole new level of excitement. It is easy to see why Sarah Hepola embraced the idea about Blair—‘A great man makes good.’ And it’s also easy to see why so many 7-Elevens quickly sold out of this Sunday issue of DMN featuring Blair Pogue on the full-page cover of the Arts & Life section. Does anyone have an extra copy?
#BlairPogue #4400Belfort #DallasMorningNews #SarahHepola #HighProfile #MackPogue #ArchitecturallySignificant #DouglasNewby #HighlandPark #DallasArchitecture @HaroldLeidner #LuxuryRealEstate #Architecture #Dallas#BlairPogue #4400Belfort #DallasMorningNews #SarahHepola #HighProfile #MackPogue #ArchitecturallySignificant #DouglasNewby #HighlandPark #DallasArchitecture @HaroldLeidner #LuxuryRealEstate #Architecture #Dallas
Enchanting Passageway
Armstrong Parkway is an enchanting approach to the architecturally significant home at 4400 Belfort Place. And then off the herringbone brick-patterned drive to the motor court is a short pedestrian landscaped walk that leads to the enchanting arched wall door opening to a vestibule close to the guest quarters. The landscape design of architect Harold Leidner mirrors that of the garden gate on the other side of the drive, as seen in the previous post, adding symmetry to the landscape design of the home. It also provides an enchanting approach to the wall door that provokes the imagination.
The best architectural landscape design and architecture can often be determined by the fine design in the places and spaces generally ignored or given short shrift. The beauty of Highland Park is made up of architectural nuances like the perimeter wall door and landscape design of this home. The finest homes in the finest neighborhoods are created by the finest architects and landscape architects.
#4400BelfortPlace #HighlandPark #LandscapeDesign #Door #BlanTyreHomes #Architecture #HaroldLeidner @haroldleidner @blantyre_homes #ArchitecturallySignificant
Charming Gate
Garden gates have always been one of my favorite elements of a home. This Highland Park home has a hierarchy of doors — a carved stone portico, a massive wood and glass front door, wood-patterned motor court gates, and a guest quarters’ wall door. And yet, this charming gate to the pool house captures my imagination.
When one thinks of architecture, one generally thinks of the composition of the main house. And when one thinks of landscape architecture, it’s often the overall impact of the hardscape and landscape design of the larger spaces. And yet, it’s these nuanced spaces like this that show off the brilliance of architect Larry Boerder and landscape architect Harold Leidner.
The hand-troweled stucco of the wall, with its tapered ends, insets, and flat tile caps, frames a scrolled gate with a bowed top inset with stained planks, punctuated by a rotated square window. Harold Leidner’s landscape design adds to the magic: the landscape on both sides of the walk leading up to the front door looks simple and tailored, but a closer look reveals layers of different colors, sizes, densities, and heights of plantings. A backdrop of Armstrong Parkway adds to the Highland Park allure of nature.
#4400BelfortPlace #HaroldLeidner #LarryBoerder #HighlandPark #GardenGate #ArmstrongParkway #LandscapeDesign #Architecture #blantyrehomes @haroldleidner @blantyrehomes #architecturallysignificant
Dallas Influence
Seeing the art of Dallas artists is still the best reason to go to Fort Worth. Life in Dallas often includes a quick trip to Fort Worth to see Dallas artists exhibited in Fort Worth museums. The Amon Carter Museum exhibition, “Richard Avedon at the Carter – In the American West” prompted just such a visit. This photographic exhibition was first mounted in 1985. Richard Avedon was the star photographer. Laura Wilson was his assistant who worked closely with him on this project. Now she is a star with much international recognition for her photographs, exhibitions and books that have been published of her work. Now, when one thinks of Richard Avedon, one immediately thinks of Laura Wilson. Between photographic journeys, Laura Wilson has lived in Preston Hollow for virtually all of her adult life and is a beloved member of the community.
#AmonCarter #LauraWilson #RichardAvedon #AmericanWest #PortraitPhotography #PrestonHollow
Looking Over Art
Every child should be able to look at art every day. The children’s bedrooms at 4400 Belfort Place have deep balconies that look over the art created by landscape architect Harold Leidner. He uses the rear garden as his canvas for a parterre, pool and lawn. In the last post, I wrote about looking up to see architectural detail and intent. In this post, you can see that looking down can further identify the architectural style of the home by its detail. The parterre with a pattern of eight-pointed stars continue the 15th century inspired style that is seen in the architecture and interior design on the inside of the home.
I have always noticed that children who grow up looking at art love art as adults. I have also noticed that children who grow up in an architect-designed home often commission an architect‑designed home for themselves. Isn’t it wonderful that children, from their bedroom balconies, will be inspired by the art and architecture of landscape architect Harold Leidner and architect Larry Boerder. One will see the subtle continuity of this Spanish Revival motif in the patterned wood beams, the marble and the tile which give continuity to the rooms inside the home. This motif also provides surfaces of the home that convey a sense of art even before more formal art is installed.
#LandscapeArchitect #HaroldLeidner #4400BelfortPlace #SpanishRevival #ArchitecturallySignificant #HighlandPark #Design #LandscapeDesign #EstateHome @haroldleidner
Skyscape
Spanish Revival style homes come in many forms – some with anemic design and others that exude authenticity and place. We see red tile roofs, wrought iron, stucco and arches, and we know the intent. The success and significance of a Spanish Revival style home come from the way the details are articulated. I love this image of chimneys and chimney caps against the sky because they look like they accentuate a fabulous home, whether it is in Santa Barbara, Mexico, Spain or Highland Park. While many look at the front door of a home first, I always quickly look to the roof to see how the style of the home is interpreted and the care that was taken with the detail. At 4400 Belfort Place, the carved stone portico is exquisite but allow your eyes to move up, and you can continue to see great detail and design.
#4400BelfortPlace #SpanishRevival #Chimney #ChimneyCaps #HighlandPark #Architecture #Design #Skyscape #ArchitecturallySignificant #BlairPogue #Blantyrehomes
Nasher Knows
Nasher knows great sculpture that has been collected internationally for over a century and profound work created by Dallas artists. David McManaway’s assemblage sculpture shown in the exhibit “Generations: 150 Years of Sculpture” from the Nasher permanent collection is a perfect example of the good eye of the Nasher. The exhibition includes assembled figures from artist Paul Gauguin to artist David McManaway of Dallas. David McManaway’s assemblage pieces stand up with any in the world. He is best known for his Jomo Boards that look like modern art from a distance and keep revealing layers of assembled detail as one gets closer and closer. I think of David McManaway as a Tremont Artist, as so many museums have collected artists who lived on or spent time on Tremont, like James Surls, David Bates, Dan Rizzie, John Alexander and Roy Fridge. Artist Frances Bagley also has a sculpture in this exhibition, and while her home and studio was not on Tremont, she only lived one block away in Munger Place. Another thing I love to do when I go to an exhibition is to see who donated a specific piece. In this case, David McManaway’s work titled “Ahab” was donated by Betty Blake. Betty Blake, a great patron of the arts, who was president of the Dallas Modern Museum when she negotiated with Margaret McDermott, the president of the Dallas Fine Arts Museum, for a merger of these two museums. David’s wife, Norma McManaway, was a longtime bookkeeper for Betty Blake. Betty Blake was a longtime patron and an admirer of David McManaway’s talent, as were so many artists and Dallas art collectors.
#DavidMcManaway #NormaMcManaway #Ahab #Dallas #Nasher #TremontArtist #DallasArtist #BettyBlake #FrancesBagley #DallasArtsDistrict #Generations