by abby hoeffner | photography by tim watson

Every home has a story. But this house, tucked away on a wooded cul-de-sc lot has several. Erich and Becky Winn had always wanted Erich’s father, Fred Winn, to design their dream home. As an award winning architect and founder of the Dallas Design Group, Fred has created hundreds of masterpiece dwellings including the well-known pink stucco home for Mary Kay Ash. But this house was special. It was for his son. It would also be the last home he designed.

This luxury Mediterranean villa serves as a fitting explanation point at the end of long, successful career. But to tell this story correctly, one must begin at the beginning. Erich and Becky had been searching for a building site for several months when they drove through Heath Crossing. “We were amazed at the natural terrain—the trees, creeks, ponds and all kinds of wildlife,” Erich said. The lot has a way-out-in-the-country feel, probably because the neighborhood was once an old family farm.

Fred designed the home to take maximum advantage of the surrounding natural beauty. The orientation of the home on the lot isn’t typical, but angled so it fits between two ponds. This allows for views of the water from almost every window, creating an outside-while-inside atmosphere.