Longtime followers of Fort Worth Magazine are familiar with the Dream Home, our annual team-up with the area’s best builders, designers, and vendors to create a luxury home decked out with the latest in technology and interior design.
Take that project and multiply it times three, and it’s a whole ‘nother animal. Now that all three homes are complete and open for touring, our publisher Hal Brown looks back on the experience and talks about why our first-ever Dream Street is worth a visit.
FW: For those unfamiliar, what exactly is the Fort Worth Magazine Dream Home series?
HB: The Fort Worth Magazine Dream Home is a partnership among many entities, with the primary three being Fort Worth Magazine, a builder, and a charity. The magazine initiates and manages the project, the builders build the spec home, and the charity receives the door proceeds from the touring. I like to say it’s a win, win, win relationship. The magazine provides enticing editorial content for its readers, the builder gets great promotion to sell the home, and the charity gets great exposure, along with touring proceeds.
We created and produced our first Fort Worth Magazine Dream Home in 2000 in Mira Vista. And, with this year’s first-ever Dream Street, which includes three homes at one time, we will have completed 24 Dream Homes since that inaugural Dream Home in 2000.
FW: Tell us about how the Dream Street came together. What prompted the magazine to multiply the Dream Home times three?
HB: Actually, I have to give the credit for this idea to builder, Jon Atwood of Atwood Custom Homes. Jon was the builder of our 2015 Dream Home in Southlake. He is one of the builders in this year’s Dream Street and suggested the idea to me a couple of years ago. It all came to fruition mid-year 2019 with John Webb, last year’s Dream Home builder, and Willow Tree Custom Homes, which owns the Oxford Development.
FW: What stands out to you about each home’s architecture and interior design?
HB: They are all fantastic. From the unique large architectural features that making you say “wow,” to the small attention to detail on the finish-out and staging, expect to be impressed. You won’t be disappointed.
FW: What’s the biggest challenge when it came to building three luxury homes in such a short time frame?
HB: The biggest challenge was simply managing three times the number of subcontractors. Mike Waldum, the magazine’s president and sales director, managed the project and did an absolutely amazing job. The number of moving parts with a project this large is staggering and with his leadership and organizational skills, he was able to satisfy all parties internal and external.
FW: What do you think has contributed to the Dream Home series’ success?
HB: I would say it’s our readers’ desire to consume the home design editorial content throughout the year and consumers’ appetite for seeing the latest in-home design trends up close and personal through the month-long home touring.
FW: How is the Dream Street connected with a Wish with Wings?
HB: While a charity has received touring proceeds since the very first Dream Home in 2000, six or seven years ago, we made the decision to go exclusively with a Wish with Wings, a 501c3 local charity that grants wishes for Texas children fighting life-threatening medical conditions. Not only is it a great cause — Judy Youngs and Leslie Irwin who run a Wish with Wings have proven to be very effective in managing the touring, which is a big part of the success of the project.
FW: What should visitors expect when they come by for tours?
HB: All three of these homes are amazing. Make sure to give yourself some time as these houses are all over 6,000 square feet. Make an afternoon.
Get tickets to tour the Dream Street here.
