The Art Of The Matter

Southern American art is a highlight of this transformed Texas ranch by Joshua Rice Design

- Celeste Goh

Originally from Mexico City, the homeowner who works as an executive in the movie theatre business-his wife and their two teenage children spent several years living in Brazil, where they fell in love with the country's modernist movement.

When they decided to move to Dallas, Texas, they were on the lookout for a home with a wealth of space and lots of light, akin to the modern structures in Brazil. They eventually settled on this single-storey, mid-century ranch, located in the northernmost part of Dallas near the Bent Tree Country Club.

While the original house, designed and built in the late 1970s, was much more closed in, the homeowners saw potential in the property's sprawling layout, in which the split-level sunken living room brings a sense of spatial dynamism and visual interest, separating the space without the need for walls.

Furthermore, the rear yard wraps along the creek in a linear layout-something very unusual for homes in Dallas. It makes the expanse feel wider amid the mature trees in the neighbourhood, as it encompasses a large pool with outdoor living space, a public park-sized playground and a tennis court.

"Having spent their lives in Mexico and Brazil before Dallas, they had developed a fondness for the warmth and richness of the architecture of these countries," says interior designer Joshua Rice, who helms his eponymous practice, Joshua Rice Design.