French Revival: A Taste of Provence in Dallas

We recently received these photos of a preservation project in Dallas’ Highland Park neighborhood from Robert Bellamy of Bellamy Design. The home, built in the 1920s, looks like it belongs in Provence, France. However, over the years it had fallen into disrepair and the landscape had been neglected.

Working closely with the homeowners who had recently purchased the property and many other professionals, Bellamy helped with the restoration of the garden. He began by removing nearly 40 percent of the old canopy trees to let in more light as well as cutting back and removing many leggy plants to further reclaim space. Check out the rest of the photos to see the end result.

A newly designed topiary garden can be seen when looking across the property from the front of the home, along with a patio and fireplace in the distance. Topiaries in containers as well as whimsically off-kilter boxwoods rise up from a sea of vinca, accented occasionally with Artemisia. The paths through this part of the garden were reinstated with fresh gravel so that the garden could be easily walked.

Up on the patio Bellamy utilized existing cast columns that had once supported a wood structure by adding arched metalwork with climbing vines. The Gaudi-esque fireplace features a twisting mosaic chimney and a façade made of salvaged stone. For this element of the garden, Bellamy departed from the French provincial style upon a request from the homeowner who had seen a similar fireplace on the designer’s property.

Around the rear of the home is a classic European pool with lawn growing up to its limestone edge. The homeowner opted for this shape over an oval, feeling that it better suited the architectural style of the home. When not in use, the pools dark bottom and arching water jets turn it into an attractive water feature, akin to the grand fountains seen on European estates.

A level up from the pool is a formal cutting garden and custom-built chicken coop. The cutting garden consists of four planting beds, bordered by evergreen hedges, with a unique sculpture standing in the center. The homeowner’s brother-in-law built the coop with a tiled roof, stucco walls and pale green shutters to match the home. Screened pens on either side of the coop serve double duty, allowing the hens to enjoy fresh air without giving them free reign of the garden and protecting them from dangerous predators.

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