Remodeling in Highland Park, TX

Homes in Highland Park

Highland Park is a small, fully built-out town surrounded by Dallas, and its houses fall into two broad groups. Many are older homes in traditional styles, including Tudor, Colonial, Mediterranean and Georgian, with plaster walls, hardwood floors, detailed millwork and bathrooms that have been updated once or twice, or not at all. The rest are newer houses that replaced older ones on the same lots.

In the older homes, the work tends to be delicate. Original tile, trim and floors are often worth keeping, and matching them is harder than replacing them. Behind the walls you may find older plumbing and wiring, and many houses of this age sit on pier-and-beam foundations that need attention before new tile goes down.

Newer homes present the opposite case. The structure is modern, but the finishes were chosen for someone else's taste or have simply aged. Here a remodel is usually about refinement: better lighting, custom cabinetry, natural stone and a paint finish that holds up to close inspection. Houses of this size also have more rooms to coordinate, so sequencing the trades matters.

What Highland Park homeowners ask us for

In Highland Park, kitchens and primary baths tend to be the focus. Kitchens in older homes were built small and closed, and owners often want a better connection to the family room without losing the formal character of the house. Backsplash and lighting updates can make an older kitchen feel current even when its footprint stays the same.

Primary baths follow. A primary bath remodel with natural stone and frameless glass fits a traditional house when the tile layout, trim and fixtures respect its style.

Painting matters more here than in many places, because detailed millwork and plaster show every flaw. Plaster cracks need proper repair rather than caulk, and trim often needs careful sanding and a bonding primer to cover older oil-based paint. Paint goes on after all dust-producing work is done. Custom closets and built-ins can also add storage to older homes, where closets are often small by modern standards.