4400 Belfort Place
4400 Belfort Place Was Built With a Specific Profile of a Highland Park Buyer in Mind
This Highland Park estate home at 4400 Belfort Place was designed with a specific profile in mind of a Highland Park buyer. The developer Blair Pogue, owner of Blantyre Homes, understands buyers who insist on living in Highland Park, relish convenience and a relaxed neighborhood atmosphere, while demanding quality, precision and a very sophisticated aesthetic. The developer selected the site and is building the home for that specific buyer in mind. The inspiration, design and process of building 4400 Belfort Place is reminiscent of a bespoke approach of creating an architecturally significant home.
Larry Boerder Designed this Architecturally Significant Home at 4400 Belfort Place
A great example of the architectural significance of Larry Boerder’s work is the estate home he designed and is currently being constructed on one of the most prominent sites in Highland Park: 4400 Belfort Place. Here, you will see his architectural vision and sensitivity to Highland Park and the site. His creative inspiration, exquisite eye for proportions, and insistence for quality construction and materials produce an architecturally significant home.
This Spanish Colonial style estate home with Italianate and Mediterranean detail on an acre of land draws from the early Highland Park Spanish Colonial architectural influences seen in many Highland Park homes and at Highland Park Village and Highland Park Town Hall. Larry Boerder has aligned the home to capture the breadth of the site and the sightlines of the front and rear gardens, pool and arbor, all anchored by the most majestic tree in Highland Park. The prominence and prestige of this estate home, sited on Armstrong Parkway, is balanced by the privacy and intimacy of facing Belfort Place. One observes the subtle symmetry of this Highland Park home with its balanced proportions delineated for different functions. The hand-troweled plaster on masonry is punctuated by the artisan cut and carved stone. The hand-formed clay barrel tile roof absorbs and reflects the summer heat.
Interior of 4400 Belfort Place Continues to Inspire
Entering the home at 4400 Belfort Place one sees a lavish staircase illuminated by sunlight and placed as an architectural surprise complemented by the architectural grace of layers of subtle grandiosity rather than immediately being assaulted with overbearing opulence. The groin vault ceiling defines the square vestibule entry looking into the formal living room. You will also admire the ceiling with a nine inch deep relief of geometric design. The essence of Mudéjar designed Spanish columns originating in the Iberian Peninsula add additional architectural context to this Mediterranean influenced home.
The first sight in the living room is the wall of windows looking into the rear loggia, garden and pool surrounded by the grass parterre. Looking down the expansive front horizontal hall, one sees the arched library shelves in zebrawood. In the dining room, the architrove detail terminates at the chair rail. Upon visually surveying the first floor of this very open sunlit home, one senses the contemporary appeal of the finest Santa Barbara homes and the accurate architectural history of centuries old European influences.
The 2,625 square foot air conditioned space below ground level brings more delight – a lovely game room, bar lounge, powder room, exercise studio with a Mondo surface, and a wine room. In addition, there is an elevator, laundry room, mechanical rooms and storage. Besides the elevator and stairs to the below ground air conditioned rooms, there is an elevator and two staircases to the second floor.
The graceful and majestic main staircase becomes a visual focal point with a backdrop of two stories of windows. The second staircase is more discreet and provides a convenient access to the kitchen and the informal rooms of the home.
Calacatta Gold Marble Mantels and Surrounds Being Installed at 4400 Belfort Place
The statement fireplace mantels and surrounds at 4400 Belfort Place make an opulent statement as they convey warmth and elegance. The Calacatta Gold marble is mined near the town of Carrara in northern Italy, but it is rarer and more exclusive than Carrara marble. The creamy white background with dramatic soft gold and grey veining is associated with the most luxurious and refined projects.
Landscape Architect Harold Leidner Designed the Landscape at 4400 Belfort Place
Landscape architect Harold Leidner was provided the rare Highland Park one-acre canvas to create his landscape design accentuating this wonderfully wide expansive lot that relates to the prominence of Armstrong Parkway and the privacy of Belfort Place. His landscape design enhances the architecture of Larry Boerder’s Spanish Colonial Revival designed estate home set back gracefully on this nearly one-acre lot. Harold Leidner designed a sweeping, seemingly endless natural grass front lawn uninterrupted by plantings but framed by a lush, groomed, simple perimeter of clipped boxwood hedges and a bed of vibrant azaleas along the front of the home, invoking an informal botanical trademark of Highland Park. Anchoring the front yard is a majestic and celebrated live oak tree on the corner of the site visually connects 4400 Belfort Place to the mature grove of trees on Armstrong Parkway. The grand limestone walkway, with its straight axis, leads to an impressive front door flanked by azaleas and boxwoods that add a touch of formality and texture to this stucco estate home.
Entrance Drives and Motor Court
To the side, a charming porte-cochère paved in classic brick, and a motor court with brick pavers echo the symmetry and proportion of the home’s design. A thoughtfully integrated drop-off area from Armstrong Parkway ensures both convenience and elegance, allowing a seamless flow for vehicles to enter and exit gracefully onto Armstrong or Belfort Drive.
Landscape Composition of Rear Gardens
One will also love the composition of the landscape design of the rear gardens on this Highland Park one-acre site. Magnolias frame the rear of this estate site with its defined spaces that are all easily accessible from the rear of the home. The majestic and celebrated live oak tree continues to serve as a boundary for the site and a visual connection to Armstrong Parkway. The wide natural grass lower area is large enough for a pickle ball court and tented event area. The conservation grass parterre designed in a classical Spanish pattern surrounds the swimming pool and connects the cabana to the home. The conservation grass is custom threaded with variegated colored blade sizes and shapes that present a natural luster.
The cobalt blue pool water line tile, from a kiln in Italy, is a clean and complementary detail that enhances the colorful Mediterranean palette and pattern of tile and Lueders limestone that provides the surface of the rear loggia terrace overlooking the lower lawn, pool, parterre and plantings.
The private entrance from Armstrong Parkway runs through the private Armstrong gate that leads to the motor court and four garage bays. This area is also connected to the front entrance used for family and friends that passes through a porte-cochère.
Additional Structures at 4400 Belfort Place
The living quarters above the garage add an additional 738 square feet and additional architectural interest. The pool house also further accents the home and provides a pool bath, shower, gas fireplace and gas grill. The loggias, terraces and lawns complement the interior living spaces.
Robust Construction and Refinement
Douglas Newby remembers when the chair of the SMU art department once said to him that clay thrown off the wheel is the most beautiful when it is still wet, before it is bisque fired or glazed and high-fired. One is tempted to say the same about architecturally significant homes. They are the most beautiful as they emerge from the ground. The scale and proportions are uninterrupted from detail or ornamentation. The materials are celebrated. One can see the strength of the steel beams and layers of the structure of the home that provide the strength, stability and longevity of the home. As craftsmen and artisans begin their work on finished surfaces, an architecturally significant home is much like a jigsaw puzzle, where each piece that is put in place provides a clear picture of the home as it emerges. It has been with joy and admiration that I have witnessed this Highland Park home being built.
Profile of Developer of 4400 Belfort Place – Blair Pogue
Esteemed Home Developer – Blair Pogue
An architecturally significant home that exudes the best qualities of Highland Park begins with a vision. The estate home at 4400 Belfort Place is the vision of developer Blair Pogue, who set out to create a Highland Park home of great aesthetic value that would contribute to the architectural landscape of Highland Park and the happiness of the family that purchases it.
Blair Pogue is a Highland Park Home Developer Who Knows Highland Park
An exquisite estate home produced by Blair Pogue is one that will grow in value. His passion and commitment for the best led him to create Blantyre Homes, a company dedicated exclusively to the type of Highland Park homes his family, friends and business colleagues would love to live in. Blair Pogue’s experience, integrity and aesthetics drive his mission to produce the finest homes in Highland Park that reflect the quality of Highland Park.
Blair Pogue knows exactly what makes Highland Park such a desirable community. He was raised in Highland Park, educated in Highland Park and at SMU, and has enjoyed the Dallas Country Club his entire life. He is personal and business friends with many who have just moved to Highland Park as well as those who have lived there their entire lives. In creating a Highland Park home, he starts with the selection of the best site, architect, interior designer, landscape architect, general contractor, and construction manager, as well as the best specialists and the finest materials. Blair Pogue knows that families move to Highland Park because they appreciate quality. In turn, Blair Pogue and Blantyre Homes reflect the Highland Park quality that he understands so well.
The Elements of a Successful Highland Park Home in Contrast to a “Spec Home”
The elements of successful Highland Park homes, like the one created by Blair Pogue, are in stark contrast to those of “spec homes.” Most speculative homes in any price range start with a builder who rounds up investors with promises value engineering and a tight building schedule. To reassure investors and make them feel comfortable with their investment, a spec home is built with a proven generic design, derived from trade shows or other spec homes in the neighborhood
Blair Pogue Brings to Blantyre Homes Control Over the Vision and Quality of the Home
Many factors determine the quality of a developer. But Blair Pogue stands out for a number of reasons. When he develops an exquisite estate home in Highland Park, his personal investment, experience, integrity and generosity benefit the project and the future purchaser of the home.
Funding for the Land to the Finishes of the Home are Solely Underwritten by Blair Pogue of Blantyre Homes
In contrast to investor funded homes, Blair Pogue is in control of the entire process of creating the home at 4400 Belfort Place. Here, he is satisfying his own demands for excellence, not the demands of outside investors. No corners were cut. At each stage of the building process, the quality of the home was enhanced. Any delays in construction only provided more time for Blair Pogue to enhance the project.
Experience of Blair Pogue
Blair Pogue was raised in a tradition and in an environment of business excellence. His father, Mack Pogue, founded Lincoln Properties, one of the most successful development companies in the world. What I find most remarkable is that the Village Apartments, an iconic Dallas multifamily residential development, has been a phenomenal success since it was first developed over 50 years ago. Most apartment developments are cycled downward. In contrast, The Village Apartments in Dallas have cycled upwards, becoming more and more desirable over the years. Blair Pogue has a breadth of development experience from international development projects early in his career to successfully developing luxury homes in California. Blair Pogue understands construction and development and quality. This knowledge is now focused on a high-quality estate home in Highland Park.
Blair Pogue Brings Out the Best in People and His Projects
As a realtor representing Blair Pogue on the acquisition of the land and the sale of the estate home, I have had an up-close look at the approach Blair Pogue has taken to develop the estate home at 4400 Belfort Place. From the beginning, he would assemble his talented team to review ideas, vet plans and suggest modifications or potential improvements. Ideas from everyone rooted in their respective disciplines and experience were discussed. He was always open and excited about the exchange of ideas that resulted in a rewarding consensus. These meetings continued as the home kept becoming more refined.
The Integrity of Blair Pogue Can Be Best Seen Through the Lens of His Generous Spirit
Blair Pogue has a genuine desire for those around him to contribute and succeed. While working with Blair Pogue, it has occurred to me that maybe integrity is rooted in generosity. I have seen Blair Pogue’s generous spirit on many levels. Beyond the generous way I see Blair Pogue treat the people he works with, it is heartwarming to see his approach to philanthropy.
I was aware that Blair Pogue took many trips to countries I would have trouble identifying on a map in support of international orphans. However, I had not realized the extent of his efforts and impact until he received the Orphan Outreach Children’s Hope Award. Blair Pogue had quietly but effectively developed a personal relationship with more than 200 orphans, providing mentorship, hope, friendship and inspiration for living a great life ahead.
Blair Pogue and his family have also been dedicated to children in Dallas. They have quietly given enormous amounts to Children’s Medical Center and recently committed $100 million gift to support the Children’s Health plan for a new 33-acre pediatric health campus as part of the UT Southwestern Medical District.
Dallas is a City of Contributors
Here’s what I think makes Dallas a great city: We are a city of contributors. Blair Pogue and his family continue to represent the best of the personality and vibrancy of Dallas.
Blair Pogue Fosters Conversation and Collaboration on the Highland Park Homes He Develops
In my experience, the best architecturally significant homes are the result of close collaboration among the owner, architect, interior designer, landscape architect, contractor and subcontractors. Often good homes are designed but with too much reliance on the architect’s preconceived idea or a builder’s template or the naive fantasy of a homeowner. A vigorous conversation with professionals of different disciplines and those responsible for the construction create the most significant homes. Blair Pogue fosters these successful conversations.
Blair Pogue Assembled a Distinguished Team for 4400 Belfort Place
Blair Pogue assembled a team of the best professionals and experts in their field to acquire the finest Highland Park estate home site and to design and build an inspired and admired home. The goal for the home at 4400 Belfort Place has remained unchanged: How can the best quality and design be achieved from the broad architectural strokes to the nuanced details of a home and site? He did this with a kind authority that encourages open discussion and the exchange of ideas. This approach ensured inspired design that was further refined and enhanced through the lens of the entire team of designers, construction managers and Blair Pogue himself. One can have a goal to build the finest home and have a vision, but that vision only becomes a reality as it evolves and comes into clear focus. Here is a home that comes into focus, that elevates the architectural landscape and is a home that one will love living in.
A Blantyre Home Inspired and Developed by Blair Pogue is Bound to be the Best
Blair Pogue is the first to attribute the success of 4400 Belfort Place to the team he assembled. Just being around the group provoked awe and admiration. These professionals have the greatest experience, talent and dedication ever assembled in Dallas. They include architect Larry Boerder, who has designed more homes in Highland Park than any other architect; interior designer Margaret Chambers and her colleague, senior interior designer Allen Keith, who have created the interior design for many of the most important homes in Dallas; Dan van der Zee, the general contractor, who has specialized in estate homes and has worked on some of the most elaborate homes in Dallas (including the Muse Estate located on Lakeside Drive and designed by British architect Quinlan Terry and Dallas architect Larry Boerder); preeminent landscape architect Harold Leidner, who has created the landscape design for many of the most significant homes in Dallas; and the subcontractors who have been specifically selected for doing the best work in Dallas.
You will enjoy the results of this Highland Park estate home at 4400 Belfort Place intellectually, emotionally and subliminally. An architecturally significant home that Blair Pogue that devoted three years to designing and nurturing is a home that a family will be proud of and will love living in.
Profile of Architect of 4400 Belfort Place – Larry Boerder
Larry Boerder is the first Dallas architect one thinks of when an architecturally significant home in a historic style comes to mind. His architectural impact on Highland Park, University Park and Dallas has been profound. A student of architecture designed through the centuries, and its historical influences and contributions influence his current interpretation of these classical estate and city homes.
Architect Larry Boerder has designed the most luxury homes with a historic inspiration in the Park Cities. He also has been the Dallas architect involved with the most locally and nationally celebrated traditional homes in Highland Park. Collaborating with the finest interior designers and landscape architects, and working with the best contractors and artisans allow Larry Boerder to design homes with current appeal that look as if they could have been original homes in their prestigious neighborhoods.
Profile of Interior Designer of 4400 Belfort Place – Margaret Chambers
There is a reason Margaret Chambers is celebrated as one of the best interior designers in Dallas, Highland Park and University Park. She has an aesthetic rooted in art, history and cultural awareness. Interior designer Margaret Chambers is a student of interior design and architecture and also of her clients. She is always listening and exploring with her clients their design preferences and how their preferences can be best interpreted to culminate in a successful classical and current design for their homes.
The consistency in Margaret Chambers’ interior design is the fresh interpretation of traditional and modern applications that enhance the architecture of the home and the personality of her clients, not a template of go-to layers of decorative design.
Profile of Landscape Architect of 4400 Belfort Place – Harold Leidner
Landscape architect Harold Leidner apprenticed and trained with the most famous and finest Dallas landscape architects of a previous generation. Over the last 30 years, Harold Leidner has distinguished himself as a landscape architect by the grace and ease with which he can design the landscape of an estate home on acreage in Preston Hollow or on an estate lot in Highland Park. The residential landscapes he designs include beautiful vistas, intimate spaces and the integration and connection of primary and secondary buildings with exterior features that often include swimming pools, tennis courts and other landscape elements. Harold Leidner structures his landscape design to enhance the architecture and formality of a classical home and to create a softness that allows one to relax in nature.
Harold Leidner, a Dallas landscape architect, apprenticed with Boyd & Heidrich and trained with Naud Burnett and Howard Garrett, and was the principal landscape architect with Lambert’s before he founded Harold Leidner Company in 1990. Harold Leidner deliberately established a small landscape design firm with a major presence for important projects. His design team is dedicated to what their clients value most in landscape design. Harold Leidner is known for his contribution to significant Dallas estate homes designed by Dallas architects.