I think we’ve all felt like Eloise had it right. Living at the Plaza Hotel is basically my dream come true. While you may not be able to buy a hotel to live in, you can certainly recreate that architecture and experience. One dedicated couple hired Dallas architect Lloyd Lumpkins to do just that. The result is a Royal Lane mansion like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
Lumpkins, founder and principal of L. Lumpkins Architects Inc., is widely recognized as one of the best architects in America. He strives to make his clients’ wildest dreams a reality. So when he was approached with an unusual idea of recreating the facade of the iconic St. Regis Rome, he was totally on board.
Originally built in 1894, the St. Regis Rome has been the preferred hotel for royalty, politicians, and diplomats for decades. There is simply no better place to stay in Rome and certainly no place that makes such a grand first impression.
The entry of the St. Regis Rome is a dramatic triple-arched porte-cochère that is simply magnificent. Talk about knowing you’ve arrived. Lumpkins’ clients wanted to recreate that feeling of knowing you were entering something very special. Of course, he nailed it. It’s not just the facade that is gorgeous; it’s the entire home.
CandysDirt: What was it about creating the Royal Lane mansion that appealed to you other than the challenge, of course?
Lloyd Lumpkins: I try to do classical architecture in a modern way, and that is exactly what they wanted to do. They were great clients. We recreated all of the detailing you would see on the arches of the hotel in Rome. There are also open-air galleries with landscaping around to extend your indoor-outdoor experience.
CD: With almost two acres, what is atypical of the way the Royal Lane Mansion sits on the land?
LL: The owners wanted an estate feel, so we set the house back on the land and created rooms with lots of floor-to-ceiling glass to enjoy the front of the property. The main living space is two stories with glass on three sides, and the dining room has two walls of glass.
CD: Any house is a team effort. Who else was involved in bringing this Royal Lane mansion to life?
LL: Sharif Munir was the builder, and they are always great to work with. They respect the architecture and the artistic visions of the architect. RN Interior Design’s Rania Nasser was fun to work with. She designed the metal screens in the family room and a lot of the carpets and furniture. We worked closely together on the ceilings. She had the concepts and I figured out how to make them a reality, and that was a lot of fun.
CD: Tell me about your favorite spots in the house.
LL: I’m pleased with the principal bedroom suite. Floor-to-ceiling glass overlooks the negative edge pool and openings flank the fireplace with steps down either side to the gym that accesses the pool and cabana. It was the beginning of the wet room concept trend for bathrooms when I designed the house and I knew I wanted a glass wall. It has a high-end luxury hotel feel and came out phenomenally well.
I also love the way the daughter’s closet and bathroom turned out. Her bedroom has a pair of pocket doors that open to the closet and bathroom, which are all one space. All the clothing is behind doors. It’s a way of taking smaller spaces and making them feel really large and elegant.
CD: There are two guest casitas inside the house…
LL. Yes. The family wanted two separate casitas, one for the father and one for the son and his wife. We designed a four-car garage at the front of the house with the father’s apartment attached to it. The son and his wife are at the back on one side of the pool. The house is interconnected with a cast stone columned gallery, and each casita has an outside entry.
CD: How did having that impressive estate feeling in the front of the house affect the space in the rear of this Royal Lane mansion?
LL: I don’t think you need a huge backyard. We were able to create intimate spaces in the back with a cabana and a pool between it and the house. The breakfast room is designed with glass doors that open. You can sit down, have your coffee, and put your feet in the pool. That was fun!
CD: What are you happiest with on this project?
LL: The scale, proportion, and massing of the house; being able to explore some of the design ideas I had been working on; and I’m pleased with doing something totally unique in Dallas.
The unique Royal Lane mansion at 5214 Royal Ln. is now available for $12.699 million. It’s listed with Douglas Elliman agent Brandon Hawkins with the Hawkins Group.
