This Prestonwood Home Takes Farmhouse-Style Living to The Luxe

If you told Chris Barnet a few years ago that he’d build a luxury farmhouse-style home in Dallas and be flying here from Connecticut several times a month, he’d have thought you were nuts.

But the world changed, and that’s precisely what happened.

Chris, like so many people, re-evaluated his life when the pandemic struck.

Chris grew up in a real estate family, so it’s not surprising he went into the business.

Working as a partner with Jon Estreich at Estreich and Company for 16 years, he led the financing for multi-generational real estate families, real estate funds, and real estate investment trusts. He loved his job.

After a year of working from home, his company wanted people back at the office.

“The weekends were short, the commute was long, and I was not seeing my kids,” Chris said. “My son broke his leg and asked me if I was going back to the office, and I had to decide. So, I turned over a 19-year career of building out a successful business and walked away because my family needed me.

“I’d seen my dad reinvent himself several times in the real estate business,” he added. “I knew I could do the same. It was time for a new chapter, and I left on great terms.”

That was a year ago in June.

Chris gave himself 30 days to figure out what he wanted to do. The first thing he did was renovate the family home and put it on the market. The sale exceeded his expectations, and he loved the process.

“I knew I wanted to renovate and build, and I wanted to scale in an area with a significant amount of demand generators going on,” Chris said. “I had done business in Dallas, and I watched the flow of people headed there from New York and California. You want to plant your roots in a place people are moving. Every day there is another article about a tech company or investment firm opening in Dallas.”

So Chris launched his new company, Farmhouse Developer. 

“My mission was to put together a small team of people I could trust because I live in Connecticut,” Chris said. “I called many brokers and found Edie West, who said all the right things. We did a small-scale project first and it was very successful.”

That success led to his latest project — a 5,110-square-foot luxury four-bedroom, four-bathroom farmhouse-style home in Prestonwood. It has everything you can imagine and plenty you never could, from a hidden, ventilated cigar room to a dog shower.

That thoughtful approach is what makes Farmhouse Developer different.

Buyers expect large living spaces, but they generally have no idea what they want until they see it. Farmhouse Developer defines every area, so there is no guessing.

“We capture how people live and use a home,” Chris said. It’s hard for buyers to visualize, so we do it for them.”

When Edie found this property, it was in a bit of a sad state, but she knew Chris would be intrigued.

“I was always taught to see what something could be, not what it is presently,” Chris said. When I saw this property, with ceilings over 30 feet high and that beautiful stone exterior, I knew we could transform this home and make it unique.”

Versatility, flexibility, and fulfilling the expectations of a buyer’s lifestyle are key components to the Farmhouse Developer concept.

Barnet gutted the home and added second levels on each side of the entry. Besides the original exterior stone and the family room ceiling height, everything is new in this farmhouse-style home, including a Control 4 system.

“A home has to have something for everyone,” Barnet said. “We built in unique pockets that are unexpected.”

For instance, the office upstairs has a secret door that leads to a ventilated cigar lounge. No one in the house can smell the cigar smoke, and of course, everyone loves a hidden room!

The principal bedroom was created as a sanctuary. You don’t have to leave if you want a glass of wine or a cappuccino because there is a wine fridge and a coffee bar. You can sip your preferred beverage in front of the fireplace and relax.

I was impressed that Barnet pulled this farmhouse-style home off so quickly when the supply chain has been the nemesis of every builder, contractor, and designer.

“I rented a storage space in the winter of last year and got everything I could because I have seen supply chain interruptions before,” Chris said. “ I knew there would be delays, so I ordered 10 months ago, so it was all on hand. We managed to get the last La Cornue range in the country!”

The exterior of this farmhouse-style home was also completely transformed. “The pool gutted and resealed, and we built a bar area off of the guest area,” Chris said. A pergola was added along with unique tile and top-of-the-line synthetic grass.”

“I saw an opening in the marketplace for a true turnkey product,” Chris said. “No one was doing real turnkey properties, so we are filling that void.”

And doing so beautifully.

Indeed, Farmhouse Developer is on my ones to watch list! West has 6115 Sandydale Drive offered at $2.995 million.