The Sarpongs made a Forest Hills home old and new

Kathryn and Benjamin Sarpong are no strangers to rebuilding and remodeling homes. The East Dallas couple had redone their previous Hollywood Santa Monica home­ — a property built in the 1920s — alongside a couple of duplex projects.

Their current Forest Hills home was no different.

Kathryn toured the home with a friend who was house hunting and ultimately decided the property was too much work. For Kathryn, however, the work was the fun part.

“We kept the original old house and then built around it,” Kathryn says.

Over the course of eight months, the Sarpongs worked with architect Thad Reeves to maintain the home’s original 1935 two-story structure, while making it suitable for the family’s modern lifestyle.

“The house had maybe two or three additions over the years to the original structure,” Reeves said. “Part of [the question] was ‘What was the original house like? What are the positive qualities we can work with?’”

The home’s front facing side sports red brick – from the original structure – and two more recent additions of a garage and front entrance, both with black finishes.

According to Reeves, the popular styles in the ’30s and ’40s all had some hallmark design features. Most homes were narrow with smaller rooms. Due to being made in pre-air conditioning times, the overall depth of homes were smaller to enhance ventilation. Sticking to the home’s original design and structure was “a huge commitment” in Reeves’ eyes.

“The challenge in all of those things is working within that structure to update it for how people live today,” Reeves says. “That can be challenging at times because you’re working against the structure of the home.”

The challenge was welcomed. After all, the Sarpongs are often hosting family. Having rooms that were distant enough to create some semblance of privacy for the couple, their children and visiting guests was important.

“We have three dogs, and at that time, we had two teenage children. We also had my husband’s parents come and live extended periods of time with us,” Kathryn says. “There’s a lot of traffic in our house and so a modern house, for me, accommodates that chaos.”

The two added on to the back and the sides of the house to create space for an additional primary room, a living and guest suite and a kitchen and living area.

You have two options to enter, either through the original door where the red brick still exists or the new glass door.

Through the modern entrance you can find your way into the spacious kitchen large enough to host their family cooking sessions.

Navigating through the residence, it’s easy to spot the original home’s exposed red brick. It’s seamlessly tied together through both design and decor, making the juxtaposition of the old and the new home complementary to one another.

One feature that the two especially like is the communal nature of the home. You cannot leave a room without passing through the main living space and kitchen.

“So our teenagers cannot avoid us, and our in-laws absolutely cannot avoid us,” Benjamin shares, laughing. “That’s one of the advantages.”

The family-centered design of the home also lends itself to nature. The backyard’s pool and greenery is visible from almost any downstairs room in the house, something Benjamin feels “invites” the outdoors indoors.

The home’s footprint has increased to over 6,000 square feet and it seems the Sarpongs can count this home project as a success.

“We’re really comfortable here,” Kathryn says. “And we really like having our friends and family here. We like having the house full. I’m happiest when every bedroom in this house has someone in it.”