Dallas on the Market — The Hayes House, a Radical Architect’s Mid-Century Dream in Kessler Lake Estates

718 Kessler Lake Drive (aka the “Hayes House”) comes with a killer pedigree. The architectural feat – which hits the market this Wednesday, August 14, for a cool $4 million – was completed in 1961 for Earl Hayes, a local car dealer who clearly jived with the Rat Pack. To bring his cliffside vision to life, Hayes tapped Dallas architects Harold Prinz and LaVere Brooks (of the firm Prinz and Brooks) who built the large-scale, 6,416-square-foot property on solid rock with sweeping views of Kidd Springs Creek, a swim-up bar, and a cantilevered master bedroom wing.

Just prior to working on the “Hayes House,” Prinz and Brooks earned a national merit award from the American Institute of Architects for designing the Oak Cliff Savings and Loan Building. Prinz’s plan for his personal house, built in the late 1940s, was originally deemed too radical for construction. He built it anyway and earned a top prize for residential design from the American Institute of Architects in 1950. The property remains a storied Dallas home.

According to reports, Hayes spared no expense, but Prinz and Brooks imbued the iconic estate with something priceless: a timeless glamour that has remained relatively untouched over the last 63 years. After Hayes’ passing, only one other family has called the property home, notable oncologist Dr. Steven Bernstein and his wife Lianne.

Enduring originals include the travertine and linoleum flooring, an excess of pocket doors, built-ins galore, and rows of interesting ironwork that conceals the walls of glass. The grounds, of course, remain fabulous.

Noteworthy draws include a wine cellar, three wet bars, a spacious basement, a three-car carport, and a three-car garage. Sub-Zero appliances fill the mod kitchen while the cantilevered primary bedroom wing includes a dramatic moment for morning coffee.

718 Kessler Lake Drive’s third-ever owner has a legacy to uphold and decades of cool to protect.