Construction Mogul’s River Oaks Dream House Is a Private Estate That Brings a Tree Indoors and Carries a $9.1 Million Asking Price
3404 Chevy Chase Is Unlike Any Other Mansion You've Ever Seen
BY Shelby Hodge // 06.26.23A massive, living fiddle leaf fig tree rises in the center of the River Oaks dream house at 3404 Chevy Chase. (Photo by TK Images)
When construction mogul Leo Linbeck Jr. decided to build his dream home in River Oaks, he tapped highly regarded Houston architect S.I. Morris to create a contemporary dwelling that enjoyed the warmth that would be expected of homes in the posh neighborhood. That was 1976. Today, fully renovated and updated, the stunning River Oaks mansion at 3404 Chevy Chase is on the market, listed with Alexandra Heins of Greenwood King Properties.
The 9,652 square foot River Oaks dream house is nestled amid a private half-acre estate that is surrounded by a verdant wall of as many as 100 soaring juniper trees. Adding to the sense of privacy is the location that overlooks diminutive Sleepy Hollow Park.
We must applaud the team that did the extensive renovations led by Chelsea McDermott of Chelsea Interiors, and including Barry Brown of Brownridge Builders and Michael Hutchins of Greentouch Landscape. The result of their efforts is a clean, light-filled home with open floor plan and exposed overhead beams. The addition of floor-to-ceiling windows and existing skylights create a seamless transition between outdoors and in.
Thus, the magnificent fiddle leaf fig tree that soars to the exposed rafters and is visible from across the central atrium.
An example of the updating is the kitchen where Calico Gold Calcutta marble is employed around the Wolf range and ovens, the convection steam oven and the built-in Wolf espresso machine.

Setting this home apart from many are the covered outdoor living areas of which there are two. One overlooks the vast swimming pool and the other offers notes of serenity via a contemporary water wall feature.
The residence by the numbers: seven bedrooms, eight full baths, two half baths, three-car attached garage plus carport parking, game room, sun room, media room, two wood burning fireplaces with gas connections, two staircases and the all-important generator.
The bottom line: This River Oaks dream house is listed for $9.1 million.