It’s not every day that the phone rings with a former Governor of Texas and his wife on the phone asking you to design a house for them, but when Richard Davis got the call from Gov. Bill Clements and his wife, Rita, he knew that the commission would be one he would not soon forget.

The couple asked Richard to design a home for them on Turtle Creek Boulevard in the Volk Estates section of University Park–a street that from its inception has been the home to grand houses, designed by some of the city’s best architects, including Anton Korn, Hal Thomson, Herbert Greene & George Dahl, and Charles Dilbeck (demolished).

Richard defines the style of the house as Lower Mississippi River Valley Plantation vernacular.  This fine example of Classic Greek Revival architecture has many of the characteristics found in nineteenth-century plantation houses in Louisiana.

Proportion and attention to detail rule throughout this elegant home.

The sheer magnitude and grandeur of the house is striking, but what makes this house extraordinary is the truly magnificent millwork and plasterwork found throughout the house.

The excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail in this house is so extraordinary that RDDA dedicated an entire photo shoot to just the details of the house.  Those photos, shown here, provide a taste of what it is like to enter this house and experience the utmost in classical interiors.

The fluted pilasters and Corinthian columns surrounding the front door immediately set the tone for the sumptuous atmosphere that pervades the house.

In selecting the ornamentation for the house, Richard referred to a book on classical orders, entitled, American Vignola: A Guide to the Making of Classical Architecture, by William R. Ware.

The style and ornamentation of the house, the columns, entablatures, and cornices, are directly inspired by the classical architecture of Greece and Rome.

This photograph captures the beauty of the beading, egg and dart, and dentil moldings that ornament the ceilings.

In perfect proportion, a Palladian-style window is centered at the top of the staircase landing.

The classical carved scrolls under the window are just another example of the impeccable attention to detail and craftsmanship throughout the house.

Additional scrollwork under each stair tread and acanthus leaves on each spindle are further examples of the carefully selected ornamentation that elevates the splendor of the this house.

With a coffered ceiling and hand-carved fireplace mantel, the woodwork in the library is a work of art in and of itself.

The carvings on the mantel include an image of the the Governor’s seal of the state of Texas, the six flags that have ruled over Texas, and a depiction of the Texas State Capitol Building, flanked on the opposite side by a carving of the Governor’s mansion. While Governor Clements was in office, Rita Clements accomplished a major restoration of the historic Governor’s Mansion.

The house has a total of six fireplaces with each of the mantels equally detailed and lovely, such as this one in one of the house’s six bedrooms.

In addition to the fixtures and furnishings, interior designer Gloria Nicoud chose all the finishes throughout the house.
Other contributors to the success of this project include landscape architect, Naud Burnett.  Tom Kindred was the builder with Stuart McIlyar serving as project manager.

Even the hardware on the doors is breath-takingly beautiful, demonstrating how carefully selected details can turn a home into an undisputable gem.

When talking about the this house, Richard Davis quoted Mies van der Rohe, who famously states, “God is in the details.”

The house is currently for sale and is listed with Ralph Randall and Madeline Jobst of Briggs-Freeman Real Estate.

CandysDirt.com featured the house in this recent article.