I’m in the car with Rob Romano and what was going to be a quick lunch and a stop to look at bathroom fixtures for his latest house is turning into an impromptu tour of various Dallas neighborhoods and houses, and I know I won’t be home for hours. All of my Saturday plans fly out the window.
Like the poor dieter who can’t eat just one chip, Romano can’t squelch his urge to look at just one more house. Politely, he asks me if we can stop at a new development in Preston Hollow.
Resistance is futile.
Romano explains that he’s been waiting for this property to be open so he can peek inside. Amidst the whine of table saws and clouds of dust kicked up by sweaty construction workers, we wander through the 13,000-square-foot house. He points out that the fireplaces are real masonry, not just cheap inserts. It’s a feature he’s incorporated into every house he’s restored in Winnetka Heights. “It’s not something a lot of people might notice,” he says, “but I do.”
It’s this kind of attention to detail that allows Romano to get top dollar for the houses he restores. Jeff and Anne Fahrenholz, newcomers to Winnetka Heights, wanted an older Craftsman home. They chose to purchase a Romano re-do on Edgefield Avenue because of of the particular attention that shows in every aspect of the house. “Even the moldings around every door and window are consistent,” says Anne. “There’s no need to change anything.” The Fahrenholzs were won over when they discovered the house was completely updated, falling in love with the butcher block kitchen countertops and the recessed lighting. The house maintains its old-style charm with all the modern conveniences buyers want.
As Romano and I continue our tour of the sprawling construction site, he knocks on the interior doors and discovers they’re hollow. “Disappointing,” he says. “Why are they cutting corners on something like this?” He notices the baseboards are cheap particle board and notes that even though they will be painted over, he uses solid wood in all his remodels. This is a man who notices even the smallest details.
Did I mention that I lived blissfully ignorant in my own home for two years before he pointed out that my fireplace mantle is slightly higher on one side?
Walking upstairs, we pass by bubble glass windows designed to give privacy. “What a great idea,” he notes. “I’ll be looking to incorporate that into future houses.” When we pass the master suite closets, he whips out his cell phone to take photos of the finish-out, this one as an idea for the house he and his brother, Rex, are currently restoring at 311 N. Edgefield Avenue.
Romano bought his first Winnetka Heights property on Clinton Avenue in December 2000. He says the outside of the house was “okay,” but the inside was a “bad 1980s re-do” that he knew he could turn into the original 1913 look. That meant removing the carpet to restore the original hardwoods, adding solid wood door and window moldings, and installing period-appropriate tile in the bathroom. He lived in the Clinton house while restoring his current residence on South Edgefield.
Bridget Frost eventually purchased Romano’s Clinton renovation, and describes encountering the Winnetka Heights neighborhood as “love at first sight,” saying it was the only zip code she considered when looking to buy. She had a huge laundry list of wants, including a porch swing, wood floors and a claw foot tub. Of the Clinton property, she beams, “It was like it had been designed especially for me.” She was delighted she could move right in and not have to do any renovations herself. “It’s updated, but in the right style,” she says. “It’s definitely an old house and I love that.”
Romano confesses he’s never had any formal training or education when it comes to restoring a house to its original look and feel. “I’ve just always been very observant of architecture my whole life,” he says. You might say it’s in his blood. Born in upstate New York, his early childhood home was built in 1807 and bears an historic marker. He remembers that his parents were always restoring old houses. His mother bought him a drafting table when he was young and even today he still sketches houses, just for the pleasure of it.
Given Romano’s background, he says, “Learning the Arts and Crafts style of Winnetka Heights was easy. It’s all about straight lines, square edges and simplicity.” The hardest part has been finding the right people to do the work. Like most anyone who takes on a renovation, he says he’s been ripped off and disappointed several times. Finally, he believes he’s found the right crew, although he still keeps a sharp eye and stops by the property every day to check on progress and, “to make changes to the original plans,” he sheepishly admits. “I’m always making changes, but I do think they’re for the better.”
Another easy task was convincing his brother, Rex, to join with him in investing in and restoring homes that have seen better days. Romano laughs, “If you can believe it, he might just be even more detailed-oriented than I am.” As an example, Rex points out that although they could have kept a couple of the front windows at 311 N. Edgefield, he talked Rob into getting all new ones to maintain continuity.
The brothers agree that they are passionate about doing the finest quality work. “We both like to go overboard achieving a look that you’re not going to see anywhere else,” says Rex. While Rob admittedly loves to spend money on restoration, Rex keeps an eye on the bottom line, but says he can be talked into the right upgrades. They both concur that investing money in the right improvements does pay off in this neighborhood. Rob firmly believes that properly finished Winnetka Heights bungalows will sell in the $400K range in just a couple of years.
They’re adding on almost 200 square feet to their current restoration, adding a third bedroom and another bath, and are taking great care to ensure that all the edges will be square so that “you’ll never know it wasn’t always like this,” declares Romano. Their work also qualifies the home for the historic preservation tax incentive program, meaning no city taxes on the property for ten years — a perk that transfers directly to the purchaser.
As Romano and I continue our property investigation, we stop to admire the Carrera marble in the bathrooms of the huge house before we leave; I notice him squirrel the idea away in his brain. It doesn’t matter that the manse we’ve just toured is listing for just under $7 million. He says he gets good ideas from all sizes, styles and price ranges. This includes ideas for landscaping. As we drive through Lakewood, he takes note of a particularly appealing front yard and says he’ll be coming back by to take photos. Grading and sodding the yard and installing new flower beds has been something he’s always done himself, but he admits to seriously considering hiring out the work in the future. “It’ll be one more person I get to annoy with all my changes,” he chuckles.
He notes that teaming up with Rex will now allow them to work on 1 or 2 houses a year, but maintains he’s only interested in restoring homes in Winnetka Heights. “I love this neighborhood,” he declares, “and as long as I stay in Dallas, I’ll never live anywhere else.” And, thanks to all his hard work, those of us lucky enough to live in one of his home restorations probably won’t either. 
