The John Ourand Home Italian Villa Denison, Texas

The John Ourand Home Italian Villa

Denison, Texas

$275,000

Bedrooms: 4

Full Bath(s): 2

Half Bath(s): 1

Heated Sq. Ft.: 3400

Unheated Sq. Ft.: 500

Stories: 2.5

The John Ourand Home

We purchased the John Ourand Home in December of 1976. We had been searching the area for a nice place for our antique shop and large enough for a home as well. We knew it was perfect for our situation and loved it even though it had been poorly cared for since the death of Mrs. Ourand in the l960’s. We loved the 12 foot ceilings, the original hardwood floors and the massive woodgrained pocket doors separating the parlor and the formal dining room. The marble coal burning fireplace in the living room catches everyone's eye. The 5 original copper light fixtures have fine glass globes with acid etched florals and mythological figures. 

The front doors open into the foyer and then thru double doors into the massive 8ft. hallway and the beautiful suspended stairway. A work of art was created in hand cut Texas stars following the entire stairway onto the second floor. The stairway leads to a lovely sitting area with an exposed brick archway. The stairway to the tower starts by the brick archway to the next level and leads to the tower itself where you can view Lake Texoma some months of the year. 

On the northwest side of the upper floor is the beautiful master bedroom with a massive 3 window bay window. This room turned into one of our most beautiful rooms. We found beautiful Victorian paper for each of the 3 bedrooms on this floor. The large bathroom still has its claw foot tub. There is another bedroom between the master bedroom and the bathroom, and a third bedroom on the east side of the hall that is large and airy with 6 large windows. Ceiling fans from the early local ice cream parlor were refurbished and installed in 2 bedrooms upstairs. There are three closets on this floor. A servant’s stairway leads down to a small hall leading from the dining to the kitchen and downstairs bathroom. 

The kitchen had a huge pantry and little else when we bought it. We removed the plaster from the walls to expose the brick and reveal the beautiful arches over two doors. We took out the pantry walls and had custom cabinets installed and finished, with built in pantry, oven and gas surface burner. We papered the other 2 walls of the room. 

On the East side of the main hall is the 4th bedroom which has been papered and refurbished, and this is a lovely room with a coal-burning fireplace. 

All of the upstairs rooms have been repapered and refinished. When we realized that the walls on either side of the upstairs hallway were 3 brick thick with a 4 inch opening in the center(16 inches) in all, we had the plaster removed to expose this fantastic brick decor in several areas of the house. 

The rooms upstairs were in bad shape because of a leak, so that meant new ceilings throughout, and a new roof. Most of the wallpaper has been replaced, both bathrooms have been remodeled, and some rooms are carpeted, although a new owner may want to remove the carpet to reveal the wood floors. The home is ready for you to move in and enjoy. 

We had a 24x30 ft, 2 car garage with lots of storage space built about 5 years ago. We also have a 10x20 ft workshop and a big well kept yard with original cast iron fence across the front of the house.