Where the Designers Live
Knox-Henderson is the corridor where the Dallas design industry actually buys its houses. The retail strip on Henderson Avenue and the showroom edge of Knox Street feed a residential pocket — 75205 and 75214 — that sits between the Park Cities and Lakewood and reads more like a working studio than a neighborhood. Designers, architects, branding agencies, restaurateurs. People who specify materials for a living and bring that gaze home with them. Space Fireplace Services has been the quiet shop on the other end of those phone calls for years.
Our work here is rarely first-build. It is renovation, addition, and the careful repair of rooms that were already loved. A 1939 Tudor that needs its firebox brought into this century. A 1920s bungalow off Belmont where the original mantel has to come back. A new infill townhome behind Henderson where the architect has drawn a fireplace as the room’s anchor and now needs someone to actually build it. We do that work, by appointment, with a senior project manager on every job.
To begin a conversation, call 469-992-4912 or use the contact form below.
About Knox-Henderson
The neighborhood lives between two retail spines that have shaped its character for decades. Knox Street, on the south end, is the older of the two — a stretch that runs from Central Expressway westward toward Highland Park, anchored by Highland Park Village’s design culture and lined with antique stores, the long-running Knox Street Pub, and a generation of high-end retail that has come and gone. Henderson Avenue, on the north end, was rebuilt as a restaurant and boutique corridor in the 2010s and now reads younger and louder. Between them sits the housing.
The 75205 and 75214 zip codes carry an unusually compact mix of stock. Original 1920s and 1930s bungalows, most of them between 1,400 and 2,400 square feet on lots of 50 by 150. Tudor revival cottages, the occasional Spanish Colonial, and a string of 1950s ranches that have been heavily renovated or scraped. Townhomes built between 2005 and 2018 along the secondary streets behind Henderson, usually three-story, often with rooftop decks. And, increasingly, new infill at the price point where the lot itself is worth more than the existing structure.
The owner mix is the more interesting variable. A meaningful share of Knox-Henderson buyers work in design-adjacent fields — architecture, interior design, advertising creative, restaurant design, residential development. They specify their own homes the way they specify client work, with sample boards and a long preference list. They do not respond well to “good enough.” That standard is exactly why our shop is busy in this zip code.
Fireplace Considerations Specific to Knox-Henderson
The original housing stock here was built into a flat lot pattern with brick chimneys on the side or back of the house. Many of those chimneys have been functioning continuously for ninety years and look the part — soft brick weathered, lime mortar receded, terra-cotta flue tiles intact but showing their age. Before any restoration we run a chimney camera and structural review. The findings shape the proposal more than any aesthetic preference.
The townhomes built between 2005 and 2018 along the secondary streets behind Henderson are a different conversation. These were typically delivered with a builder-grade gas insert and a flat tile or stone surround that was selected for cost rather than character. The framing is set, the venting is in, and the upgrade is almost always cosmetic at the surface and mechanical at the firebox — a new sealed direct-vent unit dropped into the existing rough opening, a new surround, a new mantel. We have done dozens of these and our scope is well-tuned.
New infill on Belmont, Bryan Parkway, and the cross streets near Henderson is being delivered now at a $1.4 to $2.5 million price point, with custom layouts and a fireplace that is meant to be the architecture, not the accessory. The architects working in this corridor — most of them within walking distance of the project — push for linear units, ribbon and tunnel configurations, full-height surrounds in stone or steel, and seamless integration with millwork. We work directly with the design team from schematic through close-out.
A note specific to 75205 and 75214: gas service is reliable and well-mapped, but the entry point varies by block. Some streets have alley-side service, some street-side. Run lengths and trenching plans are part of every consultation, and we coordinate with Atmos for any new tap or upsize.
SFS Services for Knox-Henderson
Our scope here covers the four project types that show up most often in 75205 and 75214 inboxes. Each one is led by a senior project manager who stays with the project from consultation to final inspection.
**Restoration of original 1920s and 1930s fireboxes.** We assess the masonry, line the chimney with stainless or cast-in-place where required, rebuild the firebrick to original geometry, and either restore the existing mantel or fabricate a period-accurate replacement in our own millwork shop. For Tudor revival projects we have a particular fluency with the rolled-edge limestone and terra-cotta tile sets that were common in 1928–1934 Dallas construction.
**Townhome upgrades.** This is one of our highest-volume scopes in Knox-Henderson. We remove the existing builder-grade insert, scope the venting and framing, and install a new sealed direct-vent linear unit at 36, 42, or 48 inches. The surround comes off, the new surround goes on — usually honed limestone, polished plaster, board-formed concrete, or a steel-and-millwork hybrid — and a new mantel shelf is set. The full upgrade typically takes seven to ten working days from demolition to final, and the unit is functional the day we leave.
**Designer-led custom new builds.** For new infill where the fireplace is part of the original architectural drawing set, we work with the architect from schematic forward. We provide CAD elevations, a material specification book, a build sequence the GC can integrate, and a senior project manager on-site through the framing, mechanical rough, and finish phases. We have completed twelve such projects in 75205 and 75214 over the last four years, all with local Dallas architects.
**Whole-house renovation integration.** When Knox-Henderson owners renovate their bungalows — kitchen open to living, primary suite added, second floor expanded — the fireplace is usually the one element that stays in place while everything else moves around it. We integrate the fireplace scope into the broader renovation, coordinating with the GC, the architect, and the interior designer to deliver one cohesive proposal. The owner gets one number for the fireplace work, with materials, build, and design fees consolidated.
**Outdoor fireplaces.** Knox-Henderson back yards are larger than Bishop Arts but smaller than Highland Park. The right outdoor fireplace here is usually a 7-to-9 foot stucco or limestone unit on a covered patio, sized to the back of a renovated bungalow. We design these to read as an extension of the interior architecture rather than as a separate landscape feature.
For more on each scope, see [gas fireplace installation](https://spacefireplaceservices.com/services/gas-fireplace-installation/), [fireplace restoration](https://spacefireplaceservices.com/services/fireplace-restoration/), and [custom fireplace design](https://spacefireplaceservices.com/services/custom-fireplace-design/). To schedule a consultation, call 469-992-4912.
Selected Knox-Henderson Projects
**A 1929 Tudor on Belmont.** The owners — an interior designer and her husband, a developer — had bought the house specifically for its bones and were reworking the kitchen and living room over a six-month renovation. The original firebox had been “modernized” in 1978 with stacked stone and a heavy oak mantel that did not belong to the house. We removed everything down to the original brick, found the rolled-edge limestone surround intact behind a layer of mortar, restored it with a careful hand cleaning, and installed a vented gas log set tuned to the firebox geometry. The new mantel shelf, in quarter-sawn white oak with a hand-cut profile, was specified by the owner and built in our shop.
**A Henderson Avenue townhome.** The owner had bought the unit two years earlier and never used the fireplace because it “smelled wrong.” We scoped the existing builder-grade insert, found a venting issue at the roof termination, and proposed a full unit replacement. The new 42-inch sealed direct-vent unit was installed in the existing framing with no drywall demolition outside the immediate firebox face. The surround was upgraded from builder tile to polished plaster in a warm gray, with a steel mantel shelf in patinated bronze. The job was eight working days. The owner now uses the fireplace nightly through the cold months.
**A new build on Bryan Parkway.** The architect had drawn a 60-inch linear gas fireplace as the centerpiece of an open living-dining room, with a full-height surround in honed Lueders limestone running from hearth to a 12-foot ceiling. We worked with the architect through schematic, refined the venting strategy with the mechanical engineer, fabricated the steel framing surround in our shop to ensure perfect alignment, and installed the limestone in fourteen pieces with hairline mortar joints. The fireplace was photographed for the architect’s portfolio and has appeared in *D Home*.
Trade Pro Program
We work with a long list of Knox-Henderson designers, architects, and builders on recurring projects. The Trade Pro program offers a 15 percent professional discount on materials and design fees, dedicated lead times, and direct senior-PM access for specification calls. We do not market to your client during or after the project. Pricing is delivered to the trade, not the homeowner. To set up a Trade Pro account, call 469-992-4912 and ask for the Trade desk.
Process and Timeline
The first step is a scheduled consultation in your home or at the project site. The visit takes about ninety minutes and includes a chimney camera scope when relevant. Within ten business days you receive a written proposal with fixed pricing and a defined scope.
If you proceed, design takes one week for restorations, four to six weeks for design-led custom work. We do not order materials until you sign off on the elevation drawing and material samples. The build, on a typical Knox-Henderson job, runs seven to ten working days for townhome upgrades and three to five weeks for new construction integrations. The room is left clean each evening, and we coordinate around your schedule and your other trades.
Adjacent Neighborhoods
Our most common adjacent service areas to Knox-Henderson are the [Design District](https://spacefireplaceservices.com/areas/design-district/), [Bishop Arts](https://spacefireplaceservices.com/areas/bishop-arts/), Highland Park, Lakewood, and the M Streets. The same atelier model applies in each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
**Can my 1929 firebox be restored or do I need to replace it?**
Most original 75205 and 75214 fireboxes can be restored. We assess the masonry, the firebrick, the flue, and the mantel before recommending scope. A meaningful share of our restorations cost less than a full replacement and produce a better result.
**Should I upgrade my townhome’s builder-grade fireplace?**
If you are not using it because it smells, drafts, or looks wrong, the upgrade is almost always worth doing. We can scope the existing unit and tell you whether a full replacement or a surround-and-insert refresh is the right answer.
**How do you coordinate with my architect or interior designer?**
We integrate into the design team from schematic phase forward. We provide CAD elevations, sample boards, and a build sequence the GC can use. The Trade Pro program is the formal structure for that relationship.
**Do you work on rooftop fireplaces in Knox-Henderson townhomes?**
Yes, with the right structural and venting conditions. Most townhomes in 75214 and 75205 with rooftop decks have been engineered to take a sealed gas fire feature. We assess load, wind exposure, and gas service before scoping.
**What does a Knox-Henderson project typically cost?**
Townhome upgrades run from sixteen thousand to thirty-two thousand depending on surround material. Bungalow restorations run from fourteen thousand to thirty thousand. Designer-led new builds with full-height surrounds run from forty thousand into the high seventies. We give fixed pricing in the proposal.
**How quickly can you start?**
Lead time is usually four to eight weeks from signed proposal to first day on-site, depending on materials. Restorations start sooner because most of the materials are in stock or quickly available.
**Is the fireplace usable when you leave?**
Yes. We do not finish until the unit has been started, tuned, and inspected. The first fire is part of the job, not the next visit.
Schedule a Consultation
If your room is ready for a quiet, careful fireplace project, we would be glad to come look at it. Call 469-992-4912 or write to us through the form, and we will be in touch within one business day.
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*Author: Marco Hensley, Senior Project Manager, Space Fireplace Services. Marco has led more than ninety fireplace projects across Dallas County, with deep experience in 1920s and 1930s housing stock and townhome upgrades.*