a 5 S 5 2 g 8 Fal i Industrialist ‘Most of us wonder if well survive a home renovation, This serial fixer-upper wonders if ‘she can live witout one | By Reece Sherman | | Prey by Stphen Kari | Tammie Keinmann bo 25,4 1950 er her fist house at age old Las Colinas, down fd evenly become sort anid Chis. She made a few noeded renovations, then sold it prematurely after falling in love witha ranch house few pare of the allure Ie yas alo the sare of an obsession with buying and redoing houses. In 20 years, Klcinmann, who owas a TV prodaction company called Diteetors, has bought, gted and renovated 12 houses, and jst moved in to the 13th, She's lved them al. cach ime with the Intention ofstaying forever. Lin Taylor mighthave said the sime abou cach of her cight husbands Ir just makes me happy unlike anything se can” says 4 kina, of the avocation thar, beefy, daove hero seek therapy og, Tre Las going through a divorce and I maybe ie’ me. Maybe Tin crazy. May heen lising allthis ime in the closer with an addiction. { wocied thar people thoughe I was unstable” Her therapist pointed that buying{utc aM tern Fn et se ao oe Fee mg cats upg Gmina ‘ee ee Froese no el rg rt hen eee fan a hn ca hed gen ‘ra go a prt ra nant tes wh Tip fies oes rn ‘tae pki eee raed tno ramus te Heer Tam oan yey ce continved “Before therapy, Pd make exewses shout why I was moving, Now; [jus ll people ove fixing up house she sys Klcinmana’s roster of remodels reads like a preservatonlt's puch lit. Armang. them, thrce mid-century moderns in Oak Clif three homes in Highland Park, Induding a 1908 Craftsman pracy 50s ranch on 13 acs im Southlake, pre-Ross Perot Jes thie bungalows in old Irving: anda 150-yearld former noodle facrory near Stugart, Getmany, which she dlscovered duting 4 tip to vis relatives with hee former husband, a contractor who helped her renovate si houses curing their marrage. The couple divorced mi-redo of house number It {the 1908 Craftsman in Highland Par), and Kleinman and her daughser, Sydney, now 10, moved into house number 12 in 2006, a small ranch in West Highland Park, cinmann immediacy set our 19 redo ic "Many of the rooms were not sealed right Someone had! added on and made a monstrous Iichen,"shesay, With thehelpofbullderKaren Zeliggon of Fanfax Develops, the kitchen was reduced in size and a covered, outdo arcawascreaed with he leftoversquae age The mastr bedroom was abo dovnized to provide more space fora combined living and dining room, which was opened up with floor to-clling windows. "People tld me I'd never be able to sll the houre bscause the master bbedsoom was so amall, but Tve never done a house with anyone else fn mind. Ido what 1 like” says Kleinman, who hited an interior decorator for the frst time, Alice Cottrell, co ‘work ith her exising Furniture and art TL always do the same white walls with dark wood floors” says Kleinmann about her previous renovations, “But Alice came in with reds and oranges. At Grae T was liks, ‘Whoa, hold on!’ I'l never had color before. I thought all the color would ale me, but is surprising how tranquil the house became “The house's stylish remodel was often he talk ofthe West Highland Pak acighbothood, whete so many small ranches had been sacrificed for MeMansions. "People were always ‘coming through, appreciating the fact hat ie wat not torn down says Kisinmann, One day last yea, a Realtor walled through as it was nearing completion, explaining that her ucBeown: dieses were looking for a howe cxacely like i, Kleinmann agrcd to show i never inending co sell But the client loved i and the Realot adked what ic would take for her 10 move, “I threw owt a ridiculously big figure that I ide think anyone would py, remembers Kliamann, Initially the client backed of, bu eame ack seer and agreed to the price. Opportunity knocks gun. After a year and a half of work on the house, Kleinmann and her daughter had to find a new one in-a mater of weeks. Which brings us ro house number 13: A 1946 traditional cortage of Inwood Road, secon says he house eminds her of one you might find in the Hamprons. "We are working on an sichiectural pln sight now The ies to goin and make ita litle more moder.” she says, then hesiaes "But I hate to tlk about because, you know, I might change my mind tn Keinmann makes no orcs.