A Hilltop Retreat with Lake Views — 223 E Bay Drive, Bridgeport
Properties like 223 E Bay Drive don't come up often. Set on over four acres on an elevated hilltop in Bridgeport, the home has views of Lake Bridgeport from the front and a resort-style backyard that takes over from there.
The land itself is part of the draw — room for horses, abundant wildlife, and the kind of privacy that's increasingly hard to find this close to the DFW area. Out back, the centerpiece is a 49,500-gallon custom heated pool that the pool supplier describes as the second-largest in Wise County. It's built for use: a rock grotto, waterfall, waterslide, diving area, and hot tub, with plumbing already roughed in for a future outdoor kitchen. A covered patio ties the space together for year-round outdoor living.
Inside, the home makes a strong first impression. Vaulted and cathedral ceilings run throughout, and a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace anchors the main living area. The kitchen is built around walnut soft-close cabinetry, upgraded countertops, stainless appliances, and an industrial-size Fisher & Paykel refrigerator and freezer — practical for a home designed with entertaining in mind. Travertine stone and laminate flooring run throughout, with no carpet anywhere in the home.
The primary suite is on one side of the home, privately tucked away with a tray ceiling, garden tub, separate walk-in shower, dual vanities, and an oversized walk-in closet with built-in shelving. Two additional bedrooms and a full bath with a garden tub and separate shower sit on the opposite side. A built-in office, half bath, and a game room that can work as a second living area complete the floor plan.
Reach out to the team at Mills Real Estate Group to learn more or schedule a showing.
A 2022-Built Home in Fort Worth's Sycamore Landing — 2605 Prickly Pine Trail
For buyers who want a move-in ready home without sacrificing space or flexibility, 2605 Prickly Pine Trail checks a lot of boxes. Built in 2022 in Fort Worth's Sycamore Landing community, this two-story home offers four bedrooms, two and a half baths, a private study, and a game room — a layout that gives everyone in the household room to spread out.
The kitchen is the natural gathering point, with 42-inch cabinets, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. Tray ceilings add a bit of architectural detail to the living spaces without overcomplicating the design. The primary suite is on the first floor — a feature that tends to be high on buyers' lists — with dual granite vanities, a separate tub and shower, and a spacious walk-in closet. Outside, a covered patio and a built-in sprinkler system keep the backyard manageable.
The location is practical. Easy access to I-35, I-20, and Chisholm Trail Parkway makes getting around Fort Worth straightforward from this part of town.
Reach out to the team at Mills Real Estate Group to schedule a showing or get more details.
Happening in Fort Worth
Two Fort Worth Women Turned Fine Art Into Fine Linens
Fort Worth has a way of producing creative collaborations that feel genuinely one-of-a-kind, and the new Ella Collection is a good example.
Peacock Alley — the luxury linen brand founded by Fort Worth resident Mary Ella Gabler Bitzer in 1973 — has partnered with local artist Joey Lancaster to create its first-ever artist-inspired bedding collection. The result is a duvet cover and sham set built around Lancaster's signature mixed-media floral compositions, translated into 100 percent European linen stonewashed for softness.
The idea came together quickly, even if the execution took time. Bitzer first encountered Lancaster's work at the 2023 grand opening of 61 Osteria, the downtown Fort Worth Italian restaurant where a large three-canvas floral installation by Lancaster anchors the main dining room. Bitzer loved it immediately and thought it might translate to linens. From that conversation to finished product took more than two years — palette selection, fabric sourcing, mill selection, and production all had to come together before the collection could launch.
The Ella Collection is available in two colorways — Natural and Sky — in full/queen ($700) and king ($750). Lancaster's work already appears in Fort Worth homes, galleries, and shows in Dallas, Aspen, and Miami, and the duo has plans to expand the collection with additional patterns including aspen trees and butterflies.
It's a Fort Worth story worth knowing — two women, two creative businesses, and a collaboration that started on a restaurant wall and ended up in the bedroom.
The Ella Collection is available at peacockalley.com and in select fine linen stores.
What Fort Worth Homeowners Are Doing to Their Outdoor Spaces Right Now
A new study from Houzz surveyed nearly 1,200 homeowners across the country about their outdoor renovation plans, and the results say a lot about where priorities have shifted — especially for Texas homeowners heading into another hot summer.
The biggest theme: people are less interested in improving curb appeal and more focused on turning their backyards into places they actually want to spend time. The top renovation goals were improving aesthetics (53 percent), enhancing entertaining spaces (34 percent), and extending the living area of the home (32 percent). Comfort is driving decisions more than resale value, which is a notable shift.
Outdoor kitchens are one of the fastest-growing projects, with nearly all homeowners taking them on building from scratch rather than upgrading an existing setup. The share installing plumbing, electrical, or heating systems in those kitchens jumped 10 percentage points compared to 2024. Covered patios, shade structures, and dedicated lounge areas with quality furniture, fire pits, and upgraded lighting are also high on the list — more than half of respondents said they are intentionally creating quiet retreat spaces outside.
On the plant side, drought-resistant native plants are the priority, which won't surprise anyone who gardens in North Texas. The Native Plant Society of Texas and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center both have solid resources for homeowners looking to build low-maintenance, resilient landscaping.
For exterior updates, white is fading and beige is making a strong comeback. Black trim remains the most popular accent choice, and more than half of all exterior renovation projects include some form of roofing work.
For buyers, these trends are worth paying attention to — a well-designed outdoor space is increasingly a deciding factor. For sellers, it's a reminder that what's happening in the backyard matters more than it used to.