Joshua and Melinda Stone have their 80-pound bull mastiff and 8-pound miniature dachshund to thank for their 1939 colonial home in Highland Park West. Before moving in this past December, the newlyweds holed up in a two-bedroom condo at the W Hotel residences in Victory Park. Although the contemporary space had the look the couple loves, the cramped quarters were a tight squeeze for the family of four.

Now their 3,800-square-foot, four-bedroom house west of the Dallas North Tollway has plenty of room, plus some in case the family – and its furry-friend count – expands. The roomy two-story is also a better fit for the couple's furniture, which was a little too large scale for their prior digs.

"When I buy furniture, I tend to buy comfortable pieces that are usually large in size," says Melinda. "We like to entertain too. So when I buy a table it seats eight, not four."

To help with scale issues and the other design quandaries while at the W, the couple enlisted Dallas interior designer Maureen Koopman from Cadwallader Design. Although she didn't help with their new house (she moved out of state), they brought her furniture picks – and expertise – to the Highland Park address.

"There's a level of efficiency and creativity," Melinda says of hiring a decorator. "They help provide so much guidance on how to blend scale and functionality."

But the couple is far from being design amateurs. They each have an instinctive appreciation for composition and style that has turned their new home into a well-curated nest.

Joshua, an artist, has works on display at the Haley-Henman Gallery and Haven, which is home to his new Bourgeois Diagnostic series that blends deconstructed children's books with graffiti art.

Melinda worked in the marketing and advertising world before the couple's nuptials and is now pursuing a real estate license while taking on decorating duties. Although their style leans to the modern side, when Melinda saw the address of the '30s colonial she had to check it out. She lived in the Highland Park neighborhood years prior and had the itch to move back for its central location and charm.

The inside of the traditional structure had been gutted and refitted with a fresh, open floor plan and contemporary finish-out. Since the bones didn't need much fine-tuning, decorating became the couple's main mission.

Some pieces came from the W condo; others are new additions. Just like the furniture and accessories, their favorite shopping spots are an eclectic mix.

At Design Within Reach they rounded up an oval Saarinen dining table and some Jeffrey Bernett Flight recliners. In the Design District they scored at Scott + Cooner, Donghia and Edward Fields, where they found a patterned contemporary wool rug for the living room.

Industrial Boulevard is a frequent shopping destination for the couple. Not only did their former decorator familiarize them with the area's antiques shops, but Joshua's art studio and gallery also is located there.

White Elephant Antiques is at the top of the list; they bought a vintage nude print that hangs in the powder room and a ceramic dog that guards the foyer. Found Antiques and Lost Antiques are other favorites, where the couple purchased an antique English print of British royalty for the kitchen and the living room's red and gold velvet mirror.

What they couldn't find around town, they had custom-made by Dallas furniture builder Shari Stout. The white oak platform bed with hidden drawers in the master is a creation Joshua designed for space management in their former condo. The bed's matching nightstands also were made after a similar style Melinda noticed in a shelter publication.

"The ones in the magazine were insanely priced," she remembers. "It was, do you want a car or two side tables?"

Another custom element is distinctive lighting. They swapped the remodel's humdrum fixtures for unique styles such as the hand-blown glass pendant lights in the master bedroom and their favorite, the Verner Panton drippy, mirrored Spiral Pendant in the dining room.

"We were in Design Within Reach and stood there for about 15 minutes staring at the light," remembers Joshua. "We finally looked at each other and knew we had to get it."

Joshua also made sure to add spotlights throughout the house to highlight the couple's eclectic art collection. "We have a pretty funky mix from local artists," he says. "We go to a lot of gallery openings; we track down the artists we like."

While prepping for a group monthlong show of mixed-media paintings that opens May 21 at the Haley-Henman Gallery in Dallas, Joshua has been working on a masterpiece for his dining room. There are several other decorative projects in progress, as well.

"We're fine-tuning now," says Melinda. "There are a few missing pieces of furniture. We need to paint, add wallpaper."

They're turning a spare room on the first floor into a game area, for example, with a pool table, drum set and area for Joshua to deejay with his extensive CD collection. Also on the to-do list is the garage. Currently, the three-car space is home to the couple's vehicles, bicycles and Joshua's black Honda Shadow motorcycle.

"We have aspirations of having one of those super-organized garages you see on HGTV," says Melinda. "Right now it's just full of boxes. We'll get there one day."

Brittany Edwards is a New York freelance writer.

•Joshua's mixed-media sewn collages are part of Beginnings, which ends May 17.

•His newest mixed-media paintings will be part of A Walk in the Rain from May 21 to June 28. Opening reception 7 to 10 p.m. May 24.

Both group shows are at Haley-Henman Gallery, 2335 Hardwick St. www.haleyhenman.com

1430 N. Industrial Blvd. www.joshuastonestudio.com