Interior designer Sara Garza, as those who know her will attest, is a rebel with a causeespecially when that cause involves saving a home from demolition. We actually wrote them a letter asking for a chance to keep it standing, says Garza of her current family nest in Dallass Oak Cliff neighborhood, the them in question being the grandchildren of the original owners of a 1940s home, who were considering selling to developers. Garzas heartfelt appeal struck a chord, prompting the family to reconsider. Meeting the grandson was such a treat, recalls the founder and principal of Dallas-based Punch World Studio. He shared stories that made us love the place even more.Sara (left) and Rocky Garza, seated respectively on a Group Sofa by Phillipe Malouin for SCP and a vintage Herman Miller Eames chair, enjoy a laid-back morning with their kids in the living room. The room is a treasure trove of old-world finds, including an heirloom table (back left) from Garzas grandmother, a Murano glass pendant lamp from 1stDibs, and a 1960s teak coffee table. Garza deemed no detail too small, not least the fireplace. She lined its interior with Pacifica Yellow Slice concrete by Concrete Collaborative, enveloped it with Backdrops Harvest Moon, and accented it with Silo 2WC sconces from Lambert & Fils. A silver Zephyr planter by Muhly Studio adds a sleek, modern twist.Garza was captivated by its rich history. Once spanning several acres, the property originally included a greenhouse and a horse stableits only remnant now a hitching post by the back door. There was even another house behind the main one, built in the 1930s. History seemed to be tucked into every corner. We were told that the grandmother arrived in Dallas with 11 dollars and Stanley Marcuss phone number, befriended the Marcus family, and became a Neiman Marcus showroom girl. And that his grandfather worked at Frito-Lay and had a hand in inventing the Dorito. With a legacy like this, how could anyone ever tear this house down?Shop out the look of the house hereAsk her to pick favorites, and Garza doesnt hem or haw. If I had to choose, itd definitely be the living room. We spend so much time there as a family, reading and relaxing, she enthuses of the space, made even more joyful by a tufted wall rug by Sam Lao and Worns Delphina Stripe Tabouret.Garza poses in the living room on a vintage chair by Milo Baughman, reupholstered in a checkered Maharam fabric. The built-in bookshelves behind her are a labor of love, designed, built, and installed by her parents. An artwork by Samantha McCurdy from Galleri Urban, titled Zipper, echoes it in signature, if not in scale, while a Teklan Crystal Spectrum rug from Layered Interior enlivens on the floor.Built during World War II, the home didnt adhere to a specific architectural style, which gave Garza the opportunity to start with a clean slatethough, as she tells it, she never truly erased its history. What we loved most about this place was its mix of a-little-bit-fun and a-little-bit-fancy, so we really leaned into those qualities, she shares, explaining how the goal was to honor the homes past chapters while crafting new ones. The interior had the potential to go in a few different directions, but we like to think of ourselves as a fun familybold dreams and big feelingsand I wanted that to shine through in our home, says Garza, who lives with her husband, Rocky, and their two kids: nine-year-old son Ezra and six-year-old daughter Marlow.Ive always wanted a yellow kitchen, Garza gushes. I also love that it has a swing door to the dining roomits perfect for closing off when were hosting, making everything feel more intimate. The wooden cactus lamp is a rare 1970s find. The kitchen millwork was done by NKDR Builders.My favorite thing about the house is that the rooms are truly separate from each other, says Garza of the beatnik dining room, featuring a Bright Side 4 chandelier from Allied Maker, Cassinas Sengu Table from Scott and Cooner, and 1970s Rainer Daumiller solid pine chairs from Chairish. She chose a Grand Milano green rug from Nordic Knots to echo the treetops, and completed the room with her grandmothers antique Chinese bar cabinet and a theatrical hand-shaped vase by Pearce Williams.The dining area is framed by an opening in the living rooms built-ins, designed by Garzas parents using Burly hardware from Assembly Line. Curios and tchotchkes, like an antique Tiffin Coralene Poppy Art Nouveau vase from the 1920s1930s (top shelf) and a sea-green vintage vase from the local shop Dolly Python (right side, middle shelf), bring the space to life.