The LUXE Showhome in Dallas was born at an Indian Princess meeting. No kidding.

It happened like this: Mark Molthan, president of Platinum Series Homes, had been approached several times to build a showhome for Dallas, and he always turned it down. One afternoon he was attending an Indian Princess meeting with his daughter, Megan, at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. He had tickets to the Mavs afterward (he's a gargantuan fan) and was more than a little concerned about the close timing of the two events. That’s OK, he thought, this is only a hospital tour, and then we can go. After the tour, dads and their Princesses paired off with patients, but there did not appear to be one for Mark and his daughter. Which would work out fine.

And that is when his eyes clapped on Charlie, 12, from Sulfur Springs, coming in a wheel chair – mobility challenged, dexterity challenged. Mark readily agreed when asked if he and his daughter could help Charlie play a game.

"What do you like to do?" asked Mark, after being introduced.

"I like girls and online poker," Charlie said.

He knew right then that he and Charlie would be fast friends.

Mark Molthan made it to the Mavericks game on time – barely. As he was hurrying down the aisle to reach his floor seat, he came to a dead stop and thought about Charlie: This little boy would never be able to play basketball and probably never be on the floor at the Mavs.

At that moment, Mark decided that he wanted to build a showhome, and it would have to be a doozy – because the proceeds would go to Scottish Rite Hospital.

He wouldn't commit, however, even to himself until he was assured that he could actually create a home that would make people positively salivate – and that meant putting together the right team. So he pulled in LUXE magazine as a sponsor, noted architect Robbie Fusch, and additional individuals constituting the "best of the best" that would make up his creative corps. He traveled the world with them during the next few months, from California to Africa, to find just the right materials, the textures, and the technologies that would "wow" a sophisticated Dallas audience.

No question, Mark Molthan was up to the task. He had become used to "over the top" and to satisfying clients with custom homes that perfectly reflect who they are. In one instance, that meant creating a $40 million Dallas estate that fulfilled every possible whim of the owners and their three children – elegant palazzo meets child's fantasy world, filled with go carts, a batting cage with an official Rangers pitching machine, and a back staircase that is also a slide.

His goal for the Showhome, however, went beyond satisfying one client to an entirely new challenge: earning no less than $1 million for Scottish Rite Hospital and the Junior League of Dallas, who is selling the tickets. That target was never far from his mind during the building process.

Today, the resulting Showhome – an Italian estate with an airy, clean-lined interior – combines breathtaking beauty with global technologies of comfort. It blends many aspects of his own personality: classic, contemporary, interesting – and fun. World-traveled golfers, lovers of rare wines, car collectors, bibliophiles, even "closet" singers will find something to delight and surprise.

When asked why he would build such a home in this particular market, his answer was, "Why not? At a time when people are feeling less hopeful, we want to bring hope for the economy and – particularly – hope for the children."