Meet Luis Carrillo.
A family man, building for his city.
Luis Carrillo founded Southpaw Trading, LLC in 2015 with a simple standard: build it like you'd want to live in it. A decade later, that standard is still the whole business — full-service design + build for residential and commercial clients all over Dallas, from East Dallas and the M Streets to Lakewood, Highland Park, and Preston Hollow.
Luis has a soft spot for Oak Cliff's historic homes in particular — he and his wife bought their first house there, and he's been restoring the neighborhood's older properties ever since. His approach starts with discovery: months spent understanding a house before a single wall comes down, so there are no surprises once the crew is on site. From there, it's about finding the right client and the right team for a project — because preserving what makes an old home worth preserving (original hardwoods, brick, millwork) takes patience and craftsmanship from everyone involved, not just Southpaw.
Off the job site, Luis is a family man first — and it shows in the work. Every Southpaw project is treated like it's going to raise a family in it, because for a lot of clients, it is. That family includes Tex, his Great Dane, who's been on job sites and at client meetings since day one and became the face of the brand — you'll find him on the Southpaw logo itself.
“We believe that great design will last a lifetime, and with every project we feature, durability and high quality is at its core.”— Luis Carrillo, Owner & President
Discovery first. No surprises later.
We investigate before we build.
Older homes hide surprises. Southpaw spends real time upfront understanding a property and its worst-case scenarios, so the plan is realistic before demo ever starts.
Character stays. Everything else gets rebuilt right.
Original hardwoods, brick, and millwork get kept and restored wherever possible — recreated to match where they can't. It's what makes a renovation feel like the house, not a replacement of it.
Full-service design + build.
Residential & commercial renovations, new construction, multi-family, and property management — built on the same building-science-first approach, whether it's a single bathroom or a full home.
See Luis in action.
Full interview with Eugene Gonzalez, Dallas Realtor, on historic home renovation in Oak Cliff.
M-Streets remodel walkthrough, featuring Southpaw's work.
Flip My Home, featuring Southpaw's work.