Wow. Not one. Not two. Not three. Not four. Yes: Five beautiful time capsule bathrooms in this 1942 house — just listed for sale — in Portland, Oregon. I received a call from real estate agent Susan Cassidy this evening, and on hearing the story, we rushed these photos on to the blog. It seems very unusual, to me, to see so many bathrooms in a house from 1942 — deep in the midst of the war years. And they are like a veritable catalog of the colors in vogue. Which color bathroom would you choose? Let’s look at more of the photos from this house — and you can take our quiz to see if we have a favorite. Oh, yes, and there’s more to this house than the bathrooms, of course: A beautiful, charming exterior… lovely moldings… and a knotty pine basement with built-in bar. 13 photos in all — and a large-size slide show at the end –>
We are rushing this story to press (so to speak) tonight … and it’s late … so we’ll keep the commentary short (for now) and let the (fabulous) photos tell the story… Let’s start with the charming exterior, I guess I’d call this a Tudor (?)… I want to say Dutch Colonial, but the roof line is wrong… anyway, kind of Tudor, kind of Colonial:
Above: Yikes, the brickwork around the entry way is phenomenal. Here’s the listing information:
This home was designed by Richard Sundeleaf and is full or rich detail. Spacious and inviting. The original features include gorgeous 1940′s baths, large master suite with sitting area, 2nd master on the main, classic “mad men” style rec room, hardwoods throughout, built ins, and lots of light. Storage everywhere, 2 car attached garage and sun room.
- Price: $859,000
- Year built: 1942
- Traditional 2 story, Lap siding, wood, attached garage, full basement – partially finished, corner lot.
- Sq. Ft.: 6,458
- Bedrooms: 5
- Full Bathrooms: 5
- Interior Features: Dumbwaiter, Garage Door Opener, Hardwood Floors, Laundry, Wood Floors, Solar TubeExterior Features:Fenced, Garden, Patio, Storm Window
- Kitchen Appliances:Down Draft, Built-in Dishwasher, Disposal, Pantry, Free-Standing Range
- Fireplace Description:Wood
- Number of Fireplaces: 3
Bathroom #1 is pink and pink… Update: Listing agent tells me that, not visible in the photo above, there is a “dental sink” — see my story about dental sinks here.
Bathroom #2 is pink and black…
Bathroom #3 is white and black…
Bathroom #4, pink and blue…Hey, remember Nora’s pink and blue bathroom — original owner in her original bathroom!?
Bathroom #5 is yellow and black….
Which vintage bathroom is your favorite?
Oh… and we’re not done yet. Keep going:
Many thanks to real estate agent Susan Cassidy for calling with this spectacular listing — and for giving us permission to feature these gorgeous photos for our forever-archive. Let’s find this house a buyer!
Links:
- Listing – this house for sale
- Susan Cassidy, Keller Williams. Note, if you are interested in this house, you can call Susan direct at 503-545-4950.
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Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:
Holy mother of……eeeeeeeeeeee!
Yes.
That is called dying and going to heaven.
Wow! Maybe it was a builder’s house or the first house in the development, so they wanted to show a bunch of bathroom options or something. Someone is going to get a gem!
Eastmoreland, the area it is in was already an old established neighborhood by the forties. There are fabulous houses from the very, very late 1800′s.
Wwwwoooowwww!
That house is so fantastic! Lord, I am drooling over those bathrooms.
WOW.
HFS!
Speechless…and I’ve looked these pictures over several times now!
Holy…crapper! Unbelievable.
This place is the cat’s meow! Wow!!!! The bathrooms are to die for!
Can’t we just vote for all of the above? Each one is fantastic
You know what: I will add “all of the above”!
Great googly moogly this is fantastic!!
OMG All of the pastel bathrooms remind me of the house I grew up in, it had 3!
I LOVE every single one of them!! WOW is an understatement.
Insane! Gorgeous! I can’t quit looking.
WOW! Thanks for sharing such a lust worthy place! Thats just amazing that it still has all those wonderful features. I’m guessing that will be on the market about 10 minutes!
Wow, that’s a beautiful house, except for the kitchen (IMHO). It looks like it was redone but they kept the cooktop. With all of the other loveliness going on, the kitchen really stands out as one of the few updated spaces. A nice set of vintage St. Charles in a pastel yellow would look lovely!
Agreed — needs some St. Charles. But the renovated kitchen — at least it’s not weirdly ostentatious, or something… I like that it’s kind of… humble.
Yeah, it looks like a late 80s or early 90s remodel, but at least even though they modernized it looks like they tried to keep with the general style of the house in the remodel. Also you never know what state that kitchen was in. The house I grew up in was a 1938 time capsule, everything perfectly preserved, except for the kitchen which was TOTALLY TRASHED when we moved in. At the time my parents had intended to remodel it in keeping with the original style of the house, until they found out how much making custom vintage-style cabinets costs or how hard it is to find ones in good shape that will fit in your kitchen so in the end they ended up using the plainest cabinets that they could find so that the kitchen at least wouldn’t clash with the rest of the house. To me it looks like someone tried to do something similar here…
Agreed!
It’s hard to say without looking at original plans but I suspect for the early 40′s that kitchen area was broken up into smaller rooms – it would not be open like it is now. There was probably a butlers pantry, a cooks area that consisted of freestanding stove and large porcelain sink (no dishwasher and small fridge) a separate breakfast room and possibly a cook/maid’s sitting room (think of Hazel) and very little counterspace. The house style looks back to the 30′s – the light fixtures! The house would have to be fitted out with whatever was left in the supply houses. All manufacturing was quickly being geared to the war effort.
I was wondering about that myself. It looks like it might date from the late 80′s to the 90′s. I was expecting a kitchen with wood cabinetry (probably painted) and tilework that was similar to one of the bathrooms. A friend of mine lived in a house of a similar vintage and had a wonderful butter yellow hex-tile counter top with navy blue bullnose edging. It was so charming.
I am in LOVE! I have 200.00, anyone want to go in on this house with me?
Yep, I’ll throw in $50.00!
Absolutely amazing house!!
I’m good for $200, but I get my choice of bathrooms.
And let me tell you, that the neighborhood is My-Tee Fine!
Katy from Portland
Katy, that gave me a chuckle remembering the Portland-based Fred Meyer My-T-Fine brand!
I’ve never had the urge to hug a house before, but I would hug this house.
Wow, such an interesting place! It is evident that this place was added on to at one point and possibly renovated at that time. I’m trying to figure out what was the addition and what was original. I’m wondering if the entire left side of the house was an addition, with the brick entry and sawtooth brickwork being part of the original structure.
Either way, the size of the place is astonishing, and all of the detailing is fantastic!
Yowza! I love it all!
Whoa. Not what I usually tend to pull towards, but that house stunning! The bathrooms are amazing without question, but everything else is really nice too. I am quite fond of the green exterior against the red brick.
This makes my heart hurt, I love it so much! And to hope, hope, hope that who ever buys it really appreciates what it already is, rather than going in with a demo mindset. I would kill for ONE of those bathrooms! And that rec room! Be still my beating heart! I can’t even think what the wrong person would do to that house. If I do I may end up rocking and crying in a corner somewhere…
Fabulous!!! Just how big is this house? Did you notice the Sputnik light in the knotty pine basement?
Fabulous!!! Can’t believe this is all in one home!!
I love them all – the pink and black looks like pink and navy but I’ll take it either way.
Pam, could be that it was EARLY 1942 and the shortages hadn’t started yet. Remember, war was declared 12’8 and because the economy was going well they probably had plenty of material to build the house. They probably hadn’t started having shortages and rationing.
At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I can’t wait til tomorrow when I can come back and really examine each room.
LOVE………………..
Thanks, JanH, I need to do more research into this question — thanks!
Or it could be that the house was designed for someone who was extremely wealthy in the “money is no object” sort of way, which would make sense since the house was designed by a local noteworthy architect, Richard Sundeleaf.
http://modernhomesportland.com/modern-homes-for-sale/architects/richard-sundeleaf-1900-1987/
I would buy this house in a heartbeat if I could and not change one single thing!! I absolutely love it. Thanks so much for sharing.
Insane in the membrane!! I love this house,,ours was built in 47 with a lot of brick work too and one of the things i like is moss on some of it,,but my hubby not so much,so seeing it on the patio made me smile
My dream house!!! Unfortunately, chances are that someone will buy it and immediately feel the need to destroy all the ‘old stuff’ and replace it with cheesy new crap. There should be a law against selling gems like this to people who can’t appreciate them!
Portland is a market full of lots of people who seem pretty sensitive to historical properties — let’s all keep our fingers crossed!
If that happened, there would be a long line of people waiting for the demo’d materials.
*swoons*
Oh my god, its fantastic!
OHHH! The pink/pink bathroom has a pink dressing room!
I want that bathroom so bad.
Please, please, please let this house go to someone who appreciates the interior just the way it is. Bonus points for a very handsome and dare-to-be-different exterior color.
I voted for Bathroom #4 (pink and blue) but both this bathroom and #3 (white and black) include a very clever trick that I don’t think I would have ever thought of, changing out the toidy seat to another color for instant and very affordable two-toning. What a great idea!
The Think Pink sink in Bathroom #1 (pink and pink) is also a show stopper. I want
I agree: I adore the exterior color — so cheery!
Love, Love, Love!!!
Love all five of those bathrooms! I hope someone buys it that appreciates them.
Oh, my…my heart stopped with this house…what a jewel. I voted for the pink, pink,pink bathroom but I love them all. Couldn’t somebody buy this house and turn it into a B&B so we can all enjoy it? Sigh.
I love that idea!!! I hope someone takes you up on it!
Absolutely beautiful!! Wowsers!!
Oh my, oh my, oh my. Unbelievable … the bathrooms are bigger than our bedroom! Adore the yellow and black bathroom but had to vote for the pink pink one because of that fabulous bath alcove. Thank you for sharing, Susan Cassidy!!
That’s what won me over too – that pink bathtub alcove. I actually pictured myself stepping out of the bath and toweling off. I want to be rich and move to Portland so I can buy this house!
Wow, this is an amazing house in one of the best family neighborhoods in Portland! We raised our family in Eastmoreland and it was wonderful.
If there’s ever an open house I’ll have to go and see this one! It’s way too much square footage, but would love to see inside.
Yes, I would go to the open house and stay a long long time!
Oh Em Gee! It looks like money was no object when building this house. The bedrooms all seem good sized, too! Those bathrooms are perfection. Me want that dressing room attached to the pink bathroom. It’s all so fabulous! I’ve never seen wood trim like the living room/entry area before. When I have more time I need to go back and savor every photo. It’s a tile extravaganza!
Heart, heart, heart. Except the kitchen and the light bar over the sink in the Black Tile Bathroom. [u*** word etc edited - pam]
I noticed that light bar, too. Seemed so out of place.
Did anyone notice the radiators? We have those same radiators in some of our school buildings.
Domestic help was probably easier to get when this house was built. It would be hard to take care of 6458 SF and 5 baths w/o help.
Uhhhh… Wow… not sure what to say. All in one house?????
Holy Tydee-Bowl! Cleaning five bathrooms! I would do it though! These are gorgeous.
What really amazes me is that all the bathrooms are so large!
An appreciative buyer is definitely in order. This house is a perfect representation of Mid-Century and should be preserved as a nod to the era. Like a big museum!
I’m glad that the kitchen was kept understated when it was re-done.
And I must say that the house is perfectly staged. Who here isn’t lusting after it??
I’ll take the yellow one please. These time capsules keep getting better and better and it’s only February! FIVE BATHROOMS!!! unheard of especially for the time period. I desparately want the basement with the knotty pine including the sputnik light fixture, all I have is ersatz paneling from the 70s. These baths are pristine, can’t imagine anyone ripping them out; if so they have no business buying the place.
Yes, the tips coming in from readers — and this time, direct from the agent — are phenomenal!
Beautiful!!!! I wonder who the original owner was. I hope the sellers get at least a pinky promise from the buyers that they will not destroy those bathrooms. Although the kitchen has been modernized, I think they actually did a pretty respectful job. It’s a simple, understated kitchen.
I agree with everything above. Amazing that it has been so well taken care of over the years. I checked some records and it looks like the the current owners are the 3rd owners since 1993. House last sold in 2000. Maybe there has been some careful restoration on the home.
Three owners in 20 years? I wonder why? This house is such a keeper. I can’t imagine ever moving.
I’m so grateful that the three families who lived in this house recognized historical significance and left it alone – well, except for the kitchen reno, which was respecfully done.
I love the house, its amazing. What I noticed was it was so well taken care of!
I grew up in a home built just before the US involvement in WWII that had a pink tiled bathroom, similar to the first one pictured (not quite as grand though), with light blue trim tile. Same sort of sink. Miss it.
I figured out that the view of the “back of the house” is really a view of the front. The photographer is standing, facing the house from the left corner. In another phto, the moss covered brick wall and door they list as “back door” is the left side of the house (if you’re facing the house). That side door takes you into that “sun room” just off the living room. Oh how I would love to be in this house. Just beautiful!
These are stunning! I would cry if anyone redid them.
However, is the black trim in the white-fixture bathroom really black? It almost looks cobalt blue (if you look under the sconce). Either way — it’s yummy!
I agree. On the left side of the sink in the pink and “black” bathroom, one of the dark tiles on the front edge looks like a replacement or not fully in line with the others so it appears cobalt blue. Not sure about the yellow bathroom also being edged with cobalt, as someone suggested, but it would be a fun combo.
I like all of the bathrooms and would happily buy the house if I had an extra $900K lying around.
To clarify: In the yellow bathroom, the trim looks cobalt blue to me
Yes, yellow-and-blue spotters, agent Susan says the trim tile is dark blue. By the way, she also says that in the pink-on-pink-on-pink bathroom, there is also a “dental sink”, see this story about dental sinks — http://retrorenovation.com/2010/12/10/dental-sinks-in-mid-century-bathrooms/
oh. my. goodness. yowzers, what a house!!!!! Probably my most favorite time capsule ever! The windows! The woodwork! The BATHROOMS!!! I was amazed at how large all of the rooms (including the bathrooms) were, especially for a 1942 house. Obviously the original owner had some money. It is amazingly well-preserved and well-staged – the house is the center of attention, not their furniture or tschatshkes. Fingers crossed for a sympathetic buyer!
Can we vote for the “dressing room” off of the pink/pink bathroom?! Whoa. My. God.
my dream house in my dream city. i would sell my soul to have it!!!
Me first. I’m making a long distance call to Hell right now.
The style of the exterior looks very similar to the ‘Bilton’ style of home in the UK during the 20s-40s – like you say, slightly Tudor but not quite.
Time literally stood still for this house. I felt like I was transported back to the 1940′s just by looking at the pictures. What a wonderful, wonderful house that has been lovingly preserved for all these years. Could you imagine getting 5 pristine vintage bathrooms? I also love all the vintage light fixtures that has been kept in place. Everything about this house is spectacular. Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
OMG-what an AWESOME house!
I’ll second that! Can we ‘vote’ for every room in the house being a favorite!
I reallllllllly want this house. I heart it.
i agree, mary, and the location couldn’t be more perfect!
What a shame when house is sold and completed gutted and redone!! We know this will happen!
I don’t think so, Gail! Portland is a market where there is a lot of sensitivity to historic homes! I am very hopeful that this house will find an appreciative buyer. As someone else has pointed out, there seem to have several different owners over the past 20 years — and the bathrooms are still there, and glowing!
I sent the link to some Portland friends who have a similar, if smaller, pink bathroom. They loved it – it sounds like the regional attitude is very different.
this house is gorgeous!
French Provincial meets American Colonial? Definitely a custom home built for a wealthy family.
Those arched doorways are just killing me. So beautiful. Geez, amazing woodwork, knotty pine, vintage tile, gorgeous setting – this house has it all. Only a hard hearted troll would buy this house and change anything.
That house is “awesome”
Wow! Five bathrooms – in 1942! And all but one are far larger than typical for bathrooms. And they are all still original and in great condition. Amazing.
I am running out of superlatives for these time capsule houses, Pam! This one is off-the-charts!! It’s the kind of home that one can imagine staying in a family for generations.
And I have NEVER seen a house of this vintage with FIVE bathrooms. Someone is going to get very, very lucky with this gem.
I cannot believe how awesome that house is. If only I were willing to grow duck feet and move to Portland…
Those are amazing!! Not only are they beautiful, but they’re huge! That many bathrooms and of that size in and old home is pretty rare. It was hard to choose. I ended up going with the pink with black trim, but I love the pink and blue and black and white baths too. I hope no one goes in there and “modernizes” those. The arch over the entry way is very cool too.
GORGEOUS! So well preserved.
That Sputnik chandelier….the tiles following the lines of the windows great I had to save for future reference
Aaaahhh! If I had to be confined to one room for the rest of my life, I would choose that knotty pine den! It is fabulous. And the lighting in there is perfect too. The whole house is an absolute gem. Those bathrooms! The woodwork! The built-in shelving! Everything! I wish I had $900,000.
Fantastic house. I don’t know what style you would call the exterior- may be a little bit of “Hollywood Regency” style?- but I know that I love it.
Good gosh! All that, plus a sputnik chandelier and the door with the “square in the square” motif. I love it right down to its moss covered bricks.
Myrna Loy and Cary Grant should live here!
That moss-covered brick wall surrounding the terrace is my favorite part of this whole beautiful house!
yes, around every corner more drool-worthy loveliness!
There is Mr. Blandings house in SW Portland off Walker Road. I can’t remember the cross street. It was built as part of publicity for the movie.
That is fantastic! Would love to see it.
According to a quick search: Northwest corner of SW Walker Road and Mayfield Avenue.
2715 SW Mayfield Ave., Portland.
If this link works it will show an article from The Oregonian about the house dated 1948.
http://vintageportland.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/blandings-house-feature-1948.jpg
Thanks Gerry! Awesome article!
Oh, Gerry, thank you! Wonderful to “read all about it”.
Wow, small world. My parents made an offer on the Blandings dream home and they missed out when I was a kid in about 1965. I grew up about 1/4 mile away in a 1949 Colonial. A classmate lived in that home and I have been in that house many times, I attended Cub Scout meetings in the basement, right next to the full on bomb shelter
Wonderful bathrooms. I wonder how the kitchen looked originally…
Has to be my favorite time capsule of the 2013, so far anyway!!! I think I want to pack up and move to Portland, seriously!
it is soooo very clean!! would love to have this home. I would like to know about the family that lived in the home…..just curious. itis beautiful!!!!!
It really is a dream home, isn’t it? Absolutely wonderful! If that Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes comes through, I am outta here and over there!
The entire house is fantastic and loaded with great details – arched doorways, great windows, etc. If I had to pick one room, it would be the pink-on-pink master bath. The arches over the tub and shower are beautiful, and get a load of the frill on top of the shower door! Add in the great sinks, mirror-topped vanity, and the huge window and I will just move in!
Wow, this is what I get for not checking the blog yesterday. Late with my comment – but this is simply the most FAB house ever on RR!
Simply.to.die.for. I’d easily go back to the rain for this!!!!
Now, what bank to rob…….I’ll share the house with whoever is willing to drive the getaway car (I get the pink bathroom though)
posted late last night!
And if you thought the house was lovely, you should see the neighborhood it is located in! One of the most desirable neighborhoods in Portland: Eastmoreland. This is a FIND. Every street and home in this small enclave is immaculate and lovely. The neighborhood is filled with tudors, colonials, even mid-modern. I have “staged” a couple near-by homes and have loved working in this area, a fun departure from my “Old Portland” neighborhood (Hollywood, the one in Portland, not Los Angeles!) Thanks to my mom-in-law Diane for sending me this lovely locked-in-time home!!
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. And Wows for the other rooms, too! Absolutely incredible. I wonder, fifty years from now, if Pam’s daughter, running a straight-to-cerebral-cortex version of RetroReno, will be posting holographic images of a “time capsule” home from 2013, complete with granite countertops in the kitchen and bathroom sinks atop a shaker cabinet? Na. Probably not.
Thanks for sharing thisone!
All I can say is “Beam me up, Scottie”!!
I also find it interesting that the home was “built in 1942″. With wartime rationing starting in the spring of 1942, this huge home would have to have been started quite a bit earlier since all non essential buildings were stopped for the war effort. This may explain why some give earlier dates to the plumbing fixtures.
So nice
You don’t suppose there’s a floor plan anywhere, do you?
This house is bound to be sold soon – everybody I know on Facebook is talking about it!!
LOVE>>>>>>>
Oh wow, this is an amazing house! By the time I got to the pic of the rec room with the Sputnik chandelier, I actually whimpered out loud. It’s almost enough to make me leave my ’50s house in warm, sunny Austin, TX.
@TappanTrailerTami: I’ll drive the getaway car but you’ll have to arm wrestle me for the pink bathroom!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this house. The bathrooms are all amazing, but I have to vote for the B&W bathroom. That arched shower just speaks to me. I totally envy the size, and the good layout.
The kitchen doesn’t really bother me-its obviously a redo, but those white flat front cabinets are very much in keeping with the period. I think that the main reason why the kitchen sticks out is that the rest of the house is so warm and colorful, and that all-white kitchen is so stark. If the walls were painted a color-maybe a nice yellow, to pick up the blue in that rope trim on the tile, or maybe a light blue, that compliments the cobalt, the brass knobs replaced with something more colorful-cobalt blue, or maybe red, and, as much as I don’t like suggesting replacing something that is in such good shape, the countertops had some ‘pop’ to them-maybe a colored laminate, maybe tile with cobalt blue bullnose, that kitchen would sing.
And we’d all be debating if that gorgeous yellow and blue, or Red, White and Blue kitchen was original.
A person living with so many bright bathrooms may have decided to create a white kitchen that could be changed up color-wise over time (as one’s mood changed) through the use of accessories. This home is obviously staged – so whatever colorful kitchen decor was there has been put away.
I love all of the bathrooms, but my favorite is the yellow. I’ve seen little showers like the ones with curtains and they look very small and claustiphobic for daily use. the ones I’ve seen are kind of like a small utility closet, and kind of dark. The yellow looks like the most comfortable and therefore overall the most attractive to me as I am not crazy about over-sized (to me) bathrooms.
I couldn’t find a formal polling link – what I thought might be, is not working for me.
Beautiful home all around. Love the knotty pine.
darn. our Poll technology is very fussy. We fixed it. Please vote *officially* if you like! Thanks!
I’m just thinking, that at some point some owner decided to renovate the kitchen. They went “simple”. It’s okay with me….. And, this kitchen would be “easy” to take back to 1942!
My thought is someone building a home of this size at that time probably would have had household help so the kitchen would have been more utilitarian and less adorned than bathrooms used by the family. That may be why it’s so simple in appearance compared to the rest of the house.
The house I grew up in had those kind of showers and they really are bigger on the inside than they seem, the real killers are the old corner unit showers like my house has they’re triangular and half the size of one of those. The secret to not having them seem cave-like is lighting, in the house I grew up in my mom was really smart. When they bought the house they had to completely redo the wiring and since it was all loose up in the crawl space my mom had them put one unobtrusive recessed light above each shower upstairs (the downstairs one was still a cave) and it made such a big difference…
There will be a lecture about the work of Richard Sundeleaf, the architect of this remarkable home, on March 7, 2013. Link is attached.
http://www.visitahc.org/content/oregon-architects-series-richard-sundeleaf. Rejuvenation helps sponsor the lecture series.
I also found a reference to an event in Lake Oswego from 2012 about the homes he built there. Writer said 7 are designated local landmarks and 1 is on the national register.
Nosy me, I also found that his granddaughter is an architect in Portland.
Good reporter, you! Thank you!
If I could own this house, I would not leave the premises until I died!!!
This home is a true gem. Move-in ready and super gorgeous all the way around! Is the totally pink bathroom off the master bedroom? Thank you for letting me drool …
It really looks as though everything was very well maintained by great owners. I have to wonder if new owners will immediately rip it apart and put travertine with those awful vessel sinks:( It really should stay as it is.
Maude
I totally agree with you that the new owner shouldn’t change the bathrooms, they’re perfect as is! But I have to disagree about bowl sinks (I mean they definitely do not belong in this house), but I have a friend who’s a potter and their studio makes phenomenal handmade bowl sinks that I could see fitting in very well in a very modern mid-century modern. I also agree with you wholeheartedly about the travertine! It’s all I can do to keep my boyfriend from covering the whole house in it… he thinks its so cool and here I am arguing to back date our bathrooms to a style that slightly pre-dates our house (think the blue and white bathroom in this house, but with a light minty green instead of blue). But what can you do, I think he has no flair for design and he swears that I’m colorblind… lol… but maybe I’m biased against travertine, my favorite vacations as a kid were to the old tiki/Hawaiian themed hotels in San Diego, and a few years ago I went to stay in one of my favs for the first time as an adult and I was SSSOOO disappointed, my Hawaiian paradise had been turned into a no-Mediterranian, travertine-tiled wasteland…
It was a traumatic experience… lol
You mean this house has never been touched? OMG! The pink & turquoise bathroom is to die for!
Most excellent listing. That is a ton of bathrooms for 1942. Three would have been a lot.
I’m SO upset… All this talk of time-capsule houses made me curious, I had to look up the house I grew up in and they totally RUINED IT… It had 3 wonderful bathrooms, lavender and black, coral and black, and yellow and black and now it looks like and add in an Ikea catalog! At least they left the stained glass window and the amazing fireplace…
http://www.southerncaliforniahomes.com/san-fernando-valley/glendale/home/1517-Highland-Avenue,-Glendale,-CA-91202/12147029
Sarah, although I am hyperventilating at the thought of a lavender/black and coral/black bathroom (how gorgeous!), don’t be too distraught. It appears the new owners did a tasteful remodel. Give the current owners the benefit of the doubt; perhaps the original tile got cracked; maybe the original plumbing needed to be replaced; maybe it was too hard to find replacement tiles. The replacement fixtures they chose are tasteful, and look reasonably appropriate to the house, and the kitchen is lovely. (Is the kitchen original?) Really, it could have been much, much worse!
At least the kitchen wasn’t replaced with granite counters and “contemporary” cabinets! I have seen sooooo many beautiful mid-century modern bathrooms and kitchens replaced with hideous contractor-quality vanities and granite counters. Being a sentimental sap, I can totally appreciate how you feel — but have heart, it could have been much, much worse. At least they were sensitive to the era the house was built in, and didn’t “update” the house to 2013.
Well I know that my parents had to redo all the plumbing and electrical before we moved in (when they bought it it was a real dump, there weren’t even any grounded outlets in the house and the wiring was so old that it was bare wire in ceramic tubing and a lot of the tubing had broken causing potential fire hazards. The kitchen isn’t the original, when we moved in tye kitchen was so damaged and full of black mold, lead paint and asbestos that it wasn’t saveable, we don’t even think it was original since it was knotty pine and looked like a remodel may have been done in the 50s. They may be the cabinets that my family put in, they look like the same
As the ones we put in (although they were natural wood and these are painted, but the new owners could have painted them). They did change the counters though, the old counters were white.
I saw this story linked on another site. Maybe there’s hope that these bathrooms will be saved.
http://blog.estately.com/2013/02/vintage-pink-bathrooms-make-a-comeback/
If it was anywhere but Portland you’d be right to be skeptical, but I don’t think anyone in Portland would spend 900K on a house, only to gut it. I feel pretty confident that this house will find a sympathetic owner.
Whole house is just fabulous and I hope the next owner knows it. Pam’s comment about the kitchen being “easy” to take back is right on. With the right hardware, those cabinets could easily take on the look of vintage St. Charles.
So many admirable features, but is it wrong to like the outside in the first photo most of all?
I walked by this house tonight on my evening stroll in my neighborhood. I had seen this post the other day and was excited to see what the interior of the house looked like, it has greater street appeal in person too!. I love the bathrooms with all the original tile..a total gem of a house. I hope, hope the new owner keeps those vintage details…perhaps that should be part of the contract when those papers are signed!
right when i’m feeling poor and creepy at tax time, i see this post. that yellow bathroom is like mine looked before it was “improved” by some crackpot before i moved here. i looked under the drywall. i have got to start saving for my restored bathroom.
Wow, just spectacular in every way. I cannot even imagine these incredible bathrooms, but the B&W is my favorite. I don’t mind the kitchen remodel either.
Can’t put my finger on it but the rest of the interior rooms look very much like the interiors of British homes. Very beautiful home!
I always love it when these pastel tiled bathrooms are kept intact and celebrated for the charm that they exude. I only wish the wall colors were more cohesive with the tile colors. As itis now, there is a battle for visual hierarchy and the walls are winning when it should be the magnificent tile in first place!
It would be nice to see the house staged withh more period pieces too! But it is a magnificent example of the beauty of original intact architecture.
Wow, wow, wow. I am madly in love with all of it. What an amazing house!
I do SO wish we could afford this house…I’d move up to Portland in a heartbeat for this house! Gorgeous!
OMG – I am madly in lerv with this one and know right where it is!! Beautiful neighborhood – oh I do miss Portlandia! Thank you for providing this link and photos – that peachy pink bath is just – heaven!!!
Does anyone but me think it strange to have the towel rack inside the shower in the pink bathroom? Gorgeous house! My 1941 colonial in DC has 4 1/2 baths. I wish they were all in such good condition. Beautiful, beautiful home!
Also, if I had a little girl, I would want her to have the pink and blue bath with the pale green walls. Darling!
Please let me win the lottery!! I don’t think I would leave that house for anything but groceries and library books… *happy dreaming smile*
This house is unbelievably gorgeous. I can’t get over the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. And a kitchen, dining room, laundry room, office(s), and every room is huge. I’d be willing to move to Portland if I could own this house. I absolutely love it.
Calgon! Take me awaaaaay…to Portland!
Hi Pam;
This home is dreamy – right down to the moss. Thanks for sharing. Oh, I have the same light fixture with the big round bulbs. It was here when we moved in and so many people have tried to get me to remove it. My hubby replaced one of the big bulbs with an ugly environmental corkscrew bulb and I took a fit. I am driving everyone crazy when they try to replace/update their homes and throw out the old.
Joan