Wow, here is the latest notable time capsule house to come my way. It’s a gorgeous 1957 ranch house in Houston, listed by agent Robert Searcy, who gave me permission to use all of these great photos by TK Images Real Estate Photography. Thanks, also, to Yasmine, who tipped me off about this house — keep those tips coming, amazing readers!!! The photos were also just loaded on the MLS, so this time capsule loveliness is hot hot hot. Here’s how Robert describes this special home in the listing:
One of Glenbrook’s most important signature homes, custom-built in 1957 for local lumber barons Joseph & Sadie Butera Montalbano. An amazing mid-century modern swankienda with lots of wow factor. Centered around a giant ROUND rotunda sunken living area with domed ceiling & round double-sided flagstone fireplace in the center. Tons of gorgeous architectural details. Flagstone walls, zoomy vintage light fixtures, ultra-swank baths, sunken tub & poured terrazzo.
In a followup email, he also told me:
Montalbano lumber is still in business. The Buteras had deli’s and grocery stores in town as well, so both names are known in Houston. According to their son Phillip, the house was designed by J.D. Dansby and cost $10,000 for the lot and $63,000 in additional construction costs at the time. The original owners kept it up until about 10 years ago, when it was sold privately to a neighbor. This is the first time it has been offered publicly for sale.
The tax rolls list it at 4,664 sq. ft. on one level. It has lots of great features like the liberal use of flagstone both in and out, a built in prayer shrine, which was a common feature in the custom Glenbrook Valley homes of the period since this was a heavily Italian-Catholic neighborhood originally. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, inside utility, original turquoise counters in the kitchen, aquamarine tile in the master bath, waterfall cabinets with the original Lucite hardware in the hall bath. Poured terrazzo, of course the round rotunda living area with the domed ceiling and see through fireplace.
Glenbrook Valley was named a protected historic district last year. It is the largest locally designated post WWII historic district that we know of. 1250+ homes. It is Houston’s largest historic district of any kind.
“Swankienda”? I would say so. Swankienda. There. Continue for 23 more photos –>
First, I’ll give you a sneak peek at the spotlighted spaces. Above: A view to how the round living room works. That’s the entrance at about 11 o’clock. Front window at 9 o’clock, second seating area at 3 o’clock. Look at those feature divider walls — these are amazing, they all seem to be a little bit different…And, as Robert mentioned, that’s a double-sided flagstone fireplace in the center of the space. Another feature to note: The dropped ceiling above the entry way, to add intimacy and divide the space – nice.
One of two shots that we have of the kitchen. Terrazzo floors. You know I adore the wallpaper. You know I am praying that the new buyers don’t change anything. Oh, they can change out the appliance — nix the white, let’s get some vintage Caloric color (or some such) back in there, please. Pretty please.
Now here is where my jaw really drops: The blue bathroom (above) is one of the most beautiful bathrooms I have ever seen. That appears to be a sunken tub — tiled in. Yes, you can make your own tub with tile, you do not need a prefabricated bathtub. I also want to point out how the wallpaper is almost tone-on-tone with the tile. Fantastic!
Above: The blue bathroom appears to be adjacent to a dressing room with another sink. This must be the master suite.
Above: More of the dressing area. Notice the carrara marble countertops (you can replicate carrara in laminate quite easily and affordably today – I have identified three sources), and of course, that screen is just lovely. that screen.
Above: A circle tour of the living room. I already gave you the o’clocks. Just walk through with me now.
Above: We’ve made a circle (sort of) and are back at the front door.
Above: Go back to this space…see the dining room at 12 o’clock?…
Above: Here’s the dining room….
… And here’s some more.
Above: Surely, the kitchen must be adjacent.
Above: I’ll repeat the shot I featured in the sneak peek, so you don’t have to scroll back… We need to guess the coffee service pattern… Can anyone identify it from so far away? I love how, even though this was a high-falutin’ architect-designed house, it is still full of kitschy features: Blue and yellow flower power wallpaper, for example. See? See? We LOVE our ornamentation!
Above: Eat-in kitchen area, with wood paneling.
A den down the hall?
Above: A family bath? Notice, it’s classic Mamie Pink tile back there in the toilet and bathing area, even though the wood vanity, stone wall, and countertop are all quite swanky. I’d love to get a closer look at the wallpaper in way back — metallic maybe? This family had it goin’ on!
Above: A bedroom… I’m thinking that none, or little, of the furniture in this house is from the original. That the house was empty and this furniture is staging to get prospective buyers in the mid mod mad mood. Wouldn’t we love to see photos of the house when it was first decorated.
Above: The master bedroom. INotice, the walls have wood trim on them — painted out. And that upholstered window cornice: Divine.
Ta da.
Links:
- 1957 ranch house time capsule house in Houston, listing agent is Robert Searcy — but link seems to be broken, house sold? — so click here to ->contact Robert Searcy direct
- Thanks again to Robert and to TK Images Real Estate Photography for permission to feature these photos here on Retro Renovation.
Robin says
OK, that wallpaper in the kitchen is AWESOME!! This is such a cool house!!
lady brett says
what a house! it’s exciting to see those “hometown” names, too – i never knew the two were related, how funny.
Robert S says
Lady Brett that is just the tip of the iceberg. The old Italian families in Glenbrook Valley were very intertwined. The Son and daughter-in-law still live down the street. The daughter-in-law is a Mandola, of the well-known local restaurant family, and her mother still lives in Glenbrook also. Of course one of the better known Mandolas opened up the Carrabbas restaurants with another relative Johnny Carrabbas, that they are all related to as well.
Robert S says
I have the listing on this one. The current lady of the house is an avid mid-century china collector. There is that blue set, and a pink set, plus what looks like every serving and dish type of Franciscan Starburst in there. And that is just what they haven’t moved out of the house to their ranch yet, although I think she got it all out now. She has a ton of drool-worthy china that had already been moved out. As for the furniture and staging, they moved most of the stuff out already, especially their better pieces, but the dining sets were left, some things in the master and a few shelves and odds and ends they hadn’t moved out that I pushed and pulled and placed for the best effect. The curving blue sofa and Oriental mirror in the living room are actually original to the house and belonged to the Montalbanos. Yes, I hit Ikea for a couple of things to finish out the bedroom just to try to make it look a little more finished and brought in the green chair in the living room and a couple of ottomans. The scale of that rotunda room is actually a lot more awesome in person. As for the next owner, In Glenbrook Valley you don’t pick a house, it picks you, so I am hoping this one makes the right choice. I think it will.
sandra burchsted says
What is the address? Has it been sold?
pam kueber says
Sandra, here is Robert Searcy’s blog, give him a call: http://blogs.har.com/robertsearcy
Wendy says
I am 100% certain the pattern on the coffee set is vernon kilns blue heaven. I have the same set but in the tickled pink version 🙂
Liz says
Gah! I was coming here to post this. I’m pretty certain that this is Vernon Kilns too, but the pattern name is “Heavenly Days”, and, like you said, matches the Tickled Pink pattern 🙂
Beautiful home! Houston is full of MCM time capsule treasures, though we’ve lost far too many to the wrecking ball.
Wendy says
Whoops! Heavenly Days not Blue Heaven that’s what I meant thanks 🙂
RetroSandie says
OMG! This is so gorgeous! I can’t believe I WAS JUST IN HOUSTON and maybe could have seen it if I’d known….I think the price is amazing for such a property. I hope someone who loves it the way it is will buy it. It is such a showplace and so unique!
JamieAbe says
SWOON!!! Seriously…., I’d give both arms to have a house like that. For me, in Texas, 300k is a lot of money, and out of my budget (dang it!) That being said, I was even a little surprised that it’s listed as low. There’s lots of MCM lovers in the state, I hope one of them finds it!
Amy in Sacramento, CA says
Omigosh! And it’s just $299,900???!!! Here in CA, that is more than a bargain. (Hmmm…I wonder if can get hubby to move us to TX…)
Mike S says
It’s cool, but if I was to buy it, the FIRST to go would be those blocks radiating from the central fireplace.
Many of the rooms are so large, the scale of the furniture should be MUCH bigger! And that kitchen is way cool. But cooler still is that master bath! WOW, what a great kitchen to enter in the morning, and in which to decompress at night!
lynda says
I used one of the inflation calculator sites to figure that a price of $73,000 in 1957 would be $597,729.72, in 2012. Interesting this house has not kept up with inflation. This is unusual for real estate. Seems like a bargain price to me.
philq says
Doesn’t seem to work that way…the original owner of my house spent $140,000 in 1957 to build the house. About $1.1 million in today’s dollars. I was “lucky” enough to purchase it in 1998 for $218,000. Funny thing is, the second owners purchased it in 1972 for $200,000.
Betty Crafter says
My jaw is on the floor! Any house with a turquoise kitchen is enough to win me over anyway, but the round living room? Tons of wood and stone accents?? Mod screens??? I die. Also? I hereby officially steal “swankienda” as my own new favorite word. I plan to make everyone around me nauseous with my over-use of it.