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.
Jan says
Having grown up and lived most of my life in Houston, I was stunned to see the word “swankienda” in your article. It was (supposedly/credited to) Houston’s premiere gossip columnist Maxine Messenger in the 60’s – if you lived in River Oaks or Memorial, you lived in a swankienda.
Now I have to go back and look at the pictures of the house. 🙂
Nancy says
Yes! I immediately recognized Maxine’s swankienda term in the ad. I lived in Houston from 1987-2002.
Lady of the House says
Robert S, do you know if the sunken tub still works after all these years? I have a MUCH more modest version of the tub. In fact, it’s a much more modest version of this house–kind of a swankcasa as opposed to a swankienda, although a pretty darn big house in its own right!
Anyway, after many years, the grout has failed a bit, and the tub leaks. We tried touching up/regrouting in places, but the tiles are placed so close together that it hasn’t worked perfectly. Do you know if the current owners ever had/resolved this issue?
(FWIW, I believe that tile, as well as the tile in the other bath shown, is American Olean.)
Robert S says
The owners didn’t say anything about it leaking or anything. Houses here are built on slabs with no basements, so I would expect it is a sunken spot built in to the slab that was tiled, so I don’t think there would be anyplace for it to leak to, if that makes sense.
We did get an accepted offer on the house.
lady of the house says
Thanks for the info, I will keep looking for a solution to my particular problem. That is so great about the offer–your good eye and work helped someone see the place for the swankienda it is!
TappanTrailerTami says
This is very late to observe….but I keep coming back to this house and its picture to notice more things about it 🙂
Did anyone else notice the fab leaded diamond window in the dining room? Plus all the other assortment of metal window grilles on the outside of other windows?
And what is the room off the living room with the columns….it looks like it has a full stone wall (yum!)?
See here:
http://retrorenovatio.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/midcentury-modern-house-1957-houston-9.jpg
Alice says
A sunken tub is on my list! This is truly a swankienda, and that is truly my new favorite word! Thanks for sharing, Pam.
tammyCA says
I love the kitchen wallpaper, the turquoise counters and the storybook scallop trim. Cool house…reminds me of homes I’ve been in in my childhood, well not round, but sunken living room big center fireplace & paneling.
Just another Pam says
Sooooo, I had breakfast with the photos of this dream house and I officially hate the hovel I live in. OK, I still have enough of a grasp on reality to know it’s not REALLY a hovel but still……
What a perfectly exquisite house.
Atomic Tucson says
oh I love this house and I love guessing games, could the coffee service be Mikasa Cera Stone blue?
Julie says
My guess is Taylor Smith & Taylor Pebbleford cups with a Boutonierre coffee pot – my mom had some!
I got into an argument with the real estate agent who sold my grandparents home in Dallas a few years ago. She said she kept having to drop the price because no one wanted a modern home.
Stacey says
Corporate HQ of the company I work for is in Houston…I’m in Dallas in my own little mini 1957 time capsule, but that house totally blows mine away. And Houston real estate is dirt cheap, y’all. Dirt. Cheap. Vintage homes in nice neighborhoods in Dallas are expensive. I had to go to the suburbs to find my retro dream house.
Stacey says
….I mentioned the corporate HQ of my company because now I want them to TRANSFER me…so I can BUY THAT HOUSE!
Jay says
Eww! I just drooled on my computer. What a house! The construction details. Such imagination! I think my little ranch would fit inside the living room and cost as much. Amazing how when you get away from the coasts, the price of a house drops. This place is a steal! Loved the wood and stone bath – now that’s a true “man cave”.