What a fabulous week it’s been — topped off last night with a great phone call with Pennsylvania real estate agent Jeffrey Hogue, who gave me permission to feature his photos from his listing of this fabulous 1965 time capsule house. Yes, complete with a professional beauty parlor in the basement. Thank you, Jeffrey. Snaps, too, to reader Jamie, who sent me this tip. Luv.
This fun and fabulous in-home bar makes it on to the homepage, too. Golly, did I just use the word “fabulous” a third time? I guess I’m excited by the orange-and-brown (wood?) stripes … the tic-tac-toe wine bottle holder … the scalloped indoor awning designed to hold can lights … those yellow shelves behind orange arches. Who thought this space up? They were fabulous.
Above: Setting the scene before I further amaze you with…
… the kitchen. Are those authentic Saarinen tulip chairs, do ya think?
The ceiling in this kitchen has pushed me over the top: I neeeeeeed to wallpaper a ceiling, stat. I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna.
The living room is sedate, by comparison. Love the chartreuse upholstery. S0 1965. So 2012. And the window treatments: Please, new owners, don’t change them! Fortunately, Jeffrey says that houses like this — retro time capsules with style — usually find appreciative buyers. This house is in Reading, Pa, about 50 miles outside Philadelphia. I was so pleased to talk to Jeffrey, who said he tells sellers of houses like this not to change anything. Buyers either want completely renovated — or completely original; no middle ground, he said, because a house can’t be half-one and half-the-other. It just does not compute. Love the house you’re in. Sell the house you’ve loved.
Original 1965 George Nelson bubble light — on a pulley? Any experts out there to confirm?
The green chairs! Swanky!
You know what else Jeffrey said that made me really happy? He said that very typically, the owners of these older homes … original or longtime owners … almost always took care of the houses, impeccably. “If anything broke, they fixed it right away.” Theirs was not a disposable, “oh if it breaks, I’ll just get a new one” generation. Stuff was made to last if you took care of it, and they took care of it.
Link love:
- This home in Reading, Pa., is for sale for $164,900
- See all the homes for sale by Jeffrey Hogue, Realtor, Berks County, Penn.
Yes….They did put a gas fireplace insert in there.
::waves at Phoenixville::
Just to add to what you’ve said, even though Reading is about 50ish miles from Philly, the location of that particular house would make a commute to Philly pretty easy because it’s located close to 176, the PA turnpike, and not too far from 422.
Our housing is so cheap here compared to the Philly area that some people are willing to do the commute.
Now if we only had a train…
Thank you so much for telling people to leave these houses alone rather than updating! My husband and I recently moved into a Whitman split with a lot of original features from the 1950s and we love it. We looked specifically for a home that hadn’t been renovated, which was a bit more of a challenge than we expected. My husband’s 90 year old grandfather used to live in the neighborhood, and several of our neighbors are still the original residents. I like to talk to them and get the history of the houses.
We have so many mid-century gems in Berks County but it seems like most people here want a more traditional country look, so these great homes often get stripped down and painted beige and lose all their fun character.
I’m looking forward to seeing your listing for the 1956 house!
Wow, memories! My mom had a ist cousin who had a beauty shop in her Tri or Bi Level home in the country, Monroeville, IN. R.I.P. Both Mom and her cuzs, Marcele, Margaret and Aunt Bessie! Always wanted a home like hers and this, could you transplant it here, in Indiana?
“Snazzy?” Now there’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time! Groovy, and it’s a gas!
how do you remove those ceiling lamps on a pulley ?? thank you
michael, this is not a DIY site in the sense of your question. Consult with a properly licensed professional… Good luck.
I live less than 2 miles from this house and it is so awesome! I swear I stalk the website at least three times a week and drive by the house at least twice a week on purpose. Despite showing my husband this house (repeatedly) and explaining to him how awesomely cool it is, he does not grasp the concept and love of kitsch.
I do think it should come furnished. I wish I could just move right in….and invite the Ropers over. 😉
I am 95% sure I bought something off craigslist from the sellers of this home a few years ago. I think it was a trio of Lane Acclaim tables? hmmm, trying to think of what else it could have been, but I definitely purchased a piece of vintage furniture from a home in Reading with that beauty parlor in the basement- sadly I did not get to see the rest of the home!
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/29-Day-Ave-Westfield-MA-01085/56245092_zpid/
Here’s another retro home with a salon in the basement.
Very sweet house – thanks for sharing!