Time Capsule tips keep pouring in from readers — and we keep chasing ’em. The latest property — listed for sale in North Richland Hills, TX by Re/Max Trinity agent Malyn Powers — was a tip from reader Leni. Even though the house is in need of some maintenance work — it is still an excellent specimen of mid century and postmodern design details. When I contacted Malyn, she said the response generated by this property has been amazing. Thanks to the excellent photos — taken by photographer Evan Godwin from Chateau Shooters — that we’ve gotten permission to share with you, it is possible for all of us to get a tour of this charming mid century ranch house.
From the listing:
- Price: $95,000
- Year Built: 1953
- Square Footage: 2,379
- Bedrooms: 3
- Bathrooms: 2
Description: If Retro Chic is your style, this is a must see! House is funky, so come with your imagination. The property needs work, so it may not be for the faint at heart. Original, one owner home is now part of an estate. Sold as is. Beneficiary is ready for sale, so bring offers!
Looks like the original 1953 kitchen got a remodel in the late 1960s or early 1970s. If you are a fan of pattern — it’s amazing. There is pattern everywhere — the walls, the floor, the tile counter tops and back splash — and yet all of these designs have been skillfully selected to work together. If you look closely, you can even see the iron work on the right of the photo above — shaped to also complement the patterns on the tile counter tops and flooring.
I especially love the curved shelf — it must have been tricky to lay the tile counter tops and have it turn out nicely. It looks like there is an opening above the built in wall oven — maybe room for a microwave? And note: The wood tone shade of this cabinetry — it fits our definition of “timeless.”
Beaded curtains! Likely on some sort of traverse rod! And, next to knotty pine! What a wondrous place!
The living room is a nice size and appears to get plenty of natural light. The asymmetrical irregular brick fireplace adds grandeur to the room without overpowering it and the stone floor inset makes the room extra special. We wonder: Is a complete stone floor under the carpet?
Another, much larger fireplace is present in the den — along with a groovy wet bar, yet another tile backsplash and fantastic high relief cabinetry and doors — which I’m guessing must have been specially made for this space. What a spectacular space — Mediterranean design done right!
Holey bathrooms — look at that metallic wallpaper. And, the skinny window with tiny custom pinch pleat curtains is terrific. And look — there must have been some fancy folks living here — they even have a bidet.
It looks like there is another toilet at the end of the last room — kind of an good idea for a master bathroom — two people can really be using each space at the same time.
There are geometric details everywhere in this house — my favorite of them all has to be this privacy fence in the back yard.
It looks like whoever made this put up evenly spaced wooden sections and then cut out two different rectangles — repeating them on either side of the fence for a finished look on both sides. This fantastic fence has my wheels spinning — maybe I can construct something like this for my yard.
Again, a huge thanks goes out to the listing agent Malyn Powers for letting us feature this property. Mega thanks to Evan Godwin from Chateau Shooters photography for supplying us with extra large photos for this post and the slideshow below.
Interested in this property?
- Contact Malyn Powers at (817) 996-6719 or email her at malyn.powers@remax.net
- View the listing here
Keep those tips coming, readers! We love you!
Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read the captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:
Rob and Monica says
WOW that is sooooooooo cheap! I can not believe the price! I might change some things, I love the outside !!!!!! (this is Monica)
Paula says
I love how the privacy wall repeats (if you look closely in some of the yard pics you can see it). I almost think that it might be metal.Aluminum maybe?
Scott says
Me too on the privacy fence, I love that so much I’d like to even figure out a way to replicate that kind of a look INDOORS.
Swag lamp in the bathroom… why didn’t I think of that! Now I am really glad I haven’t replaced the bathroom light fixtures yet, my mind just opened to so many new options.
As to the fancy den fireplaces, I’ve never seen a setup like this before and have to admit I’m confused. The bottom section, with the hearth (and by the way wow, I’ve never seen an asymetrically angled one before), is obviously The Fireplace, but what is the smaller, higher section for? Your choice of small or large fire? A grill?
Elaine Schuster says
Yes, in the den that is a grill. See the ash clean out door underneath? What a cool way to have a party, grill the steaks and mix the drinks at the same time.
Nancy Hesby says
Love all these time capsule homes! Pam, can you do a book of them with your commentary? I would buy it!
Elaine Schuster says
That would be a fantastic coffee table dream book! I would definitely buy it, and give it as a gift too.
June Cahill says
Love the coffee table book idea – get to work, Pam:)
pam kueber says
ain’t gonna happen
Annie B. says
Oh, heck yeah; I could do this. Funkadelic on the inside and fabulously modern on the outside. The living room of this house cries out for that swirly-curvy sofa from Room Service Vintage. And, what a price! 95K wouldn’t buy a shoebox here in coastal McMansion Land.
This is one great little jewel. Thank you, Kate, for the happy viewing.
Janet in CT says
What an amazing house! Is it the camera angle, or is it me, or does that house have an awful lot of long narrow rooms?! Again on the camera angle but it seems to be that alot of the corners aren’t right angles either, but strangely pointy. I also was amazed at the lanai, not something you see in New England. It must have been the talk of the town back in the day.
pam kueber says
wide angle lens, methinks
Kate says
I know that area. That’s a really good price for that house. Unfortunately it looks as though it was well loved for a very long time and then ignored for the past twenty years. It hurts my heart to think of the family that put so much love, money, time, and effort into making this such a spectacular home (all that tile!) and that it’s now in this condition.
I can imagine a huge dressing table in that long bathroom area. I wonder if there are hard woods under the carpeting? Also, I bet some of the kids that grew up in that neighborhood when this house was well loved could tell some stories about some epic parties.
Elaine Schuster says
That is a sad tale when folks get older, they just don’t have the energy and maybe not the money to maintain their space as they used to use it. My time capsule house was quite neglected, but very solidly built. If the bones of the house are good, it is not impossible to bring it back. We’ve been working on ours for a couple of years now and it is shaping up just beautifully. At the price of this house, one could afford to put quite a bit of cash into it and build some more equity.
This house would really reward someone who spent the time and effort to clean and restore it. Those walls and doors in the family room make me want to go in there with some Old English and just stroke them til they glow. Also that siding on the outside looks pretty solid, just itching to get in there and clean it up! Elbow grease projects!
Terri says
I’m guessing it is that 2300 sf flat roof that is shot, and probably the HVAC. Love it and hope the new owners respect it and don’t do something “clever” like replacing all that tile countertop with granite (I hate granite countertops like fire.)
*sigh*
Terri
Gracie says
There is a very similar home near my house in Birmingham… also in the same sad condition, but spectacular just the same. I see this home and I can just imagine that the same type of people lived in it as well. The home near mine has a swimming pool built into the middle of the house, with giant wagon wheel chandeliers over it! The people who owned it were into politics and gave parties all the time… all their furniture was gold!
Sadly, their politics was crooked, he went to jail and the home was sold to someone who just needed the address to get their kid into a good school system. The house has been used as a storage unit for the present owners and the roof leaks are about to cave in. So sad. I went into it last summer when they were having a garage sale and it made me cry to see the state of it. It was so gleaming and beautiful when I was a kid! I do believe it is too far gone to ever restore now.
Thera Vaughan says
Gracie: I live in the Ham. Where is the house? Perhaps I could get at as our own dream home, with a few temporary nightmares included, but worth the while. Do you have the address?
Teresa says
In it’s day that place was a real show-stopper. The beads hanging at the window was a blast from the past. 1972 and I’m helping my mom string beads across my window. You could purchase a rod that had an open track that allowed for the beads to be slipped in. When you were finished there was a cap that fit onto the end. We used 3 complementary colors hung at 3 rows each then repeat. Those were fun, I wonder if they will every become popular again?
There is one decor standard that can remain buried in 1965 ….. carpeting in the bath. Uck.
jay says
and don’t forget the kitchen as well. There’s a reason why ceramic tile and vinyl have reigned supreme as flooring in these rooms.
pam kueber says
The beaded curtain — yowza!
Jeanne says
My mom hung one of those beaded curtains (in the spring-tension track rod) in the doorway at the base of the stairs going up to the upstairs bedroom. It was the late 60s (I remember because my brother graduated in ’70 and his bedroom was upstairs). The colors were in the golds and amber family. There was no way in he!! anyone could sneak upstairs. Those beads made a lot of noise! LOL
Elaine Schuster says
I love beaded curtains. I put one in the interior doorway to our master bath, it’s like this one, two rooms (but not so big). Hubby and I have a silent war going on. I put the beads across the doorway, he swoops them up over the robe hook on the side. I love my beads! This window treatment has me thinking, where else can I put beads in my house? You can still buy beaded curtains at ShopWildThings.com. :^)
June Cahill says
Love the beads! We had them in the little window over the tub – pink, clear, yellow. LUV. So, in MY house, I found strings(?) of light and dark shells – like abalony – at West Elm. They were long and I cut them to fit my bathroom window. I just toook a little ‘i-hook’ and screwed it to the top of the window frame. The strands hang down from the hook. When the window is open, the shells make a ‘tinkling’ sound with the breeze. I love them!
John says
I wonder how the camera took those pictures. In all the other time capsule house pictures you can tell the pictures were just taken. These pictures, for whatever reason, look to have been taken in the 70s. There is an orange/red tinge to them. I love it and wish I could take pictures that would do that. What a cool space! I hope the new owner is someone who will appreciate it and keep as much original, (to this), as possible.
Also what a great space to have a Swingtown party! man i loved that show!!
pam kueber says
maybe they have been tweaked — i can do this pretty easily in my photo processing programs. dialing up the black makes for my favorite effect!
John says
I will have to try black…. I have tried upping the red… but it just doesn’t come out like I want. This looks like one of your features from magazines or pamphlets. I love the effect. I hope some of my vintage 50s cameras will have the same effect on color, black and white came out looking like old pictures. If you haven’t tried a 50s brownie I highly suggest it. =)
blair kooistra says
This processing technique is really common in photoshop or photoshop elements, and it is similar to the craze of HDR–high density range–photography. In elements, you want to adjust the sliders under the Edit>Quick tabs, Lighting section. “Shadows” will lighten the shadows in the photograph, “Highlights” will tone down highlights. Combine these with a tweak in the contrast, a bit more Saturation, and slight adjustment in “Temperature” (these have been shifted slightly towards the warm side), and you can create these effects quite easily. In my way of thinking, it is processing color images much the way us old-timers treated black-and-white: tonality, contrast, density.
pam kueber says
Cool! I use Lightroom – and have lots of fun playing with the sliders. That said, I usually try to get stuff to look “more real”, if that makes sense.