If you love a mix of rustic elements and bold pops of color — like this red tiled bathroom — then you’ll flip over this fantastic 1970s time capsule house in Norfolk, Virginia — a tip sent to us from reader Elizabeth. It’s listed for sale by Tony London/Prudential Towne Realty, with photos by Rosalind Boyle/Virtual Tidewater Photography and Virtual Tours. This swingin’ 70s pad is full to the brim with special details — exposed wooden beams everywhere, multiple spiral staircases, lava red tile in the kitchen and bathroom, shag carpet, intricately carved wooden doors and mile-high draperies.
From the listing:
Price: $295,000
Year built: 1974
Square feet: 2,657
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Rustic Larchmont contemporary corner home, 10,000 square foot lot, large living room, dining room & eat-in-kitchen. Master bedroomwith attached bath. Large deck & private courtyard. New Roof. Spiral stair case in each bedroom to loft for study, office, bonus area. Close to Naval base, ODU & downtown financial district.
If you are “into” 1970s style (and we are — we love well-executed architecture and interior design from any era) — we think this is a great example. Folks in the 1970s were experimenting with rustic natural materials and doing things like converting old barns into houses. The tall ceilings and open beams here remind us of a converted barn, for sure. But this has much more finesse. Interestingly, running rustic wood planks horizontally is trendy again today. So, hey, 2013 kiddos, don’t think you invented this idea. In fact, Edith Wharton featured horizontal clapboards in the foyer of her 1903 house — The Mount in Lenox, Mass. Ain’t hardly anything that’s truly *all-new* in design — unless there is a breakthrough in technology that makes it possible.
Above: There are those mile-high 1970s draperies– they match the green shag carpet and frame the tall, skinny windows beautifully.
I love this shot looking down from the staircase. It allows you to take in all these original details at once — the staircase, windows, wood paneling, beams, chandelier, carpet, drapes. They all work together to create a striking and harmonious design.
- For more information on this property, contact Tony London by email tony@TonyLondon.com or by phone (757) 489-0101.
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:
Time capsule house with spectular 1970s Mediterranean decor — 43 photos 
That 70s Ski Chalet — groovalicious time capsule house — 22 photos 
Forever plaid: A 1978 Pennsylvania time capsule house 
Impeccable 1972 time capsule house in San Antonio — 33 photos 
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Imagine my surprise to come back to RR after a few months hiatus to see a 1970’s gem. I have been moving into and decorating my 1973 museum since I have been on here. I am so excited to see a 70’s home on RR. WHohoooooooooo
Oh I can imagine the epic parties that the owners had in this house. Epic. You know when there were speakers in every room, a spiral staircase in every bedroom to the loft, and a wet bar that it was a party house. I don’t get the feeling that too many kids grew up in that house and that’s ok. I sure do wish I could have gone to some parties there back in its heyday.
I sent this article to our son-in-law’s father. He is a retired architect in Norfolk. He knew the house and said it was about 1/2 mile south of their house and our son-in-law passed it each day on his way to the elementary school!
cool!
Drool…the spiral staircase and green carpeting is stuff my dreams are made of! Normally someone’s nightmare but not mine. Groovy!
If you look closely, those are Amerock Carriage House outlet plates in the kitchen. Love the photo from the top of the spiral staircase as well. It reminds me of the library scenes in The Haunting (1963)
We bought a house in Alaska with the same sink in the bathroom was wondering why the sprayer and the slope in the sink for the bathroom.
The blue sink in the first photo is a famed Kohler Lady’s Vanity. That’s a hand-sprayer with the sink sloped so water will drain faster when you wash your hair. I presume.
See one here also, I believe they are now discontinued — https://retrorenovation.com/2013/08/08/discontinued-kohler-kitchen-bathroom-sinks-faucets/
Fantastic sinks. They were like, $1000 retail or something like that, before they were discontinued.
All these houses remind me of my childhood home, built in 1975. Oh, the fond memories. I wonder about the rugs. How did they manage to keep the rugs for 40+ years? The high pile of the shag rugs would surely have worn out by now.