Midcentury modern farmhouse perfection can be found in this 1958 time capsule house designed by notable architect Henry Klein in Mount Vernon, Wash., and listed for sale by realtor Erik Pedersen. Yes, we’re calling this beauty a farmhouse — because wait until you see the aerial view! This house is modern and modest at the same time: Just over 1,200 s.f. As a rare added treat, we’ve also obtained permission to feature the floor plan of the home thanks to the folks at HKP Architects. Prepare for the full time capsule touring experience –>
On the outside, the home has been thoughtfully updated with fresh landscaping. Inside you’ll find most, if not all of its delightful original features intact — including a double-sided brick fireplace, light fixtures galore, original galley kitchen and a unique custom bathroom vanity.
And WOW! Look at this aerial view. It’s midcentury modern way out in the country — the best of both worlds. Thanks to reader Cheryl, who pointed us in the direction of this outstanding time capsule house. And thanks for the wonderful photos from Top View by Mike.
From the listing:
- Price: $225,000
- Year built: 1958
- Square footage: 1,218
- Bedrooms: 2
- Bathrooms: 1.75
Mid Century Modern Home in Southwest Mount Vernon. 1958 classic designed by acclaimed architect Henry Klein. This well cared for example is in its original condition, with some small concessions to current standards. New F/A heat and updated energy efficient windows along with an entire new roof system complement the home. Clever and functional design features and built-ins throughout. This is a 1,200 SF, 2BD, 1.75BA layout w pleasing lines from all sides. Settled on a generous 1/2 Ac lot.
The galley style kitchen packs a big punch into a modest space. (Galley kitchens are SO efficient to work in!) A special niche for the refrigerator maximizes the available floor space, while the sliding doors on the wall cabinets keep the lines of the room clean.
Both the original stove/cooktop and wall oven are still present, and they sure look retrolicious.
This common room just off the kitchen is a multi-tasking space perfect for a family. Cooking, laundry and watching the kids play could all be accomplished at once in this functional space. See that skinny door on the back wall? That could be the fold out ironing board that Mike the photographer mentioned to me during our chat.
The back corner of the room also has a built-in storage area and desk — a good place to do homework, set up the computer or even work on a sewing project. That door goes to the back of the house.
Above… we’re still in the common room… You’ve gotta love that rounded fireplace opening — and the original chandelier looks wonderful hanging from those gorgeous wood ceilings.
Above: On the other side of the fireplace is a more formal living space — complete with a built-in sofa. The front door of the house enters into this space.
On to the bathroom, which looks to have a few updates while still retaining its vintage charm.
Saving the best for last — this L shaped vanity is any girl’s dream. Plenty of counter space, a place to sit while getting ready, a built-in cosmetics box and a mirror that makes the space feel oodles larger. We think those windows are pretty special too. It looks like the top is a fixed pane of glass and the small bottom area cranks out just enough to let in a refreshing breeze of air.
The folks at HKP Architects — a firm founded in 1952 by well known architect Henry Klein, designer of this home — were kind enough to allow us to share this floor plan here on the blog. Getting a digital file of the plan was no easy task since the original hard copy wouldn’t fit in HKP Architect’s office scanner. Brian Poppe, partner at the firm went above and beyond for our story, going out of his way to send the plan down to the blueprint company for specialty scanning. Oh what a treat to be able to see how the rooms in this wonderfully designed home fit together. Thanks so much Brian, we really appreciate your help. Note: Click on the image twice and it will enlarge a lot.
Mega thanks are also in order to realtor Erik Pedersen for letting us feature this listing and to photographer Mike from Top View by Mike for providing us with these wonderful photos of the property.
What a lovely, lovely home!
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:
pam kueber says
I am really massively IN LOVE with this house. So much in 1,200 s.f.! Including 1.75 bathrooms. I love the Asian-inspired mid century design. I love that it’s surrounded by farm fields. I love that it’s just $225,000.
I WANT TO MOVE HERE!
Robin, NV says
You’ll want to move there even more when you realize they grow tulips there. Field after field of gorgeous tulips. Plus more bald eagles than I’ve ever seen in my life.
And about your politicking – I couldn’t agree more. If we Americans relaized that less is more, the world would be a MUCH better place. We need to get people on the “small” band wagon. Smaller cars, smaller houses, smaller waistbands.
Diane in CO says
LOL!
pam kueber says
I don’t like to proselytize about it. I just like to SHOW IT. I think that is the way to go…
Robin, NV says
Self righteous proselytizing is a surefire way to turn people off to your cause. Quietly doing what you think is right has more impact – with perhaps the occasional hint at what the “small life” gains you.
pam kueber says
Exactly.
Angela says
YES!!!! My husband and I are 29 with a 5 and a 3 year old daughters. We just “downsized” from 2300 to an awesome 1400 sq. ft. 1957 ranch. We are LOVING the smaller bill and the smaller space. We just didn’t NEED those extra rooms. At this point in our lives most of our friends are upgrading to Mcmansions. We don’t see the need. Rather put the extra cash in savings …or buying MCM furniture……. 😉
Mary Elizabeth says
Not so fast, Pam. I think someone with a horse would gallop right past you to that special place. A tack room (or barn room) with clothes storage for barn jackets, etc. is perfect.
What strikes me most is the light colored wood in the cabinetry and ceilings and the light paint, the yellow in kitchen and bath, plus all the lovely windows, which makes the place bright and inviting and open to the outdoors. In Washington State people need all the light enhancement they can get. The double fireplace is perfect–did you notice how the hearth on the family room side is a raised shelf? You could store the firewood under that shelf, and a toddler could cruise around it without touching the fire.
Other details–a railroad kitchen with sliding cabinet doors makes perfect sense ergonomically. It makes it easy to move about the space without being impeded. (I have some permanent dents in my head from the upper cabinets in my old St. Charles kitchen.) And given the small square footage, all those storage walls in the corridor, bedroom, etc. help keep down the clutter. And I wish I had thought about a fold-down ironing board when I was adding my laundry room! I’m still trying to figure out how to manage it. Maybe I’ll hide it in the adjoining dining room.
Kelly Wittenauer says
Many thanks to the architect’s firm for providing the floor plan. Makes this a special treat for those of us who are plan enthusiasts!
Douglas Camin @ House on Rynkus Hill says
Great space. It’s very difficult to find well designed detached housing with smaller square footage (in the 1000-1500 sq ft range), but there are a number of folks who really like and enjoy not having a gigantic house with lots of extra bedrooms, etc.
pam kueber says
Yes, I am pretty obsessed with this size house myself. If we could show everyone in America that living in this size space is “enough” — “desirable” even — it would solve SO MANY PROBLEMS in this nation. But now, I’m politicking….
Jay says
No, carry on!
I don’t understand the penchant for supersized homes with a room for each function and person.
Jay says
To say nothing about heating and cooling all that space!
Robin, NV says
A friend of mine bought a 4,000 sq. ft. house in Las Vegas for a song. BUT- geez louise, can you imagine cooling that baby in the summer? Not to mention keeping it clean. No thanks.
Patti says
I know just where that house is. It is an incredibly beautiful area.
Jay says
1st time for a MCM farmhouse. The proof is in the plans. The architect provided a great layout for a farm family. The day to day living is nicely separated from the formal entry/living/dining space. Probably only vacuum cleaner salesmen and sunday dinner guests rang the front door bell. That desk in the family room would be for the farm books and papers. Hope the buyer appreciates the house the way it is. A third bedroom could probably be added if necessary. Thanks for sharing the floor plan.
Robin, NV says
Any proper farmhouse needs a mud room. One that either comes in from the garage or from the back door. It’s totally indispensible. Utility sink, shower, toilet, and a spot for hanging up jackets. Generally combined with the laundry room. From the plans, I can’t quite figure out what’s going on in the backside of the garage but I’m not seeing anything labeled “mud room” or “utility room.” Puzzling.
But I agree with Jay. Having lived in the country when I was a kid, I can attest to the fact that the “front door” was only ever used by salesmen or infrequent guests. We always used the side door into the mud room. If someone knocked on the front door or rang the doorbell, we knew it was a stranger.
Oh! And of course the house is awesome. Wish there was a closeup of the yellow countertops. I want wood paneling on my ceiling. Want.
Robin, NV says
Whoops! Just found the utility room. I knew there had to be one.
Anastasia says
Yep, the utility room is HUGE!
Rick S says
I think this house was designed around the farm family. The garage has a “Barn Clothes” closet with shelves for fruit jars. This is just outside the backdoor. There is storage for Garage tools and yard tools. The back door open onto part of the utility room floor vs carpet. You can use the laundry sink to wash up or use the bathroom or even take a shower without walking through the house. There are so many well placed windows that you can see what is going on outdoors as well as great light.
So much house planned well.
rick
Jenny A. says
What a beautiful house! Nothing like a good MCM to get the week started off right!
Steve H says
Beautiful, well preserved home! I think the best feature of all is the wonderful front porch. It really enhances the “farmhouse” aspect of the place.
midmichigan says
Really, really nice. Great views and a nice size parcel. And the best part is that it looks move in ready.
Liz M says
Ok you had me at time capsule house. Fell in love with the “Above: we’re sstill in the common room…” Picture. But built in sofa living room on the flipside! Lord have mercy that room swept me off my feet! Love!!!
I absolutely love this page and love connecting with fellow mid-mod lovers! We are a special breed lol
Janet in CT says
Marvelous house! I love the wood ceilings and the birch cabinetry the best of all! I just hope the buyer doesn’t replace those beautiful yellow countertops with granite! When I shopped for a house plan, I always checked each room to see if it worked with the furniture. Often the layouts were just not right and it was difficult to place a bed or a sofa where you wanted it. This plan appears to work well with furniture placement. One thing – I don’t think the stove with burners is old. The wall oven and the hood look appropriate, but I believe the fridge and stove were replaced in the eighties. That black glass stove door only came into vogue many years later. Chances are the original kitchen only had a cooktop and wall oven; I think about that time they were getting rid of 40″ stoves and alot of new houses had the wall ovens and cooktops. Also interesting is how putting a wall oven into a brick wall kind of off by itself was SO typical of the time. This house really has so many fascinating features and it seems to have been kept pretty much original, bless their hearts.
Kelly Wittenauer says
I second your opinion that while the wall oven and range hood are original, the stove isn’t. It looks very much like the Jenn-Air my parents put their kitchen in the 80s.
RetroRob says
Agree with the stove – those were very popular Jenn-air ovens of the 1980’s. Great house though. I would love it!!
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