Snaps to reader Deanna, who tipped me off this this house — our first time capsule of 2014. This 1972 contemporary style home is in San Antonio, Texas. It has been with the original owners since they built it — and it appears to have been impeccably maintained… clearly, it was carefully decorated, totally beloved. Deanna wrote, “This house looks like it hasn’t been touched since it was built in 1971. I love everything about it!” Me, too! This house needs an appreciative buyer, fast! Mega thanks to listing agent Diana Gonzalez and real estate marketing firm CirclePix and photographer Matthew Wingate for permission to feature the photos. Let’s take a look.
From the listing:
Park-like setting in Castle Hills! Enjoy large covered patio with mature trees in this one story 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms home on 0.43 acres with a flex room that has a full bath that can be used an a study/office, mother in law suite or a maid’s quarters. Oversized family room with fireplace is great for family gatherings and a separate formal living allows for privacy. Close to the Medical Center, airport and shopping. Listing price is #335,000.
Above: The kitchen has laminate-covered cabinets in a bleached out wood grain — so far in all my years of blogging, I haven’t seen many (any?) quite like this. Notice the radius edge — that is a fancy touch. We get to see Brady Bunch bittersweet orange laminate counter tops…
… I spy a vintage Sub-Zero refrigerator…
… I cropped the original Hardwick Starline oven from Matthew Wingate’s lovely photo. Note, he told me he stitched together vertical shots to create the wide panoramas, that’s why you’re seeing the little alignment mis-match in this photo and in some of the other photos. Beautiful graphics on the Starline. AND: I love the placement of this bar sink — brilliant if you have the space for it!
… The pantry wall of the kitchen…
… Yes: An intercom!
… And above: Note the quilted diamond satin-finish stainless steel rangetop backsplash — nicely done, esspecially in that it is repeated in the drainboard sink, the island top, and the exhaust fan. I think that stainless steel range/oven backsplashes can be tricky to pull off successfully. You don’t want them to “scream.” This one seems to work because, overall, the kitchen is low-chroma, that is: Not a lot of strong colors — the tonality of all the features is about the same.
This house makes extensive use of laminate. It makes me wonder if the original owners were friends of Ralph Wilson, head of Wilsonart and creator of the Ralph & Sunny Wilson house o’ laminate in Temple, Texas. Matthew told me that the walls of this great room/living room are all laminate. Look at the wall on the right side of the photo — that is laminate inset and edged in radiating rectangles…
… now look to the left to see the other side of the wall: In the center of the radiating rectangles is a mirror, also edged. To the right and left of the fireplace, these are triptychs of tall narrow mirrors — again, brilliant design!
All the floors in this space and into the kitchen — look to be terrazzo to me.
Above: Heading back to the front of the house… I suspect that the purpose of these iron filigree screens is purely decorative.
To be sure, the front door is fabulous. The escutcheon (the piece behind the doorknob) appears to be original Schlage.
Above: This sitting room is beautiful. I would say that’s hand-painted grasscloth along the back wall — lovely!
Looking at this room from the vantage of the grasscloth wall…
… Matthew’s favorite feature was the swag light that looks like a fountain (I guess) and seems to have been designed right into its own bricked nook. While setting up photo permissions, I had just the best time talking to photographer Matthew Wingate about this house. Of course, he is highly visual — like us — so it sounds like he really enjoyed discovering, then photographing, the very special touches throughout this house. I am going to guess that the family selling the house also will be so happy to have these wonderful memories of their home. I’m so grateful to both Diana and Matthew for permission to archive these images here — wonderful design inspiration.
And fingers crossed: That it finds an appreciative buyer(s), who won’t change too much. This is exceptional example of beautiful early 1970s interior design and craftsmanship.
Link love:
- The listing for this time capsule 1972 house in San Antonio, Texas.
- Listing agent Diana Gonzalez.
- Matthew Wingate is an independent professional photographer for CirclePix, a real estate marketing automation company. Here’s the virtual tour they created for the house (link now gone, it seems) with Matthew’s photos.
- If you’d like to connect with photographer Matthew Wingate, his phone numbers is (406) 890-1788.
Be sure to check out the slide show — more photos — rendered big! — including of the bathrooms, more of the bedrooms, and the exterior. Tips to using the slide show: Click on any image, it will enlarge… use the arrows below the photo to move forward or back… you can start or stop at any image.
Lisa Compo says
This is a lovely house. Makes me want to move to San Antonio…that and the sub zero weather we have been having here in KY. It’s good to know that there are still time capsules out there.
I think with all that laminate that home would be pretty easy to keep clean. I hope the new owner keeps it all in tact, but we always do. 🙂
For anyone in love with the rain lamps…they are pretty easy to find on Ebay. We restored one for my Mom last year for her birthday. The mineral oil they require to run is no longer made, so we had to come up with just the right mix of mineral oil and car motor oil to get the proper consistency to run at the proper rate down the strings. They are mesmerizing and beautiful to watch. “70’s Formal” for sure..as Barb said.
Eliza says
maid’s room – it would be like living in the Brady Bunch house!!!! We were watching old episodes last week and I was thinking how much I wanted to live in their house.
Barb in Ct says
In my head I’ve had a style I always called “70’s Formal”. THIS house is 70’s Formal exactly what I imagine to be. I love all the details.
GOTTA love the hanging oil fountain in the Sitting Room.
Jay says
Just seeing this today. Nice house. That kitchen wall with the twin pantries with built in desk is great. What a high tech kitchen setting (for the 70s): a trim line wall phone, intercom/radio and pencil sharpener. I thought it great that the rain lamp was given a prominate setting. Big thing in the 70s, they were available in all sizes as swag fixtures, wall mount and free standing. I remember seeing them in Italian restaurants.
Ann B says
I’d forgotten about the Italian restaurants! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.