The house that A. Brandt Ranch Oak built: Gorgeous 1967 mid-century time capsule house in Fort Worth, Texas — 30 photos
Kate - Updated: June 24, 2021
Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.
Today” A stunning, transitional mid-century modern time capsule house for sale by retro Realtor Ed Murchison in Fort Worth, Texas. You haven’t seen this one all over the internet — because it’s not on the MLS yet! We discovered it after we featured another of Ed’s time-capsule house listings on Monday. And what a discovery! This 1967 gem was designed by area architect Lee Roy Hahnfeld for the members of the family that built A. Brandt Ranch Oak furniture. There have been two owners since — but they have been amazing caretakers and virtually all the house’s original finishes — down to the pinch pleats! — are still in place. Note, we’re calling the house ‘transitional’ because some of the original features speak more to the late 1960s — even hinting at the 1970s. No matter what you call it, call it gorgeous! But take a look for yourself, we have 30 great photos by Shoot2Sell Photography –>
Listing agent Ed Murchison describes the house, its history and its features in the listing:
Year built: 1967
Price: $375,000
Square footage: 3,400
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2.5
Rare opportunity to see this incredible home. The proportions of a beautiful little museum! Facing the gently rolling hills in the Eastern Hills section of Fort Worth, this is an exceptional home designed in 1967 by noted Fort Worth architect Lee Roy Hahnfeld for George and Mary Childs Brandt.
With views through abundant glass walls to the south and west, the home overlooks the fairway of the 4th hole on the Meadowbrook Golf Course. Upon pulling up to the circular drive, your guests will know they have arrived at a very special home. Composed of clean horizontal lines of white brick, the long entry walkway leads to a custom metal screen and then into an outdoor courtyard. Once the elegant red double doors are opened, the home opens up in all directions with views of another private courtyard to one side, the original travertine fireplace flanked by floor to ceiling windows in the great room to the back and endless views of the golf course to the other side. The atrium gallery with 12′ decorative ceilings is an impressive space from which all of the other spaces flow. There is no hallway and no wasted space in this ingenious layout that was designed for entertaining. Original terrazzo floors can be found throughout the atrium and main living spaces.
The kitchen is all original with solid wood cabinetry and custom built-ins that continue into the bar area that would make any “Mad Man” happy to be home. The spacious master suite features a large master bath with glass tile counters. [Pam and I add: We really dig the acid yellow ceramic tile counter tops and backsplash. It’s interesting to see how this 1967 house bridges some of the classics of mid-century modern design reaching into what we associate with 1970s design — in particular, chunky tile and more complex cabinet door styles.]
We asked Murchison, are ALL the finishes original. He said that there have been only a few changes. For example, the original wallpaper in this bathroom and also behind behind the bed in the master bedroom needed to replaced — but that the new owners found very faithful reproductions that came close to replicating the original designs.
The guest bath is truly impressive and features the original peacock blue tiles. Built for a local furniture maker, this home has beautiful original built-ins, wall panels and solid wood doors throughout. The quality of design and materials used really set this house apart. Just imagine sitting on the elevated terrace sipping a martini as you look out over the rolling hills in front of you…and then pinch yourself. It is real…and it could be yours!
We love Ed’s copywriting — talk about M[ad Men] style 😉
And wow: This house! The attention to detail in this home is simply wonderful. Just look at the way the wallpaper in the photo of the kitchen above coordinates with the draperies.
And Pam and I both want to say: We loooooooooooooove the blue bathroom!
As someone who doesn’t usually go for wallpaper, I’ll admit that I love the way it is used in this house. The combination of wallpapered accent walls framed with wood really appeals to me.
We also note what looks to be a mathematical precision in sizing the focal points on each wall so that they are the same size? So relaxing to the eye. Such craftsmanship by the architect!
Oh: And a coral-colored Eero Saarinen Womb chair? We’ll take that, too, please.
Repeating the motif of “framed” wallpaper, in the bedroom wallpaper is used to cover an entire accent wall, but in this case it is framed by the bumped out portions of the wall at either end. These methods of creating wallpapered accent walls are a great inspiration for how to decorate a room using a limited amount of vintage (or new) wallpaper. Hey, is that a Barzilay Multispan?
Above: Ed told us that all the wood cabinetry was made at the company’s furniture factory. It’s super solid oak, he says. The inside the bedroom closets — also lined with furniture-grade cabinetry and organizers and such (no photos), “Look like Nieman Marcus,” he said.
Notice how the outside patio is framed and visible — like another work of art — from inside the house.
We also love the back patio — where light, landscaping and art all come together to create drama and interest visible outside — and in. What a magical space. What a magical house!
Mega thanks again to realtor Ed Murchisonfor granting us permission to feature photos of this house and to Shoot2Sell Photography for taking the photos.
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:
Again, it is so shocking to me about the “low price” in Texas…of course, out where I live even the little rat holes are double that. This sure is a treasure of that time to preserve & hopefully the right person will appreciate that, too.
Gorgeous home! I cannot believe it is only $375K. Up here in Seattle (depending on the neighborhood, but I assume this would be in a nice neighborhood) It would be a totally different story.
Yes! I was amazed at the price, too. It’s priced lower than my studio apartment in New York!
nina462says
What time is the cocktail party?
Pam – I sent you a link to a broker for a time capsule house in Portage, MI last summer, but I don’t think you ever connected with the broker. It was pristine, circa mid 60’s. Wish you could’ve connected and shown it.
But yeah to 2014 for time capsule houses – keep them coming.
Roundhouse Sarahsays
I loooooooooove the blue bathroom too! : )
Jaysays
Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my keyboard.
Note to self: Buy lottery tickets.
Pam and Kate, you set a high bar for yourselves so early in the year.
pam kuebersays
Yes, but I guess it’s a good problem to have!
Jaysays
Beacause I usually jump to the pictures first then go back and read the details, I was surprised it has only two bedrooms. My first impression of the living room area was “museum setting” only to then see a similar note in the selling info. That is a low price for such a stunner of a house for its size with such quality detail.
vegebrariansays
Truly a dream house! I love those ceilings and accent walls. And I want a pom-pom wall sculpture so bad!!
Janicesays
What a treat to get a peak inside this house! So well cared for and maintained – it looks like it was just built a decade ago, not nearly 5 decades ago. Thanks for the virtual tour!
Robin, NVsays
Holy mackerel! This house is a feast for the eyes. Oh my goodness, that blue bathroom is a knockout! It feels like a tropical grotto. I love the framed wallpaper too. That’s a great design idea for retro renovators, especially if you have a limited quantity of vintage wallpaper.
Robin, NVsays
Just noticed the Franciscan Starburst dishes on display in the kitchen too. It looks lovely against the acid green countertop. So much amazing in this house. Unbelievable price on it too. Maybe I should move to Texas . . .
pam kuebersays
Ah, I hadn’t noticed that — what a nice touch! Thanks for pointing it out!
Amy in Sacramento, CAsays
Yes! I did a double-take on that platter on display. I thought, “I wonder if they’d include some furniture AND that counter display?!” 😉
Mary Elizabethsays
I was telling Janet in CT about framed wallpaper, and I wasn’t explaining it very well. So she needs to look at how it was done in this house for a visual example.
Sarahsays
I agree with Janet. The house is wonderful but the furniture just perfects it. The whole package together is just amazing! I hope that they sell a good portion of the furnishings with the house. If only I lived in DFW…
Janet in CTsays
This is a fantastic house! One thing that makes me sad though, is that everything about it is just so perfect. Unless they buy all the furnishings, I doubt that the new owners will be able to duplicate the wow power of this house! They really did a great job decorating it, right down to the starburst clock in the kitchen! And that blue bathroom really knocks your socks off! We used to sell Brandt furniture and soon after we married in 1972, my husband and I gave his parents a beautiful set of Brandt occasional tables for their living room. They made gorgeous furniture, so no surprise this house is ditto.
pam kuebersays
Agreed: The current owners did a spectacular job and should be super duper congratulated / appreciated. I’m surprised that this house has never been in a major magazine! I am going to guess, though, that the new buyers will be equally appreciative and informed and will also do a beautiful job!
I was talking to my brother the other day, who was at a conference in Palm Springs. Knowing all about what I do, he was in a conversation with someone there that was very familiar with the real estate market. This local expert said that over the past five years along, the market there has transformed so much such that: Mid mod time capsule houses are now being bought up in bidding wars and the new — very appreciative and knowledgeable owners — are keeping the houses EXACTLY the way they are — as if they are “works of art” that should not be messed with. That approach is spreading everywhere, slowly but surely! And I’d say for Mid-century Modern and Mid-century Modest ALIKE! It’s very exciting!
I started out the year thinking that time capsule submissions / inventory might be about to begin to fade. But that has not proven to be the case at all. Yes, it’s only January, but I am getting FABULOUS TIPS DAILY! Again: Super exciting — keep them coming, readers!!!
Ericasays
This house was featured in a local magazine, 360 West.
Yes: Story starts on page 50 — full of great details! Thank you, Erica!
Amy in Sacramento, CAsays
That’s great to hear, Pam! I feel so much better, especially after watching a darling pink bathroom destroyed on a home improvement show last Saturday morning.
KMsays
Oh, some of those home reno shows just kill me. That one gal who paints woodwork, every time, no matter how beautiful or appropriate it is- ug! My heart is gladdened, though, by Nicole Curtis the Rehab Addict!
Wayne in Aurorasays
I Love Nicole Curtis! Her latest project is a 1929 house that had a midcentury kitchen. She rehabed the slab cabinet doors, cleaned up the chrome hardware and kept the boomerang pattern formica counter and backsplash!
Jaysays
Good Point but this is such a great “transitional” house it would serve just as well for a setting of antique furniture or modern furniture (non-MCM).
With views through abundant glass walls to the south and west, the home overlooks the fairway of the 4th hole on the Meadowbrook Golf Course. Upon pulling up to the circular drive, your guests will know they have arrived at a very special home. Composed of clean horizontal lines of white brick, the long entry walkway leads to a custom metal screen and then into an outdoor courtyard. Once the elegant red double doors are opened, the home opens up in all directions with views of another private courtyard to one side, the original travertine fireplace flanked by floor to ceiling windows in the great room to the back and endless views of the golf course to the other side. The atrium gallery with 12′ decorative ceilings is an impressive space from which all of the other spaces flow. There is no hallway and no wasted space in this ingenious layout that was designed for entertaining. Original terrazzo floors can be found throughout the atrium and main living spaces.
The kitchen is all original with solid wood cabinetry and custom built-ins that continue into the bar area that would make any “Mad Man” happy to be home. The spacious master suite features a large master bath with glass tile counters. [Pam and I add: We really dig the acid yellow ceramic tile counter tops and backsplash. It’s interesting to see how this 1967 house bridges some of the classics of mid-century modern design reaching into what we associate with 1970s design — in particular, chunky tile and more complex cabinet door styles.]
We love Ed’s copywriting — talk about M[ad Men] style 😉
As someone who doesn’t usually go for wallpaper, I’ll admit that I love the way it is used in this house. The combination of wallpapered accent walls framed with wood really appeals to me.
Repeating the motif of “framed” wallpaper, in the bedroom wallpaper is used to cover an entire accent wall, but in this case it is framed by the bumped out portions of the wall at either end. These methods of creating wallpapered accent walls are a great inspiration for how to decorate a room using a limited amount of vintage (or new) wallpaper. Hey, is that a Barzilay Multispan?
Above: Ed told us that all the wood cabinetry was made at the company’s furniture factory. It’s super solid oak, he says. The inside the bedroom closets — also lined with furniture-grade cabinetry and organizers and such (no photos), “Look like Nieman Marcus,” he said.
tammyCA says
Again, it is so shocking to me about the “low price” in Texas…of course, out where I live even the little rat holes are double that. This sure is a treasure of that time to preserve & hopefully the right person will appreciate that, too.
Brian Landreville says
Gorgeous home! I cannot believe it is only $375K. Up here in Seattle (depending on the neighborhood, but I assume this would be in a nice neighborhood) It would be a totally different story.
Ben says
Yes! I was amazed at the price, too. It’s priced lower than my studio apartment in New York!
nina462 says
What time is the cocktail party?
Pam – I sent you a link to a broker for a time capsule house in Portage, MI last summer, but I don’t think you ever connected with the broker. It was pristine, circa mid 60’s. Wish you could’ve connected and shown it.
But yeah to 2014 for time capsule houses – keep them coming.
Roundhouse Sarah says
I loooooooooove the blue bathroom too! : )
Jay says
Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my keyboard.
Note to self: Buy lottery tickets.
Pam and Kate, you set a high bar for yourselves so early in the year.
pam kueber says
Yes, but I guess it’s a good problem to have!
Jay says
Beacause I usually jump to the pictures first then go back and read the details, I was surprised it has only two bedrooms. My first impression of the living room area was “museum setting” only to then see a similar note in the selling info. That is a low price for such a stunner of a house for its size with such quality detail.
vegebrarian says
Truly a dream house! I love those ceilings and accent walls. And I want a pom-pom wall sculpture so bad!!
Janice says
What a treat to get a peak inside this house! So well cared for and maintained – it looks like it was just built a decade ago, not nearly 5 decades ago. Thanks for the virtual tour!
Robin, NV says
Holy mackerel! This house is a feast for the eyes. Oh my goodness, that blue bathroom is a knockout! It feels like a tropical grotto. I love the framed wallpaper too. That’s a great design idea for retro renovators, especially if you have a limited quantity of vintage wallpaper.
Robin, NV says
Just noticed the Franciscan Starburst dishes on display in the kitchen too. It looks lovely against the acid green countertop. So much amazing in this house. Unbelievable price on it too. Maybe I should move to Texas . . .
pam kueber says
Ah, I hadn’t noticed that — what a nice touch! Thanks for pointing it out!
Amy in Sacramento, CA says
Yes! I did a double-take on that platter on display. I thought, “I wonder if they’d include some furniture AND that counter display?!” 😉
Mary Elizabeth says
I was telling Janet in CT about framed wallpaper, and I wasn’t explaining it very well. So she needs to look at how it was done in this house for a visual example.
Sarah says
I agree with Janet. The house is wonderful but the furniture just perfects it. The whole package together is just amazing! I hope that they sell a good portion of the furnishings with the house. If only I lived in DFW…
Janet in CT says
This is a fantastic house! One thing that makes me sad though, is that everything about it is just so perfect. Unless they buy all the furnishings, I doubt that the new owners will be able to duplicate the wow power of this house! They really did a great job decorating it, right down to the starburst clock in the kitchen! And that blue bathroom really knocks your socks off! We used to sell Brandt furniture and soon after we married in 1972, my husband and I gave his parents a beautiful set of Brandt occasional tables for their living room. They made gorgeous furniture, so no surprise this house is ditto.
pam kueber says
Agreed: The current owners did a spectacular job and should be super duper congratulated / appreciated. I’m surprised that this house has never been in a major magazine! I am going to guess, though, that the new buyers will be equally appreciative and informed and will also do a beautiful job!
I was talking to my brother the other day, who was at a conference in Palm Springs. Knowing all about what I do, he was in a conversation with someone there that was very familiar with the real estate market. This local expert said that over the past five years along, the market there has transformed so much such that: Mid mod time capsule houses are now being bought up in bidding wars and the new — very appreciative and knowledgeable owners — are keeping the houses EXACTLY the way they are — as if they are “works of art” that should not be messed with. That approach is spreading everywhere, slowly but surely! And I’d say for Mid-century Modern and Mid-century Modest ALIKE! It’s very exciting!
I started out the year thinking that time capsule submissions / inventory might be about to begin to fade. But that has not proven to be the case at all. Yes, it’s only January, but I am getting FABULOUS TIPS DAILY! Again: Super exciting — keep them coming, readers!!!
Erica says
This house was featured in a local magazine, 360 West.
pam kueber says
Ah, great to know! Yay!
Erica says
Found the link! Nice closeups – look at that built in turntable! http://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?i=79972
pam kueber says
Yes: Story starts on page 50 — full of great details! Thank you, Erica!
Amy in Sacramento, CA says
That’s great to hear, Pam! I feel so much better, especially after watching a darling pink bathroom destroyed on a home improvement show last Saturday morning.
KM says
Oh, some of those home reno shows just kill me. That one gal who paints woodwork, every time, no matter how beautiful or appropriate it is- ug! My heart is gladdened, though, by Nicole Curtis the Rehab Addict!
Wayne in Aurora says
I Love Nicole Curtis! Her latest project is a 1929 house that had a midcentury kitchen. She rehabed the slab cabinet doors, cleaned up the chrome hardware and kept the boomerang pattern formica counter and backsplash!
Jay says
Good Point but this is such a great “transitional” house it would serve just as well for a setting of antique furniture or modern furniture (non-MCM).