Snaps to reader Andrew, who let us know about this 1962 Norfolk, Virginia time capsule home, listed for sale by realtor Mick Shaw. The home retains most of its original details, including a fabulous mid-century modern room divider/planter, an amazing built-in Nutone entertainment system, original lighting, and two sets of sparkle gold laminate counter tops — one white, one pink. Thanks to some great photography courtesy of Tom Benvenuto, real estate agent and architectural photographer in Virginia Beach, Virginia, we can all admire this home’s classic mid-century charm.
Above: The house is lovely on the outside… but wait ’til you get inside…
You’ve gotta love that slate flooring in the entryway and those original pendant light fixtures, but the real showpiece of the space is this unusual mid-century modern room divider. Not only does the divider add pattern and interest to the home’s entry, it also is a planter with a floor to ceiling shelf detail.
- Our story on random-color slate tile available today.
From the listing:
- Price: $175,000
- Year built: 1962
- Square footage: 1,973
- Bedrooms: 3
- Bathrooms: 2.5
Stunning mid century modern brick ranch with an incredible retro personality. Very unique architecture and gardens. Cathedral ceilings, huge windows, new roof-carport and double patio on wood lot.
The home’s main living space boasts a huge brick fireplace and a super cool built in Nutone radio/intercom system.
Could those doors be for a built-in record player and record storage? Looks like there might be even a speaker built into the fireplace.
A blue and white vintage bathroom with a mosaic floor tile pattern we’ve never seen before – nice!… Hall Mack integrated toothbrush holder and what looks to be a sleek laminate vanity that appears to be original.
Don’t worry, there’s a pink bathroom too — one that has a pink sparkle laminate counter top.
The home’s exterior landscaping details like the unusual circular cement raised garden bed near the front door. I’m already trying to figure out how to construct one of these at my house.
What a beautiful — and livable — mid-century house. Clearly loved, and maintained by its owners over the years. 🙂
Mega thanks to Realtor Mick Shaw for allowing us to feature this home and to real estate agent and architectural photographer Tom Benvenuto for supplying us with a photo tour of the property.
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:
Melissa L. says
Wow! I love this house! The wood detailing is wonderful and there are some really thoughtful little touches. Like, notice how the pattern in the light fixtures in the entryway coordinate with the screen. Love the blue vanity in the blue bath too. It also strikes me how durable the accoutrements of this era are: countertops still like new, baths sparkling and pristine. I also love the landscaping with the Japanese pines and maples.
Jeanne says
Beautiful! I love that aqua sculpted carpet!
brenda says
Love Love Love!!
Donna says
Love the house!
I’ve seen the concrete border done before, can’t find a good link of one quickly except for this one: http://www.quikrete.com/PDFs/Projects/CastConcreteProjects.pdf
it can be as simple as any plastic food container used to repeatedly cast the cylinders, then you line them up.
Paula Webb says
There are concrete forms that you can buy (they are cardboard with a foil lining) that come in various diameters. Once the concrete is set you just tear them off. They are really cheap and easy because they come off nice and easy and don’t mar the concrete inside.
Megan says
That entry way is awesome (though clearly not designed by someone with cats). I didn’t realize that you hadn’t seen that mosaic pattern of flooring before — both of the full baths in my 1957 tri-level have that pattern (one grey, one blue).
Mary Elizabeth says
Megan, I was picturing the same thing. My cats would (a) use that pole that holds the planter/divider as a scratching post and (b) climb up it into the planter and dig up the plants.
Stephanie says
Are you talking about the wooden thing that ‘looks’ like a cat shelf? They can’t climb on it, see the shelves are bigger on top of each shelf, making it so the cat has to climb upside down which they cannot do. For those to be welcoming for a cat it has to be set up like a spiral staircase. They may try to jump on one if they are a high cat, but there is not really enough room & falling off once or twice will stop them from doing it.
Jeff says
Seriously, how much of this interior would any of us change? Probably not one thing!
I would source vintage appliances for the kitchen and a period sink and a Dishmaster faucet, of course! As well,the hanging fixture in the family room is a later replacement….a giant sputnik would be better suited to these large clerestory ceilings.
The mint condition turquoise carpet is indeed a treasure.
We can only hope the new owners preserve these details.
midmichigan says
Geez. From the white / gold kitchen laminate countertops, tile bathrooms, slate flooring and paneled rooms. That’s comfort viewing for me! Thanks!
linda h says
I love it. I enjoyed Norfolk when we were stationed there. Now that he is retired, we could buy that house and move there (ha). Maybe not, but we were just talking about how we have lived in this house we love for 10 years since his military retirement and we are feeling a little antsey afer all those years of moving often. This house won’t be available when my husband is ready to retire from his second career in a few years, but it was nice to dream about having such a cute house for a few minutes. Love that entry divider, planter, shelving.
Jana (Berniecat) says
Wonderful house! Thanks to the owners who appreciated that sense of history and maintained the house in it’s original style and condition. In addition to the planter, I love all of the gorgeous woodwork! Cabinets, closet doors, walls and all of the trim really make this house an outstanding example of MCM!
Mary Elizabeth says
Thank you for posting this lovely property. It never ceases to amaze me how some people kept up their properties for 50 years so that they look this good today.
Wonder if the carpeting is original or if they just kept the same palette when redecorating.
The entry planter/divider and the NuTone sound system are the highlights. I spot one anachronism in the kitchen, besides the refrigerator, and I wonder if anyone else noticed it.
Janet in CT says
I noticed the wall oven and dishwasher are new, and the sink faucet is newer too. My 1958 ranch had the old batwing faucets when we moved there in 1978 which we replaced with this same faucet. Made me laugh – my current 1957 ranch that we are now moving in to had a plastic paper towel holder but I had one just like this one, which I immediately put up in place of the plastic one! This house is wonderful! I love the bathroom and also am always amazed that they survived. And the turquoise is fabulous! What a gem! I hope whoever buys it keeps it intact.
Ann says
Lovely. I wonder if I could convince my Dad to buy it as a second home, given that he, like many other Navy brats, grew up in the neighborhood.
In looking above the kitchen sink, it appears that the original spot may have been covered by a larger bar light.
Mary Elizabeth says
Nobody but me noticed the phone jack over the desk area in the kitchen? This looks like the plug-in style jack that came in during the mid to late 1970s. You can tell it isn’t a 1960s installation because there is no wire hanging out of the hole. In 1962, you had to have the phone installer from the company come to the house and hard wire your phone–no self-installation allowed.
Stephanie says
Not true a bout the phone, we lived in a home built in 1960 and there were both kinds of phones on our home, plug in and wall phones. The plug ins were a 4 prong plug.
Stephanie says
I love that entry divider as well and the light fixtures are to die for!! That fireplace is very nice as well. It would be so nice to see those elements kept exactly as they are.