Retro realtor Ed Murchison just forced us out of our vacation week with this fastball in the form of this 1955 Fort Worth, Texas midcentury modern ranch house stunner listed for sale just hours ago. Right away it’s clear that this house is another home run. It is packed with gorgeous original features including amazing sculptural concrete walls, carved doors, miles of terrazzo flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows, a guest house and a pool that would make anyone feel as though they lived at a tropical resort. The home — like this 1967 ranch we recently featured — is another home built for the Brandt family — makers of A. Brandt Ranch House Furniture.
From the listing:
- Price: $238,000
- Year built: 1955
- Square footage: 3,581
- Bedrooms: 3
- Bathrooms: 2
This is one amazing Mid-century Modern estate. Built in 1955 for Paul Brandt and his wife, the design was based on a Lars Bang home built in Houston that won an award for the best Modern Small Home. The design of that home was expanded by adding a guest house wing that connects to the main house via a glass atrium. As you step through the front doors, you enter into the entry courtyard featuring an incredible decorative sculptural screen that separates the entry from the garage. Through the double doors, you enter into a generous entry hall that leads you into the bright and spacious great room featuring terrazzo floors and a wall of floor to ceiling glass affording views of the pool and expansive lawn. The open concept kitchen features the original cabinets, granite counters and stainless steel appliances. The carpets have been removed from the bedrooms and are ready for the new owner to finish to their liking. The guest house has been taken to the studs, rewired and has new sheet rock. This space is ready to be finished-out how the new owner wants to use this part of the house. It would make a great guest house, mother-in-law suite or could be a income producing rental property. From the design of the house to the nearly two acre site, this is truly a one-of-kind Mid-century Modern estate. Come take a look and just image what you could do with this place. Cool and interesting original architectural details abound…don’t miss the decorative glass wall along the front of the house and the metal screens that connect the main house and the guest house…beautiful! A good deal of work has been done…it is now ready for you to take it to the next level. This home is one of the outstanding modern homes built by the Brandt family. Paul Brandt’s father was the founder of Ranch Oak furniture and Paul founded Ranch Oak Farms.
Texture is the name of the game in this property. While the home’s color palette itself is neutral, elements such as exposed brick walls, glass block and the gorgeous cement screen wall — shown above — insure the home is anything but ordinary.
On the exterior, decorative ironwork adds loads of interest to the home’s simple facade.
The main living area of the home is open and airy and the kitchen retains many of its original features including the mocha wall ovens and gorgeous terrazzo flooring.
Could there be a more timeless bathroom than the this? The simple, sleek lines of the vanity and the yummy blue and white coloring of the space feels just as fresh and clean as it must have in 1955.
The home’s other bathroom follows a similar style with warm peachy tiles. I love how the laminate top folds around the front of the vanity and helps conceal the drawers, don’t you?
An then, just when you think this property can’t get any more fantastic, there’s this beautiful pool. Just heavenly!
Mega thanks to our friend and retro realtor Ed Murchison for sending us this fabulous property and to the photographers at Shoot2Sell Photography for taking such great 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:
Rebecca says
I too fell in love with this home, but have been informed by Mr. Murchison that it has sold. I, like many of you, am hoping the new owner will post updates. Does anyone reading this thread have any experience building MCM style homes with today’s green building technology?
John says
Amazing! Here in Austin that house would be an easy 500k+ depending on proximity to downtown. I like the courtyard and “textured” wall – reminds me of Palm Springs architecture.
marlo says
Sheesh how beautiful…makes me want to move to FW and that is saying A LOT.
John- agreed. That would probably be in Tarrytown and would be in the $700-$800s. The Austin real estate market is insane…but at least the tear down of homes like this into McMansions seems to have gone by the wayside. I have to live in my mid-modest home in a little town a bit further from Austin…just can’t afford to live there!
Steve says
Sorry! I am on my phone and accidentally hit submit..
Anyway, the house is more deco/international style. And it’s a bit pricey. But we can dream, can’t we?
Link: http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2014/04/high-end_homes_classic_interna.html#incart_river_default%23incart_m-rpt-2
Steve says
That’s an amazing amount of space and that uthenticity for the price! And with that pool — kind of a necessity for summers in Texas. Thank you for sharing this treasure.
Here in Grand Rapids, flat roofs are not too common due to the snow and ice — so when someone dares to give it a shot, there’s usually an inspired reason.
This house has just gone on the market in East Grand Rapids. I’ve driven by it for years and marveled at how amazing it stands out from its tudor and renaissance neighbors. And best of all, it would appear that much of the house has been left untouched for the past 70+ years. Yes, it pre-dates mid-centuru modern by a good ten years,
Marilyn says
I love this house…after reading all the comments, especially from those who are familiar with the home….makes me want to move to FW…..Hope someone who appreciates the home will end up with it….Gorgeous home!…
Nathanael Kitchen says
Its great. I love it. We have terrazo too and I was under the impression the metal dividing lines were expansion joints. Texas is a great place to live.
Gretchen in Greenwood says
I always hope the purchaser of one of these time capsule houses will be a Retro renovation reader who will send photos of the house after they move in.We all like to dream that they will be purchase by someone who will appreciate them..and it would be so much fun to see them furnished.
Jackie says
My mom tells me this house also has a bomb shelter. Gee, wonder why that’s not mentioned in the listing…
SD Amy says
If I could only convince my husband to move to Ft Worth…
James says
Wow. I can’t believe how affordable that is. I realize it’s not in the best part of town, but neither is mine. In fact, we’re in a pretty terrible part of our New England town (lots of drug related violence) and my house is way smaller, has no driveway, and has a teeny tiny patch of grass the previous owners called a “yard”, yet it was way, way more than this asking price. That house would go for over a million here.
On the other hand, if space wasn’t such a premium here (which would allow homes to be cheap), we’d have tons of Texas and Florida style urban sprawl. *shrug*