A hot tip from reader Abigail lead us to this 5,153 sq. ft., impeccably maintained — and impeccably detailed — 1959 split level time capsule home, listed for sale in Kettering, Ohio. The home has an impressive collection of original bathrooms — three full and two half — filled with stunning mosaic tile walls, walk-in sunken showers, double vintage laminate vanities with colorful sinks and some amazing wallpaper. Throughout the house, stunning stone and brick walls seem to await around every corner, along with many other fantastic midcentury details, preserved and loved by the large family that called this house their home since the day they moved in — 55 years ago, in 1959. Wow.
From the listing:
- Price: $325,000
- Year Built: 1959
- Square footage: 5,153
- Bedrooms: 5
- Bathrooms: 3 full, 2 half
Gorgeous neighborhood in West Kettering by Kettering Medical Center, first offering on a popular quiet street, all tucked away, loved by the same family since day 1 in 1959! Sellers are sad to leave but ready to pass on their passion for this home after raising a large family, retro & fun, all the amazing 3 full baths are original but have huge walk in tiled floor to ceiling showers, you won’t believe this contemporary home created way before its time, multi levels throughout, walls of windows, great potential for a young family, retro lighting, kitchen was updated in the years past, 1st floor study with built-ins & unique distressed wood built ins, double sinks & more fun, 5 bedrooms, all good sized, inviting family room with doors to patios & perennial gardens, lots of privacy with beautiful mature trees, huge stone wall, 3 HVAC systems, separate workshop in the 2 car garage, invisible fence, security system….
Yowza — this house is a textural treat for the eyes — with high contrast black stacked stone walls, stacked roman brick, streaky VCT flooring, gorgeous pecky cypress paneling, and many additional, gorgeous materials throughout the house.
Then there are the home’s amazing bathrooms. This minty green bathroom is spacious and user friendly with double sinks, plenty of storage in the vanity and built-in under mirror medicine cabinets.
I am in love with the one inch mosaic tiles that span all of the walls, and that sink — so pretty. You can tell the bathrooms in this house were set up to serve many people at once, as evidenced by the separate space for the (likely mint green) toilet.
And that vintage wallpaper — so neat. It appears to have a horse racing theme to the design. Pam is going crazy for the vintage novelty wallpaper in this house, of course.
Each of the full bathrooms have a huge, sunken, walk in shower that feels luxurious even by today’s standards.
Yes — they have a pink bathroom too — with the same set up of double laminate vanities with pretty pink sinks, mosaic tile on all the walls and under mirror medicine cabinet storage. So cute.
The layout of this pretty pink bathroom also seems to mimic the minty green bath– enormous!
Dig that retro striped detail in the pink and red vinyl tile flooring.
The wallpaper looks like mid mod mad Paul Revere to us. Adds new meaning to “coolonial”.
The home’s third full bathroom must be the master. It has a different type of shower, along side the same awesome fixtures and mosaic tiles as in the other bathrooms, this time in aqua blue.
The curved corner section of the vanity must have held a vanity chair where mom could sit and relax while getting ready. And look at all the storage built into the wall just above the backsplash. This is a very handy idea, if you have the space — and the patience and craftsmanship to build niches like this.
You can tell by looking at these bathrooms that a real effort was made to coordinate all of them.
The materials used throughout this house: We estimate they would cost oodles and oodles of money to replicate today. Oodles. As with all of the other time capsule houses we show — we sure hope this one finds appreciative new owners who recognize all the value in this gem of a house.
Link love:
- Listing for this 1959 Kettering, Ohio house.
- Mega thanks to Coldwell Banker Heritage Realtor Cindy Buckreus for giving us permission to feature this fantastic listing.
- Photos courtesy of Todd Kivimaki, Wow Video Tours
Steven says
I love that most of the house is original and some of the unique textural elements, but…dare I say it? There are too many opposing materials in one space.
They’re not working together, they’re clashing and fighting for attention.
Any one of those stone walls would look impressive in isolation, but for me, combining them all together in one space just detracts from their impact.
pam kueber says
I think that the surfaces are combined wonderfully! But then, I have a very high visual tolerance for such things. I am not a minimalist.
Norm says
I’m with you on this one. Love that it is all original and cool that it is untouched but…visual overload! I can’t imagine coming home to this after a hard day at work. Probably just because I’m an old man though…If I were still in my 20’s or 30’s this might be more appealing to me.
Has anyone else experienced similar changes in taste as age has gone up? When I first started to appreciate this kind of thing in the early 80’s I was into aqua and pink anything (radios, art, lamps, dishes…now? just bathrooms:)
pam kueber says
What appeals to me most certainly has evolved. As I get older — I can take more more more complexity. Tastes are very interesting this way… This is why I really don’t think there is a “right” or a “wrong” — except to say one is right or the other is wrong! This is also why a key commenting rule here on the blog is: No one can be made to feel bad for their choices. Note: I summarily delete such comments – they are not “civil”. They are unkind.
Steven says
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head Norm.
As I’ve gotten older, I need more calm or visual continuity from my surrounds. I have to be honest and say I’d feel equally uncomfortable in a very bare, minimalist space too.
My sincerest hope is that the owners truly appreciate it, just as it is and curate and add to its eclectic mix.
Mary Elizabeth, I LOVED your comment!
Mary Elizabeth says
This is a stunning house. About the kitchen: Kitchens receive the most abuse in a house (think fires, floods, and boisterous teenagers) and often need to be updated and repaired. But often homeowners go for what is trendy rather than what fits in the house. In this case, I think the update fits into the public space of the original house in terms of its simple lines and colors–black, white and wood tones. And am I mistaken, or is that laminate countertops? Love it.
Gabrielle says
Love the bathrooms! I’ve always loved retro tiles. Love the fireplaces, light fixtures, and the stone walls as well. The only bummer is the kitchen. I would have loved to see the original kitchen looked like.
pam kueber says
I would love to have seen the entire house decorated! And, I’m suspecting some wallpaper came down for the listing…. You know how I feel about vintage wallpaper: Bring it on!
Sara says
Wow! Those bathrooms! So unique and so amazing! Bummer that the kitchen isn’t original. I bet it was pretty amazing too. Fabulous house – what a testament to the design of the era. I’m kinda wishing I lived in Ohio right now!
Debbie says
Love those fabulous bathrooms, I bet there’s glitter in that laminate! Wouldn’t we all love to Retro Renovate that kitchen—I bet the family has pictures of the original kitchen to use as a guide!
Carole says
After touring several Rummer homes a couple of years back hubby and I really wanted a step down shower. Sadly, they are now against code, no longer allowed in new construction or as a remodeling option. The only way we’ll ever have one is if we buy a house where one is already in place. Such a shame because we love the idea.
James Burdett says
A bit Brady-esque. If houses can be called sexy, then this one qualifies.
Vonlipi says
Oh my! What a beautiful house!
If I was living in the U.S. I would definitely go for a visit!
Thank you very much for sharing this wonderful listing
Robert S says
The wood paneling in the entry and the beams are made of out pecky cypress. It has a very unique look and was popular in the 50’s. It is hard to find now.
pam kueber says
Yes – we mention this in the story and include a link to our other stories about pecky cypress. Here it is again — https://retrorenovation.com/search-results/?q=pecky%20cypress
We’ve written about this wood several times — a fascinating and beautiful material to be sure! So cool to see so much of it in this house — and it looks to be in terrific condition.
Douglas Camin @ House on Rynkus Hill says
I’m in love with those open tread stairs. This is an enormous (and awesome) house. Great find!