Yowza — aren’t these the most delicious red velvet upholstered dining room walls that you’ve ever seen before? Or, that you have ever seen ever?! Thanks to a tip from reader Elisabeth, we discovered this gorgeously decadent dining room tucked inside an equally charming 1930 Romantic Revival Tudor home — owned by the son of a Milwaukee beer baron — for sale in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.
Yes, as Elisabeth said when she called this to our attention: “UPHOLSTERED DINING ROOM WALLS.” We will guess that they date to the 1940s — ala Lana Turner. However, it appears that much of this house was redecorated in the late 60s — so they could be a Hollywood Regency thing. What do you think? To be sure, upholstered walls probably help insulate this dining room from the cold Wisconsin winters!
From the listing:
- Price: $599,900
- Year built: 1930
- Square footage: 2,259
- Bedrooms: 4
- Bathrooms: 2 full/2 half
4614 N Murray Ave, Whitefish Bay WI 53211-1258 – Bring your ideas to this home once built for the son of one of Milwaukee’s Beer Barons. Lovely Tudor located on one of Whitefish Bay’s most beautiful streets near the Shorewood border. The character in this home is endless, enhanced by the natural fireplaces, crown molding, leaded windows with stained glass, ornate columns, custom woodwork, copper gutters and classic slate roof. This home is full of potential and perfect for the buyer with an eye for design.
Isn’t this house positively charming? Looking through all the photos, it appears to made super solidly, too. Copper gutters! A little copper eyebrow on the front faceade! Lots of curved doorways and such. Real craftsmanship, 1930s Milwaukee style.
I love the kitchen — with its warm, sunny vibe, cheery vintage wallpaper, yellow countertops (maybe they sparkle?) and faux brick flooring.
Another interesting feature in the kitchen is the way the stove is recessed into the wall. We’ll guess that is original tile all around — creating a ‘grease splattering zone’ — much easier to scrub ceramic tile than vintage wallpaper!
Another notable feature — the knotty pine basement rec room with a custom made, built-in bar for serving Milwaukee’s finest beer.
And hey — are those ceilings covered with squares of Weldtex plywood?
We also spotted some vintage glass tiles on the wall in one of the home’s bathrooms — this could be vintage Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Vitrolite or maybe even Sani Onyx as shown in this catalog from 1926. It is super cool to see these tiles out in ‘the wild — they are absolutely gorgeous — and we ADORE the buttercream + jadeite color combination!
Mega thanks to reader Elisabeth for the tip and to Realtor Jack Smith and WiSign Photo for allowing us to feature this fabulous property.
Link Love:
- Check out the property listing here
- Realtor Jack Smith, Shorewest Realtors
- Photos courtesy of WiSign Photo — Lynn Darnieder, owner
Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… click on the right of the photo to move forward, the left, to move back… you can start or stop at any image:
catolyn says
I think I found my dream house <3 It's a pity it's across country from me! Though it may be a blessing in disguise, I'd have a very angry husband if it was located in an area I want to live!
I'd never heard of Tudor revival till today, thank you for sharing!
Elisabeth says
How fun to see this featured here! 😀
That pie plate is actually not a pie plate– it’s a fan. We had the exact one at our old 1937 Tudor. Those two metal spots at each lower corner are hooks, and you use a long metal pole with a hook at the end to control the fan. One side controls the on/off of the fan, and the other flips the fan (!) so it can blow in or blow out. It’s got a lot of power and ventilates the kitchen in a snap. We restored ours at the old house– it was made by a company in California that produced these fans in the 1930s, then went on to produce equipment for WWII. You can see the restoration job here: https://www.pinterest.com/magpiepix/restored-1930s-kitchen-fan/
pam kueber says
Thank you for the fabulous tip, Elisabeth!!!!! The realtor and photographer were super responsive and BOOM, here’s the house, immortalized!
Robin, NV says
Pam – what do you think is going on with the arched doorways in the living and dining rooms? It looks like there is some kind of embossed frame around them. Based on the base molding, they look like they could be original but were they wood or maybe tile originally? You can see the ghost of one of the frames behind the upholstery in the dining room.
pam kueber says
Wow, what great eyes you have, Robin! I think that is decorative plaster work — meant to be highlighted with paint. Wow!
Mary Elizabeth says
In my Tudor revival, there was no woodwork around the arched doorways. The plaster was laid on flat to the corner. However, I wonder if underneath the upholstery they had put up something to tack the fabric to. If you notice the doorway going from the living room to the dining room, whatever is around the edge is irregular in shape. Maybe it’s painted over wallpaper or a plaster repair? The shape of the outline is totally unfamiliar to me. Very curious!
Robin, NV says
Thanks for the info on the fan! I’ll keep that in mind the next time I go into an older kitchen. I always thought the pie pan was to cover up the hole from the range pipe (maybe some are?).
Elisabeth says
I’ve seen pie-plate covers, too, but these wall fans with covers are somewhat common in this area and were built into homes with the original kitchens (you can tell because the exterior lannon stone was formed around the fan vent).
Pam, thank you for featuring this! I’m so glad to see another home’s history recorded for everyone to enjoy. I hope the extra publicity leads to a preservation-appreciating home purchase! 😉 That bathroom is too lovely to remuddle.
carol says
Me too! My Boyfriend’s Aunt has the same thing above the stove and I assumed it was on old stove vent. The house was built in the 20’s. Can’t wait for our next visit so I can check it out. I hope whoever buys the house keeps (the original) everything. It only needs refreshing not redoing. Those bathrooms leave me speechless. I would love to see how grand it would look with the hardwood floors.
Mary Elizabeth says
Or maybe the fan was placed in that spot because there was already a hole in the wall for the old stovepipe.
Rose says
Fun! I guess you would have to vacuum the walls?
Mary Elizabeth says
Such fun! I love Tudor revival–the use of wood and brick and stucco, the large arched, airy doorways between rooms. But having lived in one built around the same time, I know these houses have their challenges. Remember when we were talking about replacement entry doors? Look at how this one is shaped and try to imagine where to find another that isn’t custom made.
As for the upholstered dining room, I will say what my friends say when they look at my latest project. “Hmm, interesting. Can’t say I’ve seen anything quite like it. Glad you’re so excited.” 🙂 It reminds me of a wedding chapel I went to in Brooklyn, minus the heart-shaped doorways. But I’m in love with that kitchen, with its warm wood (maybe maple?) cabinets and yellow countertops. I could move into it and start cooking today. I had curtains almost exactly like that wallpaper in the late 1970s.
Karin says
I have never seen a twentieth century padded living room. It’s almost Victorian. Can’t you just picture that beer baron and his friends having brandy and cigars after dinner? That Art Deco bathroom in jadeite and cream is absolutely elegant. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this particular combination before. They really thought these things through then. It works surprisingly well. I think it’s my new favorite color combo for a 30s/ 40s bathroom. In fact both bathrooms are terrific. I wouldn’t change a thing.
cellen says
So, could you literally bounce off those walls?
And bathroom is the cutest!
lynda murray says
Wow, I dont know what to say about the dining room walls! I love / h*** [edited] them. lol
Staci says
Oh my stars! Where to begin?
Until now I did not realize that buttercream + jadeite > peanut butter + jelly — it just didn’t seem possible — but yes, it’s true. I love that bathroom beyond all reason.
Thanks for sharing this gem of a time capsule!
Robin, NV says
Tudor Revival is one of my favorite 20th century styles. This one needs a little TLC but the original features are all there just waiting to be appreciated by the right buyer. I’d be willing to bet the inset stove area was the original home of a gas range. The pie plate over the window is a dead giveaway.
I wonder why the family portrait by the stairway got left behind?
linda h says
My son lives in a 1929 Tudor revival home over by TCU in Fort Worth so I know how cool these homes can be when decorated in furniture from the early twentieth century designers like Eames.