This 1953 time capsule house in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan includes a number of lovely classic features (pink Cinderella bathtub alert!), but what really caught our eye is how the architect repeated one architecturaly motif — the pinwheel — three times throughout the house. We love repetition of architectural elements… and we love things in threes. Thanks to Teri for this time capsule tip!
#1 (above): The exterior trellis is comprised of six pinwheels. It’s very nice, also, how the trellis is used to add architectural interest to a very long slab o’ otherwise-unadorned brick on the front facade of the house. (This appears to be a house set on a corner lot.)
#2 — The pinwheels are repeated on the front doors, creating an immediate transition from the outdoors, in.
#3 — Pinwheel-mullioned glass between the kitchen dinette and an adjacent room.
Above: We can only wonder: Why no pinwheel flooring??? Perhaps, though, enough of a good thing. Yes: A light hand is often best.
This house is currently for sale. From the listing:
- Price: $275,000
- Year built: 1953
- Square footage; 3,300
- Bedrooms: 4
- Bathrooms: 2 full, 2 half
…Radiant heat floor and ceiling…. 3 lots with irrigation… Square footage estimated.
Thanks to reader Teri for alerting us to this home and to realtor Robin Stressman and photographer Auric Stressman for allowing us to feature the property on Retro Renovation.
Link love:
Some more photos from the listing: 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:
Erik says
As impressive as that house is, the bathroom with the cinderella bathtub is poorly laid out. Never put the bathtub, especially if it has a shower, under the window. Also, the toilet is a hurdle in front of the bathtub.
vegebrarian says
all that kitchen storage ~ what a dream!
lizaanne says
Oh how I adore these sprawling Michigan ranch homes!!!! These areas are stuffed with them too. This is not a one off by any means. Would really love to find one like this to retire in – so nice to have everything all on one floor, and gorgeous character. Sigh……. maybe one day!!
Janet in ME says
I LOVE the kitchen with two wall ovens and two fridges, and the simple birch cabinets are my favorites. Also adore the old style set tub in the laundry room. This house is indeed a dream house if you love retro.
Erik says
It’s quite possible that in 1953 the house originally had one full size refrigerator and one full size upright freezer instead of two combination refrigerator/freezers like it does today.
Laurie says
Wondering if that kitchen was specifically designed to enable the family to keep strictly kosher.
TownieGuy says
Knowing this home, and it’s two previous owners, no, it’s not for keeping Kosher. 😉 (Mount Pleasant was home to what I call the worlds smallest Synagogue, which coincidentally was just up the street from this home, about 8 blocks away)
Zoe says
Did you know the original owner? My impression is that two ovens and two fridges would have been very unusual in 1953, except for keeping kosher. (I’m from Michigan and realize the Jewish population in Mt. Pleasant is small, but it’s not zero.)
TownieGuy says
I knew the families, yes. My father worked in the same industry as the second owner. (the second owners bought it in 1969 according to the son of the original owner) I’ve reached out to the son of the original owner to get his recollections, though he was a very young kid when it was built.
You’re right the Jewish population wasn’t zero, but it was less than 1% It’s about 0.11% now, from the data I could find, and in 1953 the population was about 12,000 so less than 14 people at that time (if the percentage stayed the same), and the only Temple there was built in 1955 It’s a neat building as well, I grew up just a few blocks from it and was fascinated by it as a kid.
L’hitraot.
Mary Elizabeth says
Kosher kitchen was the very first thing I thought of, as I visited a lot of such kitchens in my youth (1960s). The tip-off for me was the side-by-side double ovens rather than top-to-bottom ovens. That allows for separate pan storage above and below each oven.
The first owners may have kept kosher, or perhaps the house was originally designed for someone who did and those folks, for whatever reason, never lived in it.
The other interesting thing I noticed is that the repeating design you call a “pinwheel” is also a traditional quilting design called a Log Cabin. For me, this creates a synthesis between traditional and modern design, which is very homey.
ineffablespace says
I like the cross-reeded glass between the banquette and the adjoining room and the mirrored doors with the chrome bolts, in the bedroom.
I don’t think the kitchen fits current ideas of ergonomics so well. The grey bathrooms are great.
Lee Breeze says
I’m so jealous of houses with basements…don’t have those in Florida.
Richard S. says
I don’t think this house has a basement. The listing doesn’t say it has one or not. It looks like its built on a slab. However, I was wondering where the fireplace is since this house has one large chimney showing on the roof.
Blondie7 says
What a masterpiece DREAM house! My goodness, this home is simply BEAUTIFUL, and spacious!
The new homeowners could even showcase one figurine collection (figurines on a small scale) of their choosing within those built-in wooden shelf cases, such as: Goebel Hummel figurines, Dresden figurines, Royal Doulton figurines, Jade figurines, antique Staffordshire figurines, or even a collection of mid century small porcelain cats (the sky is the limit!).
Jay says
Very nice! Often, with corner lots privacy is a an issue. The architect solved that by providing a large patio in the corner of the wings with large expanses of glass providing views out into the yard. The real estate listing doesn’t do this house justice.
Pamela H. says
What a great value! I hope the buyers will do whatever is necessary to match the lid to the toilet in the pink bathroom – it really detracts from an otherwise perfect room. I could envision a great pergola for that back patio – perhaps with a pinwheel design built in. Also, the shrubs look a little dated. New landscaping would further showcase this incredible home.
Angela says
Dated, or period appropriate? I think the latter.
pam kueber says
I agree with Pamela — landscaping could use some work. But that’s easily dealt with…
Josie says
There would be lovely mid-century choices that are period appropriate that offer more interest and colour?
A dwarf Japanese maple, blue carpet juniper, yucca. A pinwheel topiary if feeling very ambitious. Tightly sheared blue-foliaged cones if feeling not-so-energetic. Bullet planters with geraniums if feeling want-it-now. Hybrid tea roses if your commitment to period and their elegance is worth the care. (‘Chrysler Imperial’ or ‘Peace’ are as period as they get)
Less period but fit well for scale and overall “look” would be some of the stay-small dwarf dogwoods or pencil junipers. A dogwood or Colorado blue spruce that gets absolutely massive and eats the house would be period as heck (my mom’s suburb has some choice ones) but probably not a great idea.
I’d also like to see at least one or two red/purple foliage shrubs in the foundation planting so that tree relates to something.
RetroCorning says
Another perfectly timed article from Pam. It’s like there is some ESP going on. We are just a couple of weeks from closing on our mid century modest ranch that is very similar in design to this house with a large “slab” of wall when the garage was enclosed back in the 60’s.
This is the perfect solution to our problem of what to do and the wall gets a lot of light so easy to grow roses on. We have that same exact bubble glass window in the entrance of the home also that I can add some woodwork to match the exterior pinwheel.
Problem solved, thanks Pam!
pam kueber says
Congrats, RetroCorning! Send photos once you’re in!