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Home / The Museum of Mid Century Material Culture / time capsule homes

The Smith house on Pinocchio Street in Dallas — drop-dead gorgeous, no lie! — 36 fun photos

pam kueber - September 7, 2016, Updated: September 2, 2021

mid century modern Smith house dallas

Which photo to to lead with? The front with the pink Cadillac? Or the back, with Bob’s Big Boy guarding the pool? Now those are decisions I don’t get to make every day! Thanks to our good friend Ed Murchison, midcentury modern house realtor extraordinaire, we are getting a sneak peak at the gorgeous 1954 “Smith House” in Dallas. Designed and built by Gordon Nichols, it sits on Pinocchio Street among a whole bunch of other “Disney Streets.” The Caddy is just ONE hint of the fun inside and out back: Just keep on scrolling, we have 36 fun and fabulous photos courtesy Shoot2Sell Photography.  

dallas time capsule house

Note to view photos: If you are on a desktop, you should be able to click on any photo and it will double in size on screen.

All about The Smith House, from the listing:

Come immerse yourself in the true Mid-century Modern vibe that is so widely sought and so difficult to find. Designed and built by the famed Gordon Nichols, the home at 11016 Pinocchio Drive known as the Smith House, is among the best of the Mid-century Modern houses in the highly desirable Disney Streets. The house was one of the featured homes during the highly successful 1954 Parade of Homes which highlighted the latest modern conveniences and building materials. [Ed tells me that more than 100,000 people visited the house during the 1954 Parade of Homes!]

dallas time capsule house

Its low-slung roof and expansive horizontal feel represent the goal of many builders and architects in the postwar era to offer flexible seamless indoor and outdoor living spaces. The roughly T-shaped house set on a generous lot projects the garage out toward the street and the family bedrooms to the rear of the house. A large master bedroom suite occupies the south end while the kitchen, dining room and two spacious living areas are in the center of the house. The open concept living areas feature vaulted ceilings, exposed beams and cool MCM features such as the Nelson Bubble Lamp in the dining room. The kitchen…is just wow featuring the original cabinetry, vintage pink appliances and Formica counters. This is the real deal…no cheap builder-grade granite here. A unique design element is the brick fireplace, providing what the builder described as a “visual center” in the front entry hall.

dallas time capsule housedallas time capsule house

All of the principal living spaces as well as the master bedroom and guest bedrooms all open to the covered lanai and terraced decks affording views of the refreshing pool. Once you step out to the south lawn that includes the pool area, blink your eyes and you may think you are in Palm Springs…or on the set of Mad Men! If it is a peaceful spot to enjoy your morning coffee that you seek, the north lawn features a private deck just off the dining area. In addition…there is a separate guest suite providing a perfect place for guests or a family member that desires their own private space.

With so many original features and thoughtful touches, the Smith House is a truly special and unique Mid-century Modern home. Slip on your smoking jacket, turn on the Sinatra and pour yourself a martini…your home!

Basics:

  • Four bedrooms, 3.1 bathrooms
  • 2,260 s.f.
  • $665,000

Open house: Thursday, September 08, 2016 – 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

dallas time capsule house
Folks are asking about the pot rack:

It’s an Enclume Whisk (affiliate link)

enclume wisk

dallas time capsule house dallas time capsule house dallas time capsule houseThis is not an original-owner house. But whoever got their hands on it most recently knew (1) WHAT TO LEAVE ALONE, and (2) how to have A Blast bringing the bones of this delicious home to life!

dallas time capsule housedallas time capsule housedallas time capsule housedallas time capsule housedallas time capsule housedallas time capsule housedallas time capsule housedallas time capsule housedallas time capsule houseThere is color — and fun furniture and art — everywhere!

dallas time capsule housedallas time capsule house dallas time capsule house dallas time capsule houseThere are original bathrooms with, I think, just a leetle sensitive updating, which I’m guessing was likely required for wear-and-tear reason…

dallas time capsule housedallas time capsule housedallas time capsule houseThe living room is cool and inviting…

dallas time capsule house dallas time capsule housedallas time capsule housedallas time capsule house dallas time capsule housedallas time capsule house dallas time capsule house dallas time capsule houseBut the horrible dilemma: Spend all your time inside — or outside???

dallas time capsule housedallas time capsule houseSuddenly, I need a George Nelson Marshmallow headboard — surely a hack??? — with matching Marshmallow sofa. Surely genius!

dallas time capsule houseBut what I mostly now neeeeeeeeeed me is a Big Boy! Where the heck do I get one of these?

THANK YOU, Ed Murchison, for giving us a heads up on this one — it’s fabulous! And thanks, again, to Shoot2Sell for the great photos — we can only guess how much fun you had on this one!

Link love:

  • Listing for this house (sold now, link gone)
  • Ed Murchison’s homepage – MidcenturyModernDallasHomes.com
  • Shoot2Sell photography

So here’s a parlor game for us to play:
Readers, can you name all the designs/designers
whose products are featured in this house?
One item per comment, please.
No Repeating! No reading the comments first!

CATEGORIES:
Readers and their Bathrooms Readers and Their Kitchens time capsule homes

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85 comments

Comments

  1. Rob says

    January 28, 2018 at 10:35 pm

    This guy is still available. It’s down to $548K now. Although a lot of the 50’s flare is gone, it’s still a very cool house.

  2. jacque says

    January 13, 2018 at 12:57 pm

    I hope whoever buys this beauty doesn’t ruin it. It’s perfect just the way it is.

  3. DJ says

    January 11, 2018 at 3:58 pm

    I’m going to camp out in that fabulous turquoise bathroom and never leave!!!

  4. Becky Biesiada says

    September 14, 2016 at 9:22 pm

    Is the ceiling fan in the room with red sofa for sale? If so, what is the price?

    • pam kueber says

      September 15, 2016 at 11:57 am

      Becky, contact the agent to find out this info…

  5. Georgiapeachez says

    September 12, 2016 at 9:06 pm

    Speechless in a very good way. Just amaze-balls……Santa, can I have one of these for christmas this year. I have been a very good girl.

  6. Richard Douglass says

    September 12, 2016 at 6:59 pm

    Fabulous house! Would have done to see it if I lived closer.

    Might anyone identify the dining room table and chairs?

    • Nancy says

      September 19, 2016 at 12:09 am

      Looks like a Saarinen tulip table and Vernor Panton cone chairs.

      Originals are super pricey, but there are reproductions out there.

  7. Marilyn says

    September 12, 2016 at 11:33 am

    Love, love, love this house— it is so gorgeous and definitely a sensory delight! The way they used color is wonderful! I’d buy it in a heart beat… If I only lived closer…. Shame they are selling it!

  8. Nan Snyder Lewis says

    September 11, 2016 at 2:39 pm

    I grew up 3 doors down from this house at 11038 Pinocchio on the corner at Sleepy Ln. My parents built our house in 1955 also with Gordon Nichols as builder. It was also a MCM beauty with pink boomerang Formica in the kitchen! The Disney streets of Dallas were an ideal place to grow up and probably why I’m now so nostalgic for the era… Love seeing the Smith house, and it’s so nice to see one of these beauties with so much of the original left in tact. Not gutted like a fish to an ‘open’ one room dance hall, which is the trend these days. Some day the few that are left as originally designed, will be rare but appreciated. Thanks for sharing!

    • pam kueber says

      September 11, 2016 at 3:52 pm

      How wonderful to hear from you! My favorite quote of the week and the week hasn’t even started: “Not gutted like a fish to an ‘open’ one room dance hall…”

      tee hee

      • Reader Deb says

        September 12, 2016 at 7:27 am

        The quote I thought of when looking at this house:
        ” A little nonsense now and then is valued by the wisest men.” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

      • Mary Elizabeth says

        September 12, 2016 at 8:41 am

        I will use that term for the next flip I see.

    • kt2le says

      November 8, 2016 at 9:41 am

      When I was little in the 1960’s, my dad’s boss lived on Pinocchio and I remember them having us over a few times. Like most of the houses in the Disney streets, it was long and rambling and had a backyard swimming pool, which was, at my young age, the first I’d ever seen. Even then I thought their home was wonderful. I always detour through the neighborhood when in the area.

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