Oh beautiful for spacious 1968 time capsule house! Okay, it was built in 1956, and then the second owner redecorated in ’68, so it’s not a never-touched interior, but: When the decor is 50 years old, and it looks as gorgeous as they day the last bit of wallpaper paste dried, well, it makes my book. This house, for sale by one of our favorite mid mod mad realtors, Robert Searcy, is warm, inviting, and fabulously layered with color, pattern, materials, shapes, sheens, styles, eras… just the kind of interior I adore. I will even call this one: Timeless. The decorator knew what she was doing! And so did photographers TK Images, who captured the home for us to worship forevermore!
The curb appeal is right up there, too — so charming. 4,211 s.f., 5-6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, $399,900. Robert Searcy loves well-designed vintage homes as much as we do, and it shows in his listing write up:
Nestled among sleepy moss draped trees, on a prominent corner in the historic district’s most coveted section, a prime example of what made Glenbrook Valley the envy of mid-century Houston & increasingly sought after today. Offered for sale for the first time in literally half a century, it presents a rare opportunity to acquire one of the historic district’s most elegant & spacious homes. Formals with lavish trim work details & expansive windows adorned w/vintage chinoiserie pattern drapes. A sumptuous den with absolutely gorgeous flagstone floors, cypress beams, rich warm ash paneling & a huge bar at one end with an alcove large enough for a frig. Sunroom, study & master down w/luxurious dressing area. Gameroom plus 4 more BRs up. Full quarters on the ground level with its own private entrance, full kitchen, living/dining combo & separate BR & bath. Perfect set up for extended family or live in nanny. Just one exit outside the loop.
Enter the foyer… with its traditional moldings and lovely green painted walls and trim. That shade of green, and warning, I’ll be saying it a lot: Timeless.
To the left is the living room, and to the right, the family room.
The living room is traditional and formal. The pinch pleats over the ruched sheers — the ‘movement’ of the shapes covering the window — just lovely! The walls are a dusty lavender — and so are the sheers. They look fantastic with that green — a wonderful color combination that you don’t see, and don’t see done well, often.
The family room is warm and woodsy, mixing rustic, personal, whimsical, nautical, mod, modern, chinoiserie, and traditional elements in the wall coverings, window coverings, furniture, accessories, collections, rugs, lighting, and more. This kind of mix makes a room timeless — that is, difficult to date (although dinner and a movie are usually a good bet.)
The walls are ash cut into planks with beaded edge. The beams are pecky cypress. The floors are flagstone. Flagstone!!!
The sectional and directors’ chairs are the most modern pieces. The (1) pattern on the sectional — I will call it octopusses (!) on paisley(!)– combined with (2) the sectional’s sensuous lines, are genius additions that add a big sexy hug to what otherwise might have been a staid, and nice, but predictable room. The graphic black lines of the barstools also adds time-shifting liveliness.
I would have a hard time ever leaving this room. No photos available of the backyard terrace. It looks nice too!
I am a wallpaper lover. I loved wallpaper before it was cool. And after. And before, still. And after, still. And before, still. And after, still. And now, still. I love wallpaper on ceilings, too. The listing says this is vintage Schumacher wallpaper “that has stood the test of time.” I wholeheartedly agree.
And note this: Robert tells me that the owner still has the leftover wallpaper! Of course! People who know their decor is spot-on happening, save the wallpaper leftovers.
Copper on red-and-black brick on a red tile vinyl floor with more wallpaper on the ceiling — oh my heart be still, all the lovely layering.
A traditional wood kitchen table with Windsor chairs, in front of an inviting lead glass bay window. Windsor chairs are so lovely. Yikes, this book all about them is 744 pages long — they are so collectible << Amazon affiliate link, I make some dough re mi if ya buy anything; it’s part of how I keep this blog boat afloat. How I make money without selling my blogger soul.
The dining room includes metallic wallpaper, including on the ceilings. Same window treatments as the living room.
The master bedroom has a palatial Hollywood Regency vibe… and oooooh, we get just a peek into the adjacent bathroom with what looks to be a black-and-white octagonal chinoiserie lattice wallpaper on the ceiling.
Another of the bathrooms — eclectic-fabulous! — here…
And, a dressing table fit for a movie star…
Please please please, I hope whoever buy this doesn’t change a thing!
Hey, what came after 1960s wallpaper? 1970s wallpaper, of course!
Link love:
Many thanks again to the wonderful:
- Robert Searcy, listing agent
- TK Images, for permission to feature these photos.
- Listing here.
k says
It is perfect. Can I drag it to LA?
Pam Kueber says
Seriously.
Mary Elizabeth says
Yeah, it would be nice if we could click and drag the house we want to our home state! 🙂
Barbara says
This is a beautiful home. It looks comfortable, livable and inviting. I wouldn’t change a thing (except maybe get a pool installed.)
Jay says
Thanks Pam for a timeless time capsule! Enjoyed your commentary. That entrance hall alone is worth the price of admission. The interiors look like one of those LA houses that would have been featured in the early Columbo mysteries.
Marie Gamalski says
Oh Jay…. you’re right!! Like the episode w/Janet Leigh!! The older ones were really well done on interiors…very specific, a lot of cool 60’s vibe interiors too!! I remember a couple w/Jack Cassidy that had some VERY groovy shag carpet and art….
Paige says
Columbo! Right on, Jay.
MARTHA says
Living in Houston, I can tell you, sadly, the chances of this home remaining anywhere near this is very slim. Fingers crossed, but doubtful.
Robert Searcy says
You might be surprised. Glenbrook Valley attracts a different kind of buyer usually, and it’s a community of a lot of folks who love a good vintage look.
Marilyn says
Love…love…this and yes this does reflect the period but an expensive version of the Era…I bet whichever “decorator” did this cost a bundle. It stand out as timeless .. I collect decorating books and I had one from the late 50’s/60’s that reflected this same mix…I call it Colonial meets Traditional and I really hope whoever buys this loves it and doesn’t gut it….
Robin, WA says
WOW!!! So much pattern, texture, and color and it all blends so perfectly. Love the mix of styles too – Chinnoiserie meets Colonial. Excellent.
JeffK says
Wow, crazy level of value in Houston compared to Seattle! With these time capsule type homes I always wonder what price would be with the furnishings included.
ineffablespace says
I don’t think this can be both timeless and a time-capsule at the same time.
Timeless in the sense that you can’t really put a date on these interiors and also in the sense that if the interiors have their basis in 1968, this is not what 1968 typically had to offer.
But a time-capsule, pretty much by definition is something that reflects a specific period and has been frozen in that period–there are no or minimal changes so whatever it looked like in (1968) it looks like in 2018–or very close to it.
I grew up in a time capsule and all of the furniture was bought in 1969 or 1975. The entire house was decorated top to bottom in 1969. In 1975 the MBR was reworked and the basement was finished. In 1987 the house was redecorated using all the original furnishings, but the basement was left in it’s 1975 state.
When the house was sold in 2015, all of the furniture from 1969 was still in place, all of the 1987 refresh was in place, and the basement was intact 1975. Except for accessories and artwork added over the years you could look at a photo from 1987 and 1997 and 2007 and everything looked the same. Anything small thing added fit with what was there. If something was reupholstered it was done to fit 1987, not with something updated.
The house above has too many specific things that I recognize from later design periods–or approaches to things from later design periods, for me to think of this as a true time capsule. That’s fine, because most houses evolve a lot–and most houses evolve much more than the house you show did. But I don’t think this one froze enough to be a time capsule.
I also don’t think that a house has to be decorated in the trend of the period to be considered a time capsule necessarily. A house can be decorated it a classical style that does not overly reference whats current and then stay that way. So a house decorated in colonial revival style in a period when that was not overly popular or trendy can still become a time capsule. And to some extent the execution of that colonial revival can’t help but reference 1950 or 1970 or 1990.
Pam Kueber says
A house can be a time capsule and timeless. Time capsule = hasn’t changed, or hasn’t changed much at all. Timeless = the decorating choices can’t really be nailed to one particular date.
ineffablespace says
Oh, I do think they can be both, I agree. I think that’s what I grew up in: the upstairs was timeless and a time capsule, timeless because the upstairs furniture was antique-style, and a time capsule because even the bedspreads were from 1987 or before. And the basement was not timeless, it was a bright red and kelly green 1975 time capsule pure and simple.
I think the house above has a timelessness from not really being able to pin it down, but it think too many things have changed since 1968 for me to think of it as a solid time capsule like so many of your listings. Not that it doesn’t deserve to be posted for it’s own right.
Pam Kueber says
What do you think changed after 1968?
ineffablespace says
Not a ton, but some recognizable things…the beaded chandelier in the breakfast area is almost certainly a millennial thing, and the particular arrangement of icons in the corner of that room; the Versace-esque bedding in the MBR is a 90s thing, and the random rugs, the Willow wallcovering in the bathroom. The dancing-with -servants-holding umbrellas grouping of prints in the den. These are all things that are pretty strongly outside the period of 1968
I am sure I am splitting hairs, I often do, but there is a little dilution here and there of 1968 with later things that aren’t so much compatible with 1968 as distinct updates. Which of course is what typically happens in older houses.
Pam Kueber says
Note too many changes for a 4,200 s.f. house over 50 years!
Carolyn says
Could we hear Mr. Searcy’s selling spiel to potential buyers? From what I’ve read of local realtor descriptions, they damn these homes with faint praise: “well-maintained, lovingly cared for, etc.” The voices in my head from the remodeling shows is to take out these walls so you can see everything from the kitchen (and everything in the house still smells like last year’s St. Patrick’s Day cabbage!) Tear out/off this gorgeous feature and “update” with flavor of the moment of whatever’s in the big box stores which will be “dated” next month.
The materials have stood the test of time which translates to this is old and “could” fail so let’s replace with modern stuff that “might” last 10 years.
An area windows & doors place pulled off the deteriorating Masonite from the front of the house and replaced with horizontal vinyl siding – a HUGE expanse of b-o-r-i-n-g instead of replacing it with modern Masonite to keep the “Swiss chalet” vibe.
I like the judicious use of the metallic wallpaper on the ceiling. The K paper draws your eyes up – and then you actually have something to look at!
I think green has either gotten a bad rap or people are just not aware of it so don’t consider it. Sage is “safe” but this green is, yes, “timeless”.
“Dinner and a movie” – jeez Pam! You know most of read this with our morning coffee!
Robert Searcy says
My description is included in the article. I always avoid “ready for your updates “ or “bring your contractor and your imagination”. There are code words and phrases I try to incorporate that resonate with mid-century or time capsule type buyers, like making sure they know it was a long term owner, baths are original, to let them know this is that kind of house. Of course telling Pam to help get them in front of the RR audience in hopes of finding a more sympathetic buyer is part of the equation too! If you do a search on here for Glenbrook, you’ll find a number of past features from the neighborhood. I wish I could save them all from bad remuddles, and actually most have! The real interesting spiel though, is the one folks get who tell me a house like this “needs to be gutted.”
Pam Kueber says
Thank you, Robert! I updated the text of the story to make it clear the listing write-up was yours, lovingly done. Thank you for all you do!!!!
Carolyn says
I know that as a realtor, your responsibility is to sell the house but when you hear lookee-lous say to “just gut it”, do you have to control your arm to not Miss Piggy swat them? Ay-yah!
DH overheard my summer of HGTV and what he could NEVER understand is, if they have a budget of over $150K, why are they looking to update at all? Just build to YOUR specifications! If you’re not a fan of red brick, why are you even looking at a red brick house?
I peep at listings in Mequon of homes built in the late 1960’s/ ’70’s and think 1.) ankle deep plush carpeting -ooh! & 2.) Posh. I can’t begin to imagine how you’d go about “updating” them since they’re already well-thought out.
I am surprised at the asking price for what you all get. This size house with Hazel’s room included for under a half mil?! Yee Haw!
Robert Searcy says
I don’t have a poker player’s face, so I know some have gotten a look. I do try to gently educate folks as to the value, because in that particular neighborhood, the “draw” is more of the original elements & they can actually undercut their investment with insensitive “updates”. There was actually a flipper lady that took my advice to heart and saved many original elements, saving herself the money of replacement, and then sold it setting a new high record price per square foot for Glenbrook. There’s value in vintage!
Mary Elizabeth says
Robert, I want to have your baby–er–buy my next house from you! I have been following your attention to mid-century homes and have learned from you and Pam the little clues in the listings. “Lovingly maintained” is one of my favorites, because it signals to me that no crazy updating has been done but that the roof isn’t leaking. If they have updated kitchens and baths, they say so. I think the listing on the house I bought was actually something like, “Well-cared-for 1959 home built by owner. Newer roof, siding, windows, furnace.” That was what attracted us to it–the important maintenance had been done, but the owner hadn’t ripped everything valuable and timeless out of it. Wish I had kept the listing.
Debbie in Portland says
I am always in awe of people who can make decorating decisions, follow through on them, and be so satisfied that they stick with them for years and years and years. And the craftsmanship—can you imagine buying furniture, drapes, or curtains NOW that will still look brand new in 2068? Such a well-loved, well-cared-for home!