Here’s our first time capsule house of 2019, and it’s a rare beauty: A round house, built in 1952, which looks to have been very carefully tended — with amazing original vintage wallpaper, gorgeous original bathrooms and overall, a quirky original feel that gives me the shivers to imagine the love that went into living in it! The house also has lots of features we can learn from, as we look to remodel and decorate our own midcentury and earlier houses. Thanks to reader Ann for this time capsule tip, and to listing agent Tracy McKnight for permission to feature his photos. Let’s take a look inside >>
Ann praised the town of Gladewater in her email tip:
Pam, This ‘round’ house has great original bathrooms. Gladewater, Texas is a beautiful old town here in the east part of the state. Thought you might like a look at these bathrooms and the wallpaper in this house, before it’s destroyed.
Ann
From the listing:
This property is one of the landmarks of Gladewater. A unique property that features a round design that is eye-catching and a draw for any architecture enthusiast. This grand home is … just a short walk from downtown.
The 3,480 sq ft house features four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, one partial bathroom, and is listed for sale for $165,350.
Above: I bet that’s original sculpted (patterned?) carpeting in this bedroom. Note, at the far left that looks to be an upholstered tufted headboard, with bed missing. The color scheme: Lilac / green / muted coral would have been very classic 1940s heading into the early 1950s.
Above: This is the room visible from the lavender-wallpaper bedroom. All those rounded glass windows! This must have cost many pretty pennies in 1952. The tile floors look great, too.
Above: I will guess that the wallpaper is not only metallic wallpaper, but also flocked. Yum.
Another bedroom, I think… Again: THAT WALLPAPER!
Above: The connected bathroom, be still our beating hearts. I can’t identify most plumbing fixtures by site, whose red is this do you think? Standard? Kohler? Crane?
As Ann pointed out, the bathrooms are real gems. Above: Lovely pink bathroom — be sure to note the mosaic tile floor pattern, the fabulous shower door frame, and golly, the pink wall tile is tiled on a rounded wall!
Above: The green bathroom is equally beautiful. Note how the designer set the sink on legs between two cabinets in order to create useful adjacent counter space.
Above: yet another lovely vintage bathroom. Note the circular dressing table built into the corner across from the toilet (far right of the photo). I’m saying: dressing table, because you can see the lights — I bet there are also mirrors there.
Above: The kitchen looks all-original including steel kitchen cabinets and stainless-steel edged lamiante countertops. The appliances and floors look newer. Are those simply glass plates mounted on the backsplash? Hard to say. Interesting.
Above: Another shot of the hallway beyond the front entry, with that scenic wallpaper. I’m guessing all the paint trim is original — it’s inspirational to see wood trim painted a color besides white.
Notice the telephone nook about halfway down the hall tucked into the wall on the right. The first house that I ever owned, which was built in 1938, also had a telephone nook like this (and a laundry chute!)
What a wonderful house! Here’s hoping it finds appreciative new owners!
Link love:
- Listing from agent Tracy McKnight.
- All our time capsule houses archived here
Eliza says
Those bathroom wall heaters!!!! want!
Kristie says
This is amazing! As much as I live for MCM, I have to admit that these interiors look much more like the vintage pics of 50’s interiors coming from my own family. If you were decorating in the late 40’s to early 50’s, especially in more rural areas, this was really the standard.
Ranger Smith says
OMG! Such a wonderful home. Did you notice the shower door in the pink bathroom? Its as if Alice in Wonderland and Jean Harlow were roommates. I’ve never seen anything like that, its a treasure. Of course the scenic wallpaper in the hallway and entryway are fabulous. Yes, I hope the new buyer appreciates this home and is willing to retain the majority of the special details.
Karin says
Spectacular! What a stunning and immaculate time capsule. I doubt this house will be on the market very long. Some lucky buyer will have a great time bringing out the potential here. For me, the standouts are the breathtaking bathrooms. I’m no expert, but the burgundy standalone sink in the beautiful Art Deco bathroom looks like a 50s Crane.
I understand the comment about the disconnect in the decor and the architecture. However, that is in the nature of a time capsule. For its time, it was very well decorated in a traditional style. The majority of American homeowners in the 50s didn’t go in for modernist decor. For a buyer, research into the architect would be an obvious first step. With its elegant curves, the house seems to suggest American Streamline Moderne.
Here’s hoping the buyer will keep the perfect bathrooms. The price seems very good for what you’re getting.
Thank you for the eye candy, it made my day.
Kim says
I love this just as it is; I only hope it will find owners who feel the same. About 10 years ago we found a beautiful 50’s house w incredible retro bathrooms that we intended to buy. A family member’s medical crisis caused us to have to back out of the purchase – someone else bought the house and gutted those fabulous bathrooms. To this day I feel like I let that house down …
Martha says
Be still my heart. I hope the new owners appreciate this beautiful house “as is”!
ineffablespace says
I had already saved all these photos, because I found this in my own daily searches. I actually like the dichotomy between the interior and exterior, because they are both expressions of the period. They are completely *different* expressions of the period, and both rather intense expressions of the period–and it’s interesting that clients who liked one also liked the other.
The outside is also traditional other than its shape. The round buildings in my area are usually more deco (stucco) or space-age looking (or organic, if you get into the 1970s), but the exterior finishes on this house are identical to what would be put on a rectangular house. I guess it also shows that when it came to interiors “Mid-Century-modern” hadn’t really taken a hold as much in 1952 (although it started in 1946-7 really)…the architecture was a little ahead of the interiors. I think the same sort of differences are still present today.
I hope someone who understands this house buys it. It really would not look good decorated in current fashion. I really makes a statement with a Traditional-Regency interior, and I suppose it could make a different statement with the right sort of mid-century furniture (although I see this more with Heywood Wakefield and Streamline Moderne than I do Saarinen and Knoll and the rest). Although we can’t determine condition, I think if the house needs to be redecorated for some reason, they would be hard-pressed to improve on the current interior.
Nice, sure; appropriate, maybe; equal maybe; but Better…doubtful.
Jay says
Wow! Wasn’t expecting the traditional late 40s interiors including the kitchen and baths. Amazing how everything has come down through the years unchanged. Very nice! Like the “minty green” of the formal living room. When you think of it, the exterior even seems to be of the 30s/40s albeit with rounded corners. Thanks for sharing
Pam Kueber says
Yes, I think you are correct: While this house is listed as built in 1952, it has its roots in the two decades prior. We see this often in early 50s homes — the design world was in a deep freeze during WWII, and it took them nearly a decade after the war ended to come of out with new looks. The “Populuxe” era is slated 1953-1963.
Dan says
There is such a disconnect between the avant garde design of the house and the very traditional interiors. The outside looks forward to the 60’s; the inside looks backward to the 40’s and 30’s. Those bathrooms are like jewels, but (please don’t hate me) I am not fond of the wallpaper here. I find those large scale patterns claustrophobic, though I do like that bit of geometric paper in the green bathroom.
Joel says
Yeah, the wallpaper needs to go, but new retro wallpaper from Bradbury & Bradbury would be nice. Like wallpaper, but this is too loud.
Paige says
Oh, time capsule house spirits, please find an appreciative owner!! Is there work in Gladewater? I’ll move in. So perfect. Aren’t these the best? All I can imagine is that there was never a child or pet anywhere near this house.
Pam Kueber says
My husband is now retired, and I work from home. This big round time capsule is looking awefully appealing to me too!
Lynne says
Go for it , Pam! Bob and I just recently bought a MCM house in NC for our upcoming retirement. It is certainly PRE retirement, but we couldn’t let this house fall into the wrong hands-if you know what I mean.
I was going to send you a few pics, with further proof that stainless steel appliances DID exist in the 50’s.
Pam Kueber says
ohhhh, just daydreaming of warmer climes on a snowy Massachusetts January morn. We’re quite happy in our own 1951 classic here!
Bette Jean says
Do it Pam! Save it!