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A uniquely designed former home and art studio used by one of the city's most celebrated artists is up for sale. Bert Long, Jr., known for his bold, highly-personal paintings, lived and worked at the 4739 Buck Street home for more than a decade before he passed away on Feb. 1, 2013.
Located in the rapidly changing Fifth Ward, the 5,831-square-foot property features a 960-square-foot two bedroom, one bathroom home as well as Long's separate studio space.
The attached double-shotgun row house, once featured in design and architecture magazine Dwell, was carefully renovated 15 years ago as part of a year-long thesis project by then- Rice University graduate architecture student Brett Zamore. Originally built for two families, Zamore deconstructed the home and rebuilt it, transforming into something completely unique.
"I received the house from the Fifth Ward CRC (Community Redevelopment Corporation) in disrepair," Zamore, founder of Brett Zamore Design, says. (The nonprofit encourages preservation and development of inner-city properties.) "I injected a new life, an open, modern feeling to the house."
Long, who grew up in the area, purchased the home after the renovation for around $70,000. He lived at the Buck Street domicile with Joan Batson, his wife and a fellow artist, until his death.
Walk through
It should come as no surprise that an artist's former abode doesn't look like your typical home. Its open ceilings and visible rafters make the one-story house feel larger than it is and allows for a lot of storage space on the second story. Central air-conditioning and a number of ceiling fans help cool the quaint home and most rooms feature track lighting. A modest-yet-functional open kitchen, living room and dining room anchor one side of the former row house, while bedrooms and a centralized bathroom are found on the opposite side.
The property, which sits just east of Waco St. and south of Interstate 10, also features a large yard between the home and studio buildings. The artist's former studio could easily be transformed into a cozy garage apartment as it houses a full bathroom of its own.
Long's expansive art collection, which includes many large sculptures and mixed-media pieces, is being handled locally by Deborah Colton Gallery.
Lot size: 5,831 square feet
Home size: 960 square feet
Asking price: $200,000
Listing agent: Star Massing, Boulevard Realty
The lot features ample green space between the home and studio.
A rendering illustrates one of the building's penthouses.Rendering courtesy of Shimahara Visual