On the Market
Mid-century modern house brings award-winning style to the market for under $500,000
Editor's Note: Houston, the surrounding areas and beyond are loaded with must-have houses and properties for sale in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. In this continuing series, CultureMap snoops through some of the best and gives you the lowdown on what's hot on the market.
As a young architect in Houston, William R. Jenkins made his mark with numerous homes and office buildings. Some would say that his most lasting contribution to the city was his tenure as the dean of the University of Houston College of Architecture. He launched the college on its course to becoming one of the leading architecture schools in the state.
But for certain, the mid-century modern houses that he designed around the city are architectural monuments to that Mad Men era. Few homes personify the mid-century esthetic more than this one, built in 1956 in Willow Meadows and refurbished in 2007 to 21st century sensibilities while maintaining the earlier feel. That careful refurbishment earned the house a Houston Mod Award for preservation.
What's inside: The comfortable three-bedroom home features a metal roof, narrow ribbon hardwood floors and an open living area with polished concrete flooring and a raised ceiling with tongue and groove design.
The single floor house is designed around the enclosed backyard with most rooms and all bedrooms opening through glass walls to the verdant space. Sensitivity to the period is clearly evidenced in the preservation of original cabinetry throughout the house and in the kitchen where original cabinetry is combined with modern Fisher Playkel appliances and period-appropriate replacements on countertops and in flooring.
The complete two bathrooms with sunken, tiled tubs feature glass walls that open to a private interior courtyard.
The house combines the best of mid-century mod esthetics with contemporary convenience and updating.
Love: The combo dining room/main living area with fireplace polished concrete floors and the raised ceiling.
Square footage: 2,680.
Asking price: $499,999 ($186.24 per square foot).
Listing agent: Broker Robert Searcy, Robert Searcy Properties.