I took the tripod out and took some photos right at dusk. This is the view from the back patio.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Intro to Atomic Birdcage
This is the story of an ambitious remodel/rebirth of an amazing mid-century modern ranch house in small-town Texas.
About a year ago, my wife and I left the fast pace life of downtown Houston for me to take a job in my family's hometown of Brownwood, Texas. In the dead center of the state, Brownwood is a small town of about 25,000, and feels like idyllic small town America.
Like many small towns, Brownwood has some fantastic architecture that can be had for modest prices (typically $70 sq. ft. or less), but most need lots of love to bring them up to their full glory.
Most of Brownwood's architectural gems are turn-of-the-last-century Victorians, but a surge of development in the 60's and 70's resulted in more than our fair share of Atomic Ranch houses.
We were fortunate enough to purchase what is probably Brownwood's best example of the mid-century ranch. Our home was built in 1962 by up-and-coming concrete mogul, Bob Ingram.
The house is 3600 sq. ft. and almost perfectly symetrical in a U shape, with two wings of the house surrounding a patio. It sits on a gorgeous lot aproximately 1 1/2 acres. It is a far cry from the tract-home Eichlers built on the west coast, but shares the same modern soul.
We are only the third owners, and the house had not been updated in about 20 years. Our undertaking has been a rather large one, especially since we are doing all of it ourselves.
Prior to purchasing this house we had no real interest in mid-century architecture, but that changed as soon as we fell for this house. We have become mid-mod enthusiasts, and we are trying to restore and revamp this house in a way that honors its history without directly repeating it.
About a year ago, my wife and I left the fast pace life of downtown Houston for me to take a job in my family's hometown of Brownwood, Texas. In the dead center of the state, Brownwood is a small town of about 25,000, and feels like idyllic small town America.
Like many small towns, Brownwood has some fantastic architecture that can be had for modest prices (typically $70 sq. ft. or less), but most need lots of love to bring them up to their full glory.
Most of Brownwood's architectural gems are turn-of-the-last-century Victorians, but a surge of development in the 60's and 70's resulted in more than our fair share of Atomic Ranch houses.
We were fortunate enough to purchase what is probably Brownwood's best example of the mid-century ranch. Our home was built in 1962 by up-and-coming concrete mogul, Bob Ingram.
The house is 3600 sq. ft. and almost perfectly symetrical in a U shape, with two wings of the house surrounding a patio. It sits on a gorgeous lot aproximately 1 1/2 acres. It is a far cry from the tract-home Eichlers built on the west coast, but shares the same modern soul.
We are only the third owners, and the house had not been updated in about 20 years. Our undertaking has been a rather large one, especially since we are doing all of it ourselves.
Prior to purchasing this house we had no real interest in mid-century architecture, but that changed as soon as we fell for this house. We have become mid-mod enthusiasts, and we are trying to restore and revamp this house in a way that honors its history without directly repeating it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
