[flipper]

retromodernjeff, on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 @ 12:37pm, said:

Formica rules.

Love the boomerang pattern.

If you had that done in your place, PM me your installers info if you don't mind.

flipper

[BenH]

SpaceAge, on Monday, December 17th, 2007 @ 9:02pm, said:

Yesterday's Mod of the Month had a large turnout and all went very well- one of the best ever! I was surprised the turnout this time of year would be so large but people seem to love this kind of event. People really enjoyed seeing this super house and stayed around in there for a long time. We had the full set of original plans on display along with a newspaper article describing the house and its furnishings complete with photographs from the time of the original owners. A man arrived in a gorgeous 1958 Cadillac Eldorado convertible and parked it front and center in the circular drive. It was the perfect item to complete the ultra-swank scene! I think people thought they were at a country club and were waiting for Frank and Dean to arrive.


If everyone there yesterday tells ten others about the place, we will be that much closer to finding a buyer.

I'd love to know whose Caddy that was so I could get some more shots of it. My camera attracts great cars. The house was really interesting, but does need some TLC. The sauna was a nice touch too.

[marmer]

That is a particularly nice Caddy. Those cost over $10,000 when new, which would have put them right up near Rolls-Royce at the time. Your camera would probably enjoy this, the first weekend every May:

http://www.woodenkee...ssicwheels.com/

[BenH]

marmer, on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 @ 4:50pm, said:

That is a particularly nice Caddy. Those cost over $10,000 when new, which would have put them right up near Rolls-Royce at the time. Your camera would probably enjoy this, the first weekend every May:

http://www.woodenkee...ssicwheels.com/

It's good to know that Carroll Shelby is still going strong.

[mkultra25]

marmer, on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 @ 4:50pm, said:

That is a particularly nice Caddy. Those cost over $10,000 when new, which would have put them right up near Rolls-Royce at the time. Your camera would probably enjoy this, the first weekend every May:

http://www.woodenkee...ssicwheels.com/

All gearheads should go to Keels & Wheels at least once - there's nothing like it anywhere else in the area, as the 2007 list of car entries will attest.

Anyone remember dethroned strip-center king Jerry J. Moore's Antique Car Museum that used to be in a warehouse on the North Loop near Shepherd/Yale? That place was incredible - rows and rows of Duesenbergs, 12- and 16-cylinder Cadillacs, Packards, and other similar classics worth millions of dollars, all crammed into a nondescript building in a part of town you wouldn't expect to find it in. It was closed to the public at some point after he ran into financial difficulties and the cars were eventually moved out (and presumably at least some of them were sold). The building now houses a discount furniture store, but I think of what it used to be every time I drive by it.

[marmer]

mkultra25, on Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 @ 9:07am, said:

All gearheads should go to Keels & Wheels at least once - there's nothing like it anywhere else in the area, as the 2007 list of car entries will attest.

Anyone remember dethroned strip-center king Jerry J. Moore's Antique Car Museum that used to be in a warehouse on the North Loop near Shepherd/Yale? That place was incredible - rows and rows of Duesenbergs, 12- and 16-cylinder Cadillacs, Packards, and other similar classics worth millions of dollars, all crammed into a nondescript building in a part of town you wouldn't expect to find it in. It was closed to the public at some point after he ran into financial difficulties and the cars were eventually moved out (and presumably at least some of them were sold). The building now houses a discount furniture store, but I think of what it used to be every time I drive by it.

AAAAUGH! Don't get me started, as this will be the thread hijack to end all thread hijacks. First, I wouldn't say Ol' Shel is still going strong, but he is still alive and trying to make a buck. I absolutely LOVE car museums. Yes, I certainly remember JJM's Car Museum. Well worth a visit back in the day. Even better was Vida's Vintage Vehicles on the North Freeway near the blimp base. It was attached to a truck stop and motel, both long gone. It had a greater variety of cars than JJM, who seemed to concentrate on '30s American classics. David Taylor's Classic Car Museum, in a restored art-deco building in downtown Galveston, was a lovely place. The Sterling McCall Old Car Museum in Round Top used to be spectacular, and my favorite day trip from the Houston area, but I've heard that McCall auctioned off a number of his vehicles to concentrate on Cadillacs, so I'm not sure about the status of the museum now. The Alamo City Car Museum in San Antonio died a few years ago, but they had an interesting collection. Probably the best one within easy driving distance is the Central Texas Museum of Automotive History in Rosanky, which is about two-thirds of the way to San Antonio on I-10. Occasionally I hear rumors that John O'Quinn of Carousel House notoriety is going to do a museum, and judging from what I've seen at Keels and Wheels and Classy Chassis, he certainly could.

Keels and Wheels is not to be missed. Period. And the lineup varies enough from year to year that you need to go. It's the only local concours that draws major participation from lots of out-of-state collectors. Two years ago the Petersen Museum in LA sent about five or six of their best cars. Classy Chassis, at Reliant Stadium in June, is not quite as spectacular but still draws most of the really interesting local cars and a few out-of-towners.

Ben, even if you were on life support in a hospital (G-d forbid), you should drag your IV line to Keels and Wheels. Seriously.

[Willowisp]

I don't mind threads getting hijacked, but to get this one back on track...

Houston Mod received a (snail mail) letter from this house's architect, Waller Poage yesterday. The man who checks our PO boxis forwarding it to me so I'll reprint it here when I get it. That's exciting. And like Spaceage said, that was a great mod of the month. Maybe the best attended one we've done when it was just one house, especially for a December afternoon. Wish we had been able to make it 2 houses, but looks like we'll do Meyerland again in January as the other one wasn't ready to go on the market yet. The tentative date will be January 13th.
Jason

[SpaceAge]

More big news:

Two representatives from the Formica Company have scheduled an appointment to tour and photograph the house.

Slowly but surely, we seem to be getting somewhere with this one!

[Willowisp]

Wow! What a letter we received! Thanks so much to you guys for finding him online. Reading this letter, it seems that Formica would never have become synonomous with 1950s & 60s countertops like it is without the salesmanship of Larry Stephens.



Dear Mr. Smith:

You emailed me with inquiry about the Meyerland Formica House. Indeed I was the architect for that house and it was one of the most interesting experiences of my professional career. The house was constructed by Al Fairfield/Builder Inc, and the year was probably 1965 [actually plans say April, 1966]. Mr. Fairfield and I were associated in a Design/Build relationship that produced several hundred custom designed houses from 1963 – 1970.

The house you call “The Formica House” has an interesting history that begins with its original owner, Larry Stephens, owner of the Stephens Company (at that time) a well known and respected business man who owned a carpet manufacturing company and was a distributor of interior finish materials nationally and internationally. Despite his “rags to riches” rise in the Houston Business Community, the “Formica House” in Meyerland was the Stephens’ first “real” home. Larry lived and raised a family in a rented house in South Houston until he got to build his “Dream” house. Larry and his wife were in their 70’s.

Larry Stephens sold carpet door to door during the depression of the 30’s. He was an extremely frugal man and saved 50% or more of every dollar he earned from selling carpet. Next he invested in a carpet show room and paid others a commission to sell carpet door to door. Next he had the opportunity to purchase the carpet factory and then sold carpet to showrooms who paid others to sell carpet from door to door. He expanded his carpet show rooms to distribute all kinds of flooring and eventually was a distributor of almost anything necessary to finish the interior of a building except paint. Larry Stephens was never in the paint business. Some time in the 1950’s a company of chemists developed a product that today we call laminated plastic. They called their company the American Cyanamid Company and their product Formica. The public, especially the design/construction community hated the product and American Cyanamid had a “tough road to hoe” in selling their product. Then they met Larry Stephens. Larry drove a hard bargain and contracted to be not only the national distributor of Formica but the international distributor as well. Long story short, Larry Stephens and his sales crew brought Formica around to become a household name and Larry Stephens made a fortune selling laminated plastic.

The year before the Stephens house, Al Fairfield and I were approached by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company to design a “show” home in Houston that would provide a “showcase” [for] their glass and paint products. It was called the “House of New Dimensions” and was a successful project gaining Pittsburgh a valuable piece of the Home Market. Larry Stephens came to see the House of New Dimensions, liked the house and its use as a showcase and he immediately commissioned us to design a show home for all the products that he distributed. I hired a very talented Cuban Architect, named Raul Alverez to work with me and the rest of the story is as they say history. Every interior surface in the house is covered with some form or color of Formica laminated plastic or carpet Mr. Stephens liked to brag that it took less than one gallon of paint to finish the inside of his house. The exterior of the house is Arkansas sandstone, hand selected by the architect and the mason. The kitchen had a carpeted floor and was a feature in the Houston Home Builder’s Convention a few months before the house was completed. Mr. and Mrs. Stephens enjoyed demonstrating the sanitary character of the carpet used in the kitchen by pouring bacon grease on the carpet, then cleaning the carpet perfectly with a carpet shampoo appliance and a vacuum cleaner.

I cannot remember a client who was more pleased with one of my designs in 45 years of professional architectural practice. Larry Stephens was a very special client.

Respectfully yours,

Waller S. Poage III, AIA, NCARB, CSI, CDT, CVS

[marmer]

Thanks for posting this, Jason! What a great letter! Now, of course, I wonder if any of those "hundreds of custom homes" or that "House of New Dimensions" are still extant and/or interesting. And what about this Raul Alvarez? It's sure nice to see the fortunes of this house may be on the rise after the Carousel debacle.

[sevfiv]

How wonderful - thanks for posting the letter!

[HoustonRealtor]

Reduced to $339,999 today (from $345,000).

[flipper]

Price was reduced to 324,900 on 3/21.

Went under contract yesterday 4/10.

flipper

[HoustonRealtor]

And........back on the market.

[rbarz]

domus48, on Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 @ 8:57am, said:

"(Another) challenge will be to find someone who wants a really swank late 60's mod and has access to the money to fix it up."

Conservatively, a house this size and age will likely take between 300K to 500K for a proper renovation (i.e. infrastructure, insulation, roofing, window replacement, etc.).

"

Wow, conservatively $90 to $150 per square foot for remodeling! I couldn't imagine...

[SecondTour]

If this is the house I think it is, I pass it going home from work every day. Seems like it's the one with tons of giant Sago palms all over the yard. I'm going to pay more attention to it now. Interesting to see what happens to it.

[flipper]

No one wants the formica house. Dropped to 305k today.

flipper

[rps324]

flipper, on Sunday, June 1st, 2008 @ 9:02pm, said:

No one wants the formica house. Dropped to 305k today.

flipper

I had a client that put an offer in on it for $325,000 when it first came out, and the bank wouldn't talk about it.

[flipper]

rps324, on Sunday, June 1st, 2008 @ 9:07pm, said:

I had a client that put an offer in on it for $325,000 when it first came out, and the bank wouldn't talk about it.

Happens quite a bit I hear. I put in a near asking price cash offer on an REO a couple months ago. I can't get ANY reply.

flipper

[htownmark]

I will be honest. This house brings a smile to my face because I like funky odd houses, but I would never flip it. I like to gamble, but not that much.

I think it needs to be bought by someone who loves mod digs, wants to fix it up themselves, and wants to get into that school district for cheap cheap money. If anyone is thinking of taking this house on I am happy to pledge my assistance and pro bono advice/contacts. I imagine some other flippers and remodeling experts who navigate this board would also be happy to help.

I would hate to see it get torn down. Someone needs to step in and offer that bank 250K and go for it. Make it super glamorous and funky, live in it for 15 years, and watch the cheap, crappy McMansions crumble into dust around you while the world admires your vision and foresight.

Mark
area 16 homes
area16.com

[Willowisp]

I'm right there with you. This house is in a similar situation to the house we bought in 2005, and there were huge risks and rewards with buying it. If that owner is out there, we're all interested in seeing how it turns out. Houston Mod has even contacted the Formica Co to see what help they might be, though it hasn't panned out in an offer of merch or grants yet.
Jason

htownmark, on Monday, June 2nd, 2008 @ 7:32pm, said:

I will be honest. This house brings a smile to my face because I like funky odd houses, but I would never flip it. I like to gamble, but not that much.

I think it needs to be bought by someone who loves mod digs, wants to fix it up themselves, and wants to get into that school district for cheap cheap money. If anyone is thinking of taking this house on I am happy to pledge my assistance and pro bono advice/contacts. I imagine some other flippers and remodeling experts who navigate this board would also be happy to help.

I would hate to see it get torn down. Someone needs to step in and offer that bank 250K and go for it. Make it super glamorous and funky, live in it for 15 years, and watch the cheap, crappy McMansions crumble into dust around you while the world admires your vision and foresight.

Mark
area 16 homes
area16.com

This post has been edited by Willowisp: Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 4:01 PM

[texasdago]

Al Fairfield got his start in Memorial Bend - William Floyd took him under his wing and had him build a few houses for him before he went out on his own. He's still alive...

[sdmarc]

Article on the Formica House http://www.hcnonline...w...35587&rfi=6

[NenaE]

Seen that brickwork ( seen in the original post "home" pics) imitated so many times, with new retro-looking structures. Thanks for the article link, sdmarc.

[Happy Historian]

From what I could tell from the photos this house has a Nutone type "house stereo" that probably had an intercom or paging feature. These systems never worked reliably, but there are alternatives. There are ways to use mod faceplate styles to introduce current technology. That said, virtually all the speakers put in these type of houses in Houston that I have seen over the last 30 years (and that's been alot!) were the cheapest "dentist office" specials. If you are going to do any relevant system in a very live environment like this, your speaker choice is critical. The odd shaped rooms are a distinct advantage and with wireless control technology - stealth volume/media controls are a snap. The amount of metal used in framing, windows, reinforcement in a house like this would mean that one should anticipate wireless shadows and problems. These are minor challenges to wireless computer networks, home automation/management systems, and telecom systems. If you anticipate them - solutions can be engineered in advance. Using well designed architectural speaker systems appropriatly and you can really mask ambient noise as well as create environments. This house would not seem to present a problem for stealth introduction of contemporary technologies as most of you know - there is always an engineering solution.

[rosiethecorgi]

We have been trying to find out more information about the flooding history of this house. Our realtor is at a stalemate. I do know that the west side of Rice that it sits on has traditionally sat higher than the other side of the street and the houses further back on the west side have not flooded in years past. Does anyone know anything about it or know of another resource to look up the info besides the useless FEMA site?

[Happy Historian]

To get reasonable flood info try these two sites, one is NOA for storm history (in this case Allison) and the other is the Tropical Storm Allicia Recovery Project - with interactive maps.

http://www.srh.noaa....s/allison01.htm


http://www.tsarp.org

[missjanel]

Have you tried contacting the HOA to see if they keep records of which properties flooded? I know that they keep track of the lots which are owned by the Harris County Flood Control Authority, but they may not keep track of all the flooded houses. What about contacting those neighbors who are original owners and asking if they remember the house flooding.

Unfortunately too much time has passed since TSA to track in CLUE reports. They only log the last 5 years of insurance claims.

rosiethecorgi, on Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 @ 11:53am, said:

We have been trying to find out more information about the flooding history of this house. Our realtor is at a stalemate. I do know that the west side of Rice that it sits on has traditionally sat higher than the other side of the street and the houses further back on the west side have not flooded in years past. Does anyone know anything about it or know of another resource to look up the info besides the useless FEMA site?

[rps324]

rosiethecorgi, on Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 @ 11:53am, said:

We have been trying to find out more information about the flooding history of this house. Our realtor is at a stalemate. I do know that the west side of Rice that it sits on has traditionally sat higher than the other side of the street and the houses further back on the west side have not flooded in years past. Does anyone know anything about it or know of another resource to look up the info besides the useless FEMA site?

Well, this is all very unofficial, but I was showing the house at one time last year. When we were in there we heard the garage door go up. There was a very young lady parked in the driveway and she had used a code on some keypad to the garage door to open it. She told us her family had lived in the house, (that is how she knew the garage door code) how much she liked it, etc., and just wanted to stop and look at it. We asked her about flooding in Allison. She told us yes, the house got a little bit of water that came in, then flowed back out quickly. It did not stay in the house long but they got a "few inches."

So according to her, yes, the house did get some water in Allison. How much weight you want to put behind that exchange is up to you. I do believe there is some warping on some of the formica panels down low that indicate the house had water.

This post has been edited by rps324: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 1:52 PM

[BigMo]

rosiethecorgi, on Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 @ 11:53am, said:

We have been trying to find out more information about the flooding history of this house. Our realtor is at a stalemate. I do know that the west side of Rice that it sits on has traditionally sat higher than the other side of the street and the houses further back on the west side have not flooded in years past. Does anyone know anything about it or know of another resource to look up the info besides the useless FEMA site?

Take a look at the plywood behind the refrigerator opening in the kitchen. That should give you an indicator of the number of times the house has flooded.

[Willowisp]

Isn't the general consensus on the house that it was beautiful until the latest owners got ahold of it?

As for flooding, is the question how many times did it flood ("how many past issues are there to fix?"), or "do you think it will flood in the future?"

There's been debate about future floods and how the county is trying to remedy future flooding. I'm probably naive but I think they are doing a lot as far as new detention ponds etc. I guess I'm just saying I don't live my life worried that my house is going to flood.

All this is coming from someone who really wants to see the house saved though so take it for what it's worth...
Jason

[madformod]

Willowisp, on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 @ 8:38am, said:

Isn't the general consensus on the house that it was beautiful until the latest owners got ahold of it?

As for flooding, is the question how many times did it flood ("how many past issues are there to fix?"), or "do you think it will flood in the future?"

There's been debate about future floods and how the county is trying to remedy future flooding. I'm probably naive but I think they are doing a lot as far as new detention ponds etc. I guess I'm just saying I don't live my life worried that my house is going to flood.

All this is coming from someone who really wants to see the house saved though so take it for what it's worth...
Jason

This house needs to be bought by someone willing to live in it. I seriously considered buying it and renovating it to sell, at little or no profit. I don't think it would work. While the design is unusual,it's the formica that would scare off most modern buyers. But the formica is what makes the house a unique historical artifact. If someone can't be found who is interested in living there, the only other alternative is some non profit organization. I don't know of any who would step in to buy something like this. Perhaps someone does.

[Scott08]

I too downplayed the flooding issue a while back when I found a mod house that had flooded during Allison. On this very forum I was told by several people that if you'd ever had your house flooded, it's something you would NEVER want to have to go through again. It is now something that I definitely consider.

[Willowisp]

Sorry, I didn't mean to say not to consider it. It was definitely one of the most important things we considered when we bought here. When they told us it hadn't flooded in Allison despite being right next to the bayou, I felt like if we ever flood, then everyone is flooding.

All I'm saying, at least in our area, is that huge holes have been dug to remedy possible flooding situations. Of course, new development (oh boy) is going in not far from us (other side of S. Main) and that may offset some of the efforts.

I agree with the thought that this is not a flip house and the buyer will have to live there awhile to make it financially viable. Boy does that sound familiar.
Jason

Scott08, on Monday, July 7th, 2008 @ 11:13am, said:

I too downplayed the flooding issue a while back when I found a mod house that had flooded during Allison. On this very forum I was told by several people that if you'd ever had your house flooded, it's something you would NEVER want to have to go through again. It is now something that I definitely consider.

[goastros]

Does anyone have a picture of it further away so you can get an idea of the entire facade facing the street? Where is the garage in relation to the front of the house?

[sdmarc]

Historic "Formica House" Wins Preservation Support

Grant from Formica Corporation Could Aid New Owner in Restoration

The Formica Corporation and Houston Mod announce a joint effort to assist in the preservation of Houston's historic "Formica House". In partnership with Houston Mod, the Formica Corporation has generously offered to donate up to $5,000 in laminate materials to a new owner that commits to an appropriate restoration of the house.

"With an increased interest in mid-century architecture and design, the Formica Corporation is seeing renewed appreciation for the creative uses of laminate surfaces" said Renée Hytry Derrington, Senior Vice President, Global Design for Formica Corporation. "We would like to help a new owner appropriately restore this important design landmark."

Built in 1964 as a showcase for the many uses of Formica® products by local distributor Larry Stephens, the house inspired countless interior designers and architects with its ingenious use of laminate surfaces.

Situated on a prominent corner lot in the Meyerland subdivision, its futuristic design by architect Waller S. Poage is based on a series of interlocking hexagons that allow the interior spaces to flow freely from one room to another. Formica laminates are creatively used on almost every interior surface, resulting in innovative patterns and eye-catching detail. During the Stephens ownership, the house served as a continuously-evolving design laboratory, with new layers of laminate applied almost like wallpaper to repurpose or redesign spaces. Even the custom-designed furniture featured laminates.

After a series of owners, the house recently has fallen on hard times with deferred maintenance and a recent foreclosure. It is now listed for sale, awaiting a new owner that will restore it to prior glory.

The home includes many hallmarks of mid-century gracious living including a dramatic living room with vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace, formal dining room, kitchen with wall of glass overlooking a lush interior courtyard, sunny breakfast room and a large master suite.

"This house has fantastic potential in its architectural design, historic background and excellent location" said Russell Howard, President of Houston Mod. "It would be a shame to see it torn down to make way for just another ordinary tract home. We hope the right buyer steps forward to take advantage of Formica's generous offer and to save this important part of Houston's history."

Prospective buyers interested in the Formica grant are invited to contact Houston Mod, info@houstonmod.org for further information.

[lgg]

goastros, on Friday, July 11th, 2008 @ 9:32am, said:

Does anyone have a picture of it further away so you can get an idea of the entire facade facing the street? Where is the garage in relation to the front of the house?

It's hard to back up far enough to shoot the entire facade because you run into the bushes that separate the yard from the street.

If you're standing on S. Braeswood, looking at the house, the garage would be on your left. The house is on a corner lot, and the garage faces South Rice.

[missjanel]

Priced dropped to $289,999 on July 25

[sdmarc]

Lisa Gray's article on the Formica House http://www.chron.com...ay/5918346.html

Aside from the interesting topic, her writing is fantastic as always.

[flipper]

Good article Lisa.

Despite the repairs needed on the house, my opinion is that the biggest "negative" the house has going is the location. Ironically, it might be what ends up saving the house from demolition though.

flipper

This post has been edited by flipper: Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 10:00 AM

[editor]

Slideshow.

http://www.chron.com...ca_was_fab.html

[flipper]

This house is under contract.

flipper

[missjanel]

Looks like a flip is emminent. Most likely the same investor that flipped 9006 Dunlap in Robindell and the recent aquisition of a forum member.

flipper, on Monday, August 4th, 2008 @ 4:33pm, said:

This house is under contract.

flipper

[lgg]

After the Chron article, I had an e-mail from Rob Griffith, of Trellis Properties -- a company that he says restores older homes. He said he and his life partnerhave signed a contract on the place. And his business partner, Rebecca Perez, is even now getting bids to restore the house "to its former glory."

I sent him contact info for Houston Mod. And I can't wait to see the place.

[rps324]

lgg, on Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 @ 3:11pm, said:

After the Chron article, I had an e-mail from Rob Griffith, of Trellis Properties -- a company that he says restores older homes. He said he and his life partnerhave signed a contract on the place. And his business partner, Rebecca Perez, is even now getting bids to restore the house "to its former glory."

I sent him contact info for Houston Mod. And I can't wait to see the place.

Did I read something on Rebecca Perez living in that log cabin house in Park Place?

[missjanel]

Yes, Rebecca lives in the boyscout log cabin she renovated with her SO.

rps324, on Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 @ 3:17pm, said:

Did I read something on Rebecca Perez living in that log cabin house in Park Place?

[missjanel]

I guess there is no love for the formica house. It's back on the market today.

[KristinKamas]

Wow, and now it's under $290K.

Wonder what happened last week.

[lgg]

KristinKamas, on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 @ 1:16pm, said:

Wow, and now it's under $290K.

Wonder what happened last week.

When I talked with the would-be buyers, they were having trouble with their financing. Sigh.

[mmakt]

curious, Are you the Formica Rep or is Cathy Camp? Formica rules, and have noticed on repeated posts, your famous formica photo......