10630 Olympia

[SpaceAge]

Note: The following posts originally appeared in the Poured Terrazzo repair thread:

SpaceAge, forgive my nosiness, but where did you come up with original plans for this house? Reason I ask is I thought at one time that the city planning department would have plans on file (or microfiche) for houses, but when I asked them the question I was told they do not. I can spend hours looking at detailed floorplans for ideas, especially the really creative ones from this era.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The house at 10630 Olympia was built by Robert E. Pine for the 1960 Parade of Homes in Walnut Bend. These Parades were highly promoted and you can find much information about the houses, including the floor plans, in the three local newspapers of the period. You have to read the text for the details as most of the photographs don't show much detail. The downtown library has the microcopies. I heard they were going to close the building soon for two years for renovation. Rice or UH may have the same information available.

You can see floor plans in many of the home magazines of the period. The subdivision I live in (circa 1959) has the sets of plans for almost every house on file in their office. Unfortunately, there are few Mods. You can see the real thing this weekend at the home tour and the RPS open house.

[zoyort]

Have been reading this forum for over a year now....ever since we leased the property discussed on this post @ 10630 Olympia in Walnut Bend. So happy to report that we are now the proud owners!! Yes, it's true, the previous owners (who never lived in the home & bought it as an investment property) did plan on adding a second floor & tons of home depot upgrades...totally heartbreaking...could not let it happen!! We have loved living in the house, flat roof & all... Homeowner's insurance was a big challenge to get & sooo expensive, but worth every cent, imho. So, my fellow mod friends....there'll be no second floor add-ons, no home depot upgrades & lots of restoration planning in the works! Buffing the terrazzo is certainly on the list....so any referrals are greatly appreciated. Just wanted to share....feel like we're "official" mod club members now.

[rps324]

Have been reading this forum for over a year now....ever since we leased the property discussed on this post @ 10630 Olympia in Walnut Bend. So happy to report that we are now the proud owners!! Yes, it's true, the previous owners (who never lived in the home & bought it as an investment property) did plan on adding a second floor & tons of home depot upgrades...totally heartbreaking...could not let it happen!! We have loved living in the house, flat roof & all... Homeowner's insurance was a big challenge to get & sooo expensive, but worth every cent, imho. So, my fellow mod friends....there'll be no second floor add-ons, no home depot upgrades & lots of restoration planning in the works! Buffing the terrazzo is certainly on the list....so any referrals are greatly appreciated. Just wanted to share....feel like we're "official" mod club members now.

Thank Goodness! I remember the house. It is an exceptional place & I remember the listing agent telling me the owner's pending plans. Do you have any current pics?

[jm1fd]

Homeowner's insurance was a big challenge to get & sooo expensive, but worth every cent, imho.

So...I'm curious...why was homeowner's so0oOOoO00oO expensive?

[zoyort]

First, in these post-katrina days, many of the insurance co's (Allstate for one) have dropped homeowner's policies entirely. Second, they are flat-roof prejudiced. A vast majority of co's refuse to insure right off the bat, even if it's been replaced thru the years. We wound up going with Safeco. "Before" pix to follow soon...

[zoyort]

here's a photo from the day we first saw it...merged 2 pix, so pls excuse the quick photoshop job. & i'm also posting the parade of homes article that robert sent when we leased the house....thanx rps! we did finally find the original owners...we've been trying to get together as he has lots of family pix & possibly the original blueprints...

[jm1fd]

here's a photo from the day we first saw it...merged 2 pix, so pls excuse the quick photoshop job. & i'm also posting the parade of homes article that robert sent when we leased the house....thanx rps! we did finally find the original owners...we've been trying to get together as he has lots of family pix & possibly the original blueprints...

So this house was ALL gas? As in even the fridge and central A/C? Did any of that survive?

I put in an offer on a house in Broadmoor that had gas fired central A/C...wasn't running tho.

[SpaceAge]

Have you contacted Robert Pine, the builder? His address is on HCAD and he still owns the building where he had his office.

[SpaceAge]

Note the clearstory over the kitchen. It's difficult to photograph even when standing on you car.

[zoyort]

Electric a/c & fridge now...not sure when the change was. Here's an interior of the kitchen with clearstory...very cool in early morning hrs with the moonlite shining thru. Also have skylites in both baths.

[dbigtex56]

Set up thread on 10630 Olympia from posts originally found on the Poured Terrazzo repair thread.

Just curious - what sort of device is that panel above the far end of the kitchen counter?

[musicman]

Just curious - what sort of device is that panel above the far end of the kitchen counter?

i was thinking one of those whole house audio/intercom systems.

[zoyort]

It's a stereo/intercom system...can hear some fuzz, but otherwise is not functioning & the intercoms in all rooms have been painted over thru the years. Thought it would be really groovy to update it with satellite radio somehow...

Also, thanx for the Robert Pine tip...got a yahoo people search phone # in Rosharon & I keep getting a busy signal...if anyone has another #, feel free to fwd. thanx.

trying pix attachment again...

[roym]

Cool house, thanks for posting zoyort!

Interesting about the insurance. Our homeowner's policy was dropped last year too - though we didn't have any claims, or a flat roof. Are flat roofs considered less stable or something?

We had to find a new agent and combine all our auto and home insurance together to get a good rate.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Congrats, Zoyort.

Some very cool and unique amenities for sure.

[BlenderWizard]

I grew up in the house at 10610 Lynbrook Ln, right down the street from Olympia in Walnut Bend. I am now a builder in GA, and my ranches are, literally, flying off the shelves. I would *LOVE* to get a set of floor plans from my old house, because I think, with a few updates, it would sell like hotcakes. Does anyone have any idea how I could get my hands on a set?

[zoyort]

Unfortunately, have been unsuccessful thus far in obtaining the original Olympia plans. But, your post has remotivated me to start searching again. Did speak to the homeowner's association a while back & here was the response, "The only plans Walnut Bend holds are those that the house had remodeling or additions that needed approval." Prob a good place for you to begin...the contact person is Debbie Attaway & her email address is debbieatt@sbcglobal.net. Happy to swing by & take photos if u need or ask the current owner if they have the plans...no, not shy here Feel free to email me off the forum if you need any add'l help... zoyort@gmail.com.

[aim4123]

[buffing the terrazzo is certainly on the list....so any referrals are greatly appreciated. Just wanted to share....feel like we're "official" mod club members now.

I can HIGHLY recommend John Calarco. He just ground, polished and buffed our terrazzo - which was a HUGE project. It covers about 1200 sq. ft of our house!! He's been doing it his whole life. I believe he is a third generation terrazzo specialist. He also did the floors on the Lars Bang discussed in this forum. His number is 832-671-8298. Give him a call. He's the best person for the job.

[Pdelagarza]

I haven't seen this listed or mentioned. This property has been on the market for some time and significantly lower than houses on the block. I have additional pictures I can post on flickr tonight if anyone is interested in seeing the inside. Needs plenty of work but still awesome and fairly authentic inside.

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cfm?mlnum=48208843

[Scott08]

Surprised to see this still here. The owner started a thread around a year ago when it was first listed, then I think it dropped off for a while, perhaps a sale didn't go through. What constitutes "plenty of work?"

[sevfiv]

Related thread:

[sevfiv]

Oh yeah, like Scott08 asked - what is "plenty of work" or as stated in the listing "needs some TLC?"

What am I missing here?

[Pdelagarza]

Well, it looks like the windows above the kitchen might be leaking. There is carpet in the bedrooms, and one of the rooms smells like a dog was living there(they didn't have terrazzo under the carpet). Some parts of the rooms are just cement. All the cabinetry in the kitchen/bathrooms looks original and still looks really nice (for being 50 years old). Some new hinges and adjusting could help bring them back to life, imo. Looks like there was a work in progress renovation in the entryway trying to bring some light from the windows above the kitchen to the foyer. They put some tiles (I think large rectangular slate) in the master bedroom which is a shame because I love the terrazzo which does have some cracks throughout. The bathrooms look fairly untouched minus some fixtures in the master bath probably installed early 80s. I can't recall the fixtures in the other bath at the moment. A couple of the bedroom doors needs replaced from scratching from the dog. I think the biggest things are checking the roof for leaking, and ensuring the foundation are in good shape. It appears like the owners were working on it, and then just stopped everything. Like I told my wife, a lot seems cosmetic with further research needed on the roof and foundation.

Oh, and the outside concrete needs replaced and a new coat of white paint.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Pdelagarza

[sevfiv]

Oh, aside from potential (flat) roof issues, that's nothin'!

[Pdelagarza]

yeah, that's what I said! A thorough inspection might uncover more issues, who knows, but I think a little hard work will go a long way for that house. *sigh*

I really want it and my wife and were really considering it.

[Pdelagarza]

Status: Pending Continue to Show

Hope it's going to a modernist. :-)

[sevfiv]

Ooh - this could be good news or bad news...the suspense!

[EMME]

Status: Pending Continue to Show

Hope it's going to a modernist. :-)

Word on the street...buyer loves the house.

Hope that's true.

[TexasVines]

I grew up less than 2 blocks from there on the same street many of our former neighbors still live there

there are some other unique houses on that block as well

those were the greatest times ever!

[SpaceAge]

This house is still shown as Pending Continue to Show on HAR. The price is down to $159,900 which is an absolute bargain. The place does not need much work. The roof and foundation appear to be OK for now. The footprint is almost a complete rectangle which is the safest layout for foundations. The AC system is present. Mainly, it needs some flooring in the bedrooms and the terrazzo sealed and polished. There is some sheetrock repair needed in the breakfast room and living room where someone recently installed and uninstalled a built-in TV. Some interior sliding doors need repair. Some acoustic ceiling tiles in the kitchen need to be replaced.

The kitchen looks original and nice. There is a bar between the kitchen and breakfast room. The kitchen seems to have the original unpainted cabinets, probably original chrome hardware, and replaced gray laminate countertops. The cooking appliances are gas and may have been replaced about 1980. The cooktop has a round wall mounted exhaust fan. Also in the kitchen is a NuTone Food Center and good looking aluminum NuTone intercom system- both appear to be original.

Also from NuTone the house has a very unusual built-in fold away scale in the hall bathroom. This must have been a hit on the Parade of Homes. I have never seen this unit elsewhere except in photos. It's still in good working order, just needing cleaning. Everything in both baths appears to be original except for one toilet tank. The master bath has a large tile shower which could have replaced a tub. The bath countertops appear to be original laminate with aluminum trim along the joints. The basins are oval and mounted below the countertops and trimmed with a laminate ring, all still in good condition. There are sliding textured glass doored storage cabinets between the back edge of the counters and the bottom of the mirrors from wall to wall. The lighting in the baths is original recessed cans. There are ventilation fans, electric heaters, and skylights (no windows) in the bath rooms. The bath floors are terrazzo. The hall bath is fairly large.

There is a utility room on the side of the house which opens directly to the west onto the driveway. This area could be reworked to form another bath so that the two small rear bedrooms along with the utility room and rear hall could become another master bedroom. The existing master bedroom is on the front of the house. The two rear bedrooms once had a moveable wall between them which has been replaced with a permanent wall.

Behind the house there is a carport for two cars which also can serve as a covered patio. It's design is coordinated with the house and appears original. It appears the landscaping for the entire site has never been developed. The concrete driveway is in need of replacement and many of the front courtyard paving tiles need to be reattached. The exterior, including the wood trim around the window frames, all seems to be in good condition. This is a well located nice mod house in very good original condition.

There are several unique mods on this street of Parade houses. The one on the north-east corner is also presently for sale. It has a plan based on triangles similar to those of MacKie and Kamrath. The shape of it's swimming pool is even triangular. Across the street is a Parade house that originally had a pond that appeared to flow from indoors to outdoors. One entered the front via an arched concrete bridge, with metal railings, over the pond. This house once had a translucent fiberglass front door and a cave-like kitchen with walls covered in black lava rock. It has two separate front yards and no rear yard. A real estate agent said the builder of this house became disillusioned with Houston when his Parade entry did not quickly sell. Toward the middle of the block there is a stone covered mod (altered) with an exciting kitchen that consists of several floating islands. This was the home of an architect for many years. It was nicely furnished with original mcm items.

[Pdelagarza]

Dropped to 120,000!!!

[Willowisp]

Houston Mod should buy this as a clubhouse and a way to show off the architects' restoration skills! Not that we have the money to do anything like that...

Dropped to 120,000!!!

[sevfiv]

Pending Continue to Show again..

[sevfiv]

...and still! What gives?!

[Pdelagarza]

Update....

"'As-Is'' --''CASH ONLY SALE''"

and is back to Active on Market.

[TV2EBoogaloo]

remember this house from my youth

[GREASER]

Realtor said roof had been leaking for yrs. Flooded and never repaired.

[Lotus]

Realtor said roof had been leaking for yrs. Flooded and never repaired.

Those snazzy low-pitched roofs on the Mods seem to have been the design flaw that sent many unfortunately to the landfill. Luckilly this architectural style has achieved collector value far earlier in its life cycle than others, like the Victorian and Craftsmans, which typically have had to endure nearly a century of abuse before falling into the hands of preservationists.

[SpaceAge]

Realtor said roof had been leaking for yrs. Flooded and never repaired.

I saw no signs of roof leaks or flood damage when I toured the house a few months ago. The only noticeable flaw is a crack in the ceiling sheetrock between the kitchen and breakfast room. Other than that, the house remains in good condition. The biggest drawback of the place seems to be the lack of a garage or a place to build one. The carport functions best as a covered patio for the back yard.

Two weeks ago, the seller told me he had just closed on the house so evidently it finally has a new owner. He said the buyer likes the house and plans to repair it.

[sevfiv]

Yep, closed on January 21st at $120,000 according to Sawbuck. What a bargain!

[NenaE]

Yep, closed on January 21st at $120,000 according to Sawbuck. What a bargain!

Good news...sounds like it went to a mod enthusiast.

[sevfiv]

Update: http://swamplot.com/whats-new-about-a-remade-1960-walnut-bend-mod/2017-12-29/