the 9 lives of the "recipitron" house in Glenbrook

[rps324]

Anyone that has scanned the old archives on the Glenbrook site knows the "recipitron" house. One of the 6 original model homes for the subdivision and a 1954 Parade of Homes show house. The "recipitron" was a device that supposedly removed all odors and was one of many electrical features that supposedly were new in Houston. The house was priced at $50,000 in 1954, a sizable sum for that time.

When I first came across it in 2004, some people were moving out that had abused it worse than if it were a frat house. They were selling it to one an out of state investor at the time. At that point, it looked pretty sad...

The original slanted mod kitchen cabinets could have been restored, but more on that later

That was abusive round number 1, number 2 I would credit to the house flippers poorly done remuddle. Some of it was cleaned up a bit, but that kitchen, yuk!

As if the house had decided to commit suicide, it suffered a fire in the garage area, which damaged much of the inlaid wood floors and solid walnut paneling. At this point though, things looked up, the owners hired an Architect to redesign and open the interior up and help guide some restoration. (Kathy Heard AIA, there is a write up on her in this month's 002).

The house was photographed for last week's article on Glenbrook in the east end section of the Chronicle. Its nice every now & then to see one end up okay, especially when its chances have seemed so low.

These pics are from the Chronicle link above:

[flipper]

Think of all the money the investor saved by not putting in upper cabinets on the sink side! Why didn't we think of that!

flipper

[Happy Historian]

I wish I could have saved the hifi radio built into the center of those cabinets. A lot of these houses had fairly inovative entertainment systems for the time built in. These can be rehabbed with current technology that keeps that feeling alive.

[NenaE]

I have been looking at the post for the poor deteriorating recipitron house for years on HAIF. Good to see this house looking better, although that kitchen looks bland (could have been done better). The living area is beautiful, love the fireplace. Yah...Someone hired an architect for some advice on restoration. Bravo, beautiful backyard w/ restored retro style pool. RPS, do you know did they handled the cedar shingle restoration? on what I believe is the garage? I can't see it in the pic.