ArchitectureEnthusiast

Hi, just was catching up on the threads! We just moved into our Lars Bang MCM in Ayrshire--we're still doing some finish work...but at least we're here! Amy, I used John Calarco also & he did an awesome job on my terrazzo. We had panelling issues as well. We had mahogany panelling which had ambered & lost its luster. We had one wall of panelling that was partially rotten due to expsoure to moisture & it proceeded to buckle at the seams when we raised the foundation. Also, I wanted the panelling to be a little less yellow & a little more brown in color. This is what worked for us: we kept all the panelling we could, we replaced the one wall with new Mahogany, then we had a stain specialist come in. Ramone did a 2 step process & had it all finished in less than 2 days. He first applied a coating to the new panelling to match the amber color of the old panelling, then he applied another coat to all the panelling (and some cabinetry & doors) to bring it all to the same color. He then applied some type of poly or lacquer to protect the wood & give it luster (not shine). I am very pleased with how it turned out! I will post pics soon...my camera was stolen from my car...Also, since we're neighbors, you are welcome to drop in & see. Good luck! I can put you in touch with Ramone if you like. Also, if you need to do some work on your kitchen cabinets, try Watco. It's a wood rejuvenation product that can work wonders.

VCT is Vinyl Composition Tile. It's a commercial flooring product that is available in 12x12 tiles and is installed with an adhesive to your sub-floor. We were originally planning to do cork planks. I have cork in my current kitchen & LOVE it. The only problem is that it fades in the sunlight. Also, the less expensive cork patterns are way too yellow for the kitchen I'm remodelling. The samples looked terrible (I was very disappointed). There are cream & white versions of the cork, but I'm worried about the sunlight fade as well as the "wet area" in the laundry room.

Hello,

I hope I'm not re-posting. I did a search on VCT & didn't come up with anything. I've also gotten a lot of good information on VCT on the lottaliving.com site. I was wondering if anyone has installed VCT in a kitchen? We are considering Fortress White VCT for the kitchen, breakfast, & laundry. I think it will blend well with the terazzo & give a period-appropriate, clean, and modern look in our MCM kitchen. I also think it will hold up well to traffic, but I'm worried about maintenance. From what I've read, I think I can deal with an annual buffing & weekly/monthly polish application. Does anyone have an opinion?

Thanks!

Hello, All!

We have been reviewing original plans for our MCM house circa 1955. The plans call for an exterior material called "Armstrong Monowall". We originally thought this place called for a fixed window--but based on the plans, it appears it may be a smooth siding (like smooth Hardiboard). We haven't had much luck doing an internet search--and no luck on armstronc.com either. I am still awaiting approval to post on Lottaliving.com. I thought I'd check the experts on HAIF & see if anyone has heard of it...

Thanks for all the great input!

Stacey & Scott

p.s. So excited...we just closed this morning! Gonna occupy in 6 weeks...Happy & a little apprehensive on getting it ready :-)

The T1-11 we are looking at is wood...pine, but not highly textured...it appears to match the photo of what is under the carport? It still runs vertical & matches what is under the carport? Is what is under the carport the wrong material based on the pics?

Anybody have suggestions on what would be a good alternative? We've been trying to consider matching the majority of the siding (not the awful 3/8" at the front), but what covers the majority of the house (as seen under the carport). Also, we're not sure if that was replaced at some point & not sure what was originally specified when built. We have also consider board & batten (sp?) for the front of the house. We are struggling with the right material...and now getting down to the wire...would love any input from teh experts!

Ok. Picture upload was not successful. Try link to shutterfly--login not required.

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZMmTho2btGLr

If you want to help & link doesn't seem to work, then please email me and I'll send the pics. Also, I would welcome any advice on how to post pics to the forum. Thanks!

Hello fellow Mod enthusiasts,

My husband & I are remodelling the Lars Bang MCM on Durness. We are struggling with what to do with the exterior siding. Most of it is rotten--and we're not sure if what is there is the original siding specified by the architect. Some of the existing has been replaced by 3/8" siding (which looks terrible)...we are considering some 5/8" T1-11 in 4x8 sheets to match existing, but aren't sure if it will work. Also considering 1x6 cedar (which runs horizontal) but not traditional lap siding. Has anyone run into this? Or have any suggestions. We thinkg the siding must be painted to be true to the house...Also, we're replacing the existing siding on the east side of the house with the original window & smooth plywood (or hardi-board) that runs along the upper incline of the roof above the brick wall. This may be clear as mud, but please see attempted pictures...

Any input is appreciated!

Stacey

We would love to share pictures. Our scheduled close is Feb. 16th (who knows if paperwork can be in place for that). Then 2 weeks of underslab plumbing & foundation. I suspect we'll do the inside first & then move to the exterior. I want to get our family moved in pretty quickly so we don't have to carry 2 houses. I'm going to have get moving on pulling together the schedule :-) I would love to share pictures when we have some! We're also eager for input. Our goal is not so much to return it to is exact original state. We won't make major modifications, but I hope that it will appear to be modern for today & true to its roots. Such a difficult balance....

Now we just have to sell our current house! Wish us luck!

Hello, My husband and I are buying the Lars Bang modern at 4135 Durness in Ayrshire. We found the house 9 months ago while driving around in the neighborhood. We called the number on the sign & found out it was not for sale. We followed up with a letter to the owner expressing interest in purchasing the property. They weren't interested in selling. We tried again at the beginning of this year--no luck. They ended up listing on MLS & we FINALLY took it Pending last week!

My husband is an architect & I have a little real estate "flipping" business on the side (no mods though!) We plan to renovate & live in the house with our family. It will be a lot of fun to remodel this house to our taste (rather than to a client's or to what will sell to the masses). The house needs a fair amount of work--underground plumbing & foundation to start. I think the curb appeal can be improved with some interesting landscaping, replacing the rotten siding, & a decent paint job. The trees in the front are in bad shape (spanish moss & ball moss), and the approach to the front door is dark & uninviting. The master bath has a layout that doesn't work very well in this day & age. The front bedrooms get almost no natural light. I saw a post that said a window had been removed & I would be interested on the location (we think we know where it was). The living areas & back patio are this house's crowning glory! Overall, the house has a fantastic floorplan--requiring no modifications, except the master bath.

My husband said that original plans are sometimes available at City Hall. Is that where the poster got them? We would love to get ahold of those!

We were shocked to find this thread about "our" house last night. How exciting! We bought the property with the knowledge that we would have to live in it for a long time, because no one else would ever want to buy it. How great to find that other people appreciate modern architecture in Houston.

We'd love to hear from anyone!