Remuddle of the Month

[Willowisp]

Maybe some of you remember this address. I hoped that someone would save it, but no one did.

I am not the type of person that complains, but if I had the money I would have bought this house in horrible condition about a year or so ago, and fixed it up, but alas I did not - and now look at the poor baby.

http://search.har.com/engine/indexdetail.c...s=1&sTYPE=0

I really wish we could educate the flippers out there that this is not the way to go with this type of house. This is the type of thing that makes me want to quit my job and go into the house flipping business. But I would never make a dime, because I can't cut corners and don't have a stitch of handyman in me. Still, I would love to offer something to the process, so if any flippers read this, I offer my great taste and somewhat limited experience, free of charge in the name of modernism. LOL!

Jason

[musicman]

i don't see the updates. looks like all they did was replace counter.

[Jersey01]

Bleh. I'm not a purist, but some updates just look yucky. At least these changes are fixable, though I doubt that would happen.

[jm1fd]

Ungh. Not only is it totally period incorrect, but its just FLAT ASS UGLY!

[Dan the Man]

Yeah, they definitely strayed from the original style on this one. I hate those cheezy replacement front doors. If I had my way, I would make them illegal (along with those nasty 6 over 6 aluminum windows with the mullions between the glass)!

However, it looks like the "updates" could easily be removed by a future owner. It's not like they sprayed EIFS over the brick or changed the roofline.

[rps324]

The oval leaded glass front door, probably with bright shiny brass trim, just makes me crazy. A Victorian door does not belong on a modern house. At least he has plenty of company. Many of my mod enthusiast clients look at the front door to determine if the house has been "remuddled" because all too often people put doors on them that are completely out of sync with the style of the house. It is often times a pre-curser to what you find indoors.

The house was actually written up in the Houston Post when new. The agent that had the listing when it was sold a couple of years ago had the archives. The house needed work, lots of work, but retained a lot of great original details.

The most troubling thing for me is that there are lots of people who would pay top dollar for an appropriately restored mid-century modern, but when you put in traditional elements, (leaded glass doors, rustic farm house faucets, backsplashes and light fixtures more fitting for a tuscan villa), that audience won't touch it.

People who like traditional & those finishes generally won't pay top dollar since they can get a home with an exterior elevation they find more appealing. They would look at it in spite of its architecture, not because of it, so they wouldn't be likely to give the top dollar.

So there the house sits.

The flipper could have spent the same amount of money, had he just done it in keeping with the home's architecture, and actually had a better chance of making money while preserving a modernist house at the same time.

Maybe we could make the following list mandatory reading for any house flipper that buys a MCM house.

101 ways to screw up a mid-century modern

[sdmarc]

Okay, if that's the February remuddle of the month, I have a nominee for March:

4114 North Braeswood, an open plan, 1965 mid-century modern with soaring ceilings, cove lighting and terrazzo throughout.

The remuddlers covered the terrazzo with horrible stone tile, installed a Home Depot kitchen (forcing an island into a space designed for a U-shape), tore out all of the bathrooms, replaced sliders with french doors, and tacked up crown molding in every room. In the terrazzo that was saved, the cut out squares and "inlaid" marble tiles that aren't level with the rest of the floor. (they did leave some of the door hardware which has paint slopped all over it)

The sad thing is the tile work is already cracking, the crown molding has gaps where it does not fit to the ceiling and the "water feature" created from the original dining room planter is a total abortion.

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

Open tomorrow from 12-3 so you can experience the remuddle in person. Yours for only $449,000!

[jm1fd]

I have three suggestions...

1. Expand this beyond mods, to any type of home.
   
2. Collect nominations, and then poll the forum for a week to pick a winner
   
3. Call the listing agent for the seller, and tell 'em what they've won, record the call, and upload it for all to hear.
   

[gnu]

..... installed a Home Depot kitchen (forcing an island into a space designed for a U-shape), ....... In the terrazzo that was saved, the cut out squares and "inlaid" marble tiles that aren't level with the rest of the floor.

They sure went to a lot of work to make it look stupid.

that inlay would make me want to keep trying to scoot that island over a little.

[musicman]

They sure went to a lot of work to make it look stupid.

that inlay would make me want to keep trying to scoot that island over a little.

SDmarc i think your nominee should be declared the winner.

[rps324]

I remember that house before it was remuddled. I cannot believe they put tile over poured in place terrazzo! That house had enormous potential and great vintage cabinetry and hardware. Why people think it is an improvement to try to strip a home of classic appointments in favor of a look that more closely resembles a cheap KB tract home.

Its not just mods. There is one in Idylwood that has had every bit of its old house charm stripped out, even the original moldings, in favor or cheezy new lumber-store embellishments. The house has sat unsold (despite/because) of all the money they put into it.

[Dan the Man]

I remember that house before it was remuddled. I cannot believe they put tile over poured in place terrazzo! That house had enormous potential and great vintage cabinetry and hardware. Why people think it is an improvement to try to strip a home of classic appointments in favor of a look that more closely resembles a cheap KB tract home.

Its not just mods. There is one in Idylwood that has had every bit of its old house charm stripped out, even the original moldings, in favor or cheezy new lumber-store embellishments. The house has sat unsold (despite/because) of all the money they put into it.

Are you referring to 6611 Park Lane? That one has been on the market for a looooong time...

[stolitx]

I just threw up in my mouth a little looking at these

[rps324]

I wonder if the listing agents have seen this...."feedback."

[missjanel]

I wonder if the listing agents have seen this...."feedback."

I doubt they have seen it and I doubt they would care. Most agents wouldn't see it any differently than the flippers who are doing the damage. From the listings I see most of the homes are labeled as "soft contemporary".

Melanie and I share the same office and while I don't know her extremely well I doubt the chatter would phase her at all. She's really successful at what she does. But obviously her priority is not the saving of Houston's mods.

[Parrothead]

Listing agent? He*l, someone needs to send an email to the freaking owners of these places. Shame, shame, shame on them!!!

[flipper]

This thread is great.

I really want to find a MCM to do.

flipper

[TAK]

i'm not a purist at all, but the updates in the first look like something i would have done in my $100k home, that being, not much.

the kitchen in the 2nd is actually not too bad looking, aside from the floor and the island that doesn't seem to fit.

i can understand it being out of place for a purist, but the vast majority of us are lay persons.

i wouldn't know what to put into my house to keep it in it's period (early 80s 'contemporary'), and judging by what was here, i wouldn't want to. if i sell it, it will probably get a HD remuddle in the kitchen. i think that is what 80s contemporary looks like now.

[Willowisp]

There are several ways to go with remodelling an MCM kitchen, but most of them are not done by anyone but the purists. They involve formica which people tend to shun these days. If I ever redo my kitchen (which was torn out in the 90s), I'm thinking of IKEA if I can't afford to have it built from scratch with wood to the original specs... IKEA has some drawer pulls that look a lot like Knoll! If I could get those raised up off the floor with some little steel peg legs I think I'd be happy.

I would guess that most people on this board that lean toward appreciating MCM are just plain tired of seeing these houses insensitively torn up with the "flavor of the day" kitchen thrown in. No one is saying that a 80's contemporary owner can't put in whatever kitchen they want, but that when replacing a kitchen or bathroom, maybe think about replacing it with something that fits in with the house. In other words, it would look similar to what was there before.

The big deal is that there is a certain appeal in MCM to certain people. If you mess with the house enough to turn off your core audience then you are not going to sell your house to those people. If your house is a trad 50s ranch, there may be less of a niche factor (think how much more common those houses are in Houston), but I think it's still there to an extent. If it's a 1970's tract home in Sagemont like the one I grew up in, I doubt anyone will get upset if the kitchen needed to be replaced and was redone at Home Depot.

Maybe it's an acquired taste, but there's just a bad feeling I get when I see stuff like these 2 houses.

i'm not a purist at all, but the updates in the first look like something i would have done in my $100k home, that being, not much.

the kitchen in the 2nd is actually not too bad looking, aside from the floor and the island that doesn't seem to fit.

i can understand it being out of place for a purist, but the vast majority of us are lay persons.

i wouldn't know what to put into my house to keep it in it's period (early 80s 'contemporary'), and judging by what was here, i wouldn't want to. if i sell it, it will probably get a HD remuddle in the kitchen. i think that is what 80s contemporary looks like now.

[WestburyMod]

There are several ways to go with remodelling an MCM kitchen, but most of them are not done by anyone but the purists. They involve formica which people tend to shun these days. If I ever redo my kitchen (which was torn out in the 90s), I'm thinking of IKEA if I can't afford to have it built from scratch with wood to the original specs... IKEA has some drawer pulls that look a lot like Knoll! If I could get those raised up off the floor with some little steel peg legs I think I'd be happy.

I would guess that most people on this board that lean toward appreciating MCM are just plain tired of seeing these houses insensitively torn up with the "flavor of the day" kitchen thrown in. No one is saying that a 80's contemporary owner can't put in whatever kitchen they want, but that when replacing a kitchen or bathroom, maybe think about replacing it with something that fits in with the house. In other words, it would look similar to what was there before.

The big deal is that there is a certain appeal in MCM to certain people. If you mess with the house enough to turn off your core audience then you are not going to sell your house to those people. If your house is a trad 50s ranch, there may be less of a niche factor (think how much more common those houses are in Houston), but I think it's still there to an extent. If it's a 1970's tract home in Sagemont like the one I grew up in, I doubt anyone will get upset if the kitchen needed to be replaced and was redone at Home Depot.

Maybe it's an acquired taste, but there's just a bad feeling I get when I see stuff like these 2 houses.

Jason, funny you mentioned growing up in a 1970's tract home in Sagement, I actually grew in there also. Went to Beverly Hills, and Dobie. Graduated in 1989, so there's a chance we went to same school. Small world..

[jm1fd]

If it's a 1970's tract home in Sagemont like the one I grew up in, I doubt anyone will get upset if the kitchen needed to be replaced and was redone at Home Depot.

I can't help but think somebody will get upset over that, but they won't be doing so for at least another 20-30 years.

[VicMan]

The house is zoned to Houston ISD schools:

* Parker ES

* Johnston MS (Option: Pin Oak MS)

* Westbury HS

[Willowisp]

I went to Beverly Hills Intermediate and then my freshman year at Dobie, but my dad got transferred to California when Chevron took over Gulf. I started at Stuchberry. Most of my Stuchberry friends went to Thompson except for our neighborhood. That was pretty lame.

I'm one year older than you. I lived on Kirknoll, pretty close to the old Dobie.

I've actually already re-met a couple of people from Beverly Hills Intermediate because of this message board.

Thanks VicMan for reminding me that this school is zoned to Parker, the music magnet. If I had kids and sent them to public, that would be where I'd want them. Those kids can sing!

Jason

[SpaceAge]

I toured 5702 Valkeith Sunday. It is very similar in plan to the house Robert E. Pine built for the 1960 Parade of Homes in Walnut Bend at 10630 Olympia. Some of the similarities include the linear living areas located to the right of a centered entry court and the bedrooms to the left. The kitchen is centered in both houses and the rear bedrooms in both were originally the once popular semi-divided plan intended for children.

The Granite kitchen counters and bathroom cabinets should have been far down on the list of priorities of appropriate changes for this house. While converting the dreary office to the sunroom is an improvement, the funds spent on granite should have been used to properly paint and clean the house. The place is still dirty and needs much detailing.

Did you notice the new mahogany colored Bombay Co. style cabinet hung over the toilet next to the original cabinet with a sloppy paint job and a gate hook to hold the door closed? What about how they put up new window blinds but left and painted over the old drapery hardware in the master bedroom? And in the front courtyard, the fence was removed, except for the posts.

I was relieved to see they did not paint over the stained wood. The fountain in the court yard makes a pleasant sound but it limits the area for any other use and the installation of the pavers is poorly crafted. From the metal Victorian styled front door the view of the multiple hanging light fixtures is disturbing. One above the door outside, one inside the door in the entry and a third just feet away in the dining area- they are all some variation of the Tuscan style, none match and all can be seen together. What about all that 1980s white ceramic tile flooring? It

[rps324]

that office area was filled with old political posters and bumper stickers back when it was sold by the estate. I remember reading in the article from the 50's how the owners did not want a bunch of hallways, considering them wasted space and dark. It had a couple of great shots of the house in it too. Originally the house had some wonderful light fixtures as well.

I toured 5702 Valkeith Sunday. It is very similar in plan to the house Robert E. Pine built for the 1960 Parade of Homes in Walnut Bend at 10630 Olympia. Some of the similarities include the linear living areas located to the right of a centered entry court and the bedrooms to the left. The kitchen is centered in both houses and the rear bedrooms in both were originally the once popular semi-divided plan intended for children.

The Granite kitchen counters and bathroom cabinets should have been far down on the list of priorities of appropriate changes for this house. While converting the dreary office to the sunroom is an improvement, the funds spent on granite should have been used to properly paint and clean the house. The place is still dirty and needs much detailing.

Did you notice the new mahogany colored Bombay Co. style cabinet hung over the toilet next to the original cabinet with a sloppy paint job and a gate hook to hold the door closed? What about how they put up new window blinds but left and painted over the old drapery hardware in the master bedroom? And in the front courtyard, the fence was removed, except for the posts.

I was relieved to see they did not paint over the stained wood. The fountain in the court yard makes a pleasant sound but it limits the area for any other use and the installation of the pavers is poorly crafted. From the metal Victorian styled front door the view of the multiple hanging light fixtures is disturbing. One above the door outside, one inside the door in the entry and a third just feet away in the dining area- they are all some variation of the Tuscan style, none match and all can be seen together. What about all that 1980s white ceramic tile flooring? It

[The Great Hizzy!]

The home on Braeswood that SDMarc pointed out has been gagging me out for about a year now. Long time under construction and yet it seems to be getting worse.

And the Valkeith home wouldn't be so bad if not for the completely wacky kitchen, the screwed up floors, the out-of-place doors and the patio that's trying too hard. All of that and then the wall in the TV room was basically neglected. You do all that work and then allow the walls to look so misbegotten? Doesn't make sense.