Buying a house is a lot like online dating. You see the profile, the gorgeous photos and then you meet. That’s when you find out if that profile is really too good to be true. Your first date with this midcentury modern beauty at 5539 Montrose Drive will prove the profile doesn’t lie — it’s going to be love at first sight because it looks even better in person than it does in the photos. But get to it fast because at the open house yesterday, there was a steady stream of admirers, all with the look of love in their eyes.
Maribeth Peters with Allie Beth Allman & Associates has just listed the two-story home for only $2.65 million. I say “only” because the price of dirt in Greenway Parks is between $1.2 and $1.8 million right now.
Built in 1949, it’s one of the first midcentury modern homes in Greenway Parks. An extensive remodel in 2008 included a 2,500-square-foot addition, bringing the total livable space in the four-bedroom, four-full-and two-half-bathroom house up to 6,491-square-feet. This is a beautiful example of how to successfully bring a 1949 home into the 21st century. It was not so much renovated as it was reinvented. The homeowners were able to preserve original architectural features but also create a home that works for the lifestyle of a busy modern family.
The defining feature of the stucco façade is the original two-story 15 x 15 angled, cantilevered window. Seriously, where else are you going to find something like this? It’s beyond cool. Imagine the history behind the design and installation of that window. I could go on and on about it, but let’s get inside because it just gets better.
Wood panels installed between the dining and entry area rotate on center posts, acting almost like sculpted blinds, allowing for as much, or as little light and privacy as you’d like.
The spectacular metal staircase was an original feature. Walls were moved to accommodate the new floor plan, so new sections were custom fabricated to match the original and the match is seamless.
The main living area wraps around a central fireplace. There are six fireplaces in this home. Yes, six. This one is made from imported Russian marble, as are the kitchen countertops. Red oak flooring runs throughout the home and Windsor Low-E French doors and windows flood the home with light. Contrast in the room was added by renowned interior designer, Neal Stewart by wrapping the wall of the family room with a textured, whisper thin, wood veneer wallpaper. You really have to see it to believe it.
“It is meant to look like a cube floating in the light colored palette of the home” the homeowner said.
The kitchen was designed with Bentwood bamboo cabinets and it was meant for really cooking, not just showing off great design taste. With a full range of Viking appliances that include a six-burner gas cooktop with a downdraft, two dishwashers, and a warming drawer, it’s evident it was built by a couple that love to cook and entertain.
“I’ve been to functions in this home from small intimate dinner parties to events for 150,” Peters said. “I love the fact it’s an amazing family home, where you can also entertain on a grand scale.”
Each bedroom in the home has an ensuite bathroom. There is a gorgeous wine room, a dedicated exercise room, a home theater, and the house has six living areas. “Normally you’re lucky to have three in Greenway Parks,” Peters said.
Although the house is large the rooms are designed with intimacy and with respect to the land, another tribute to the Midcentury design ethic.
“Every room has an amazing view,” Peters said. “You don’t see another house, only the trees, the greenbelt and the pool.” Well, pools — plural. There is not only a regular sized pool but also a shallow, jetted pool for the kids — or an adult multi-tasker who needs to read, sunbathe, sip wine, and get a jetted massage all at the same time.
We told you this would be love at first sight. And we think you better get a ring on it, so to speak.
