Over in Casa View there’s a pocket of Cliff May homes. But that’s not really news. We’ve covered it extensively. Just recently one of them hit the market. It never made it into the MLS and it had multiple offers in record time. Hello, still not news. We, ourselves, have said the market is hot hot hot.
Anything under $400,000 is flying and one with a highly, highly sought after architectural pedigree attached? Don’t even blink, it’s gone.
No, the story here at 2636 Materhorn is the story the actual home, its owners and their devotion to keeping it pristine.
A Unique Family History
Martin Craft grew up in 2636. His parents are Paul and Alison Craft. They lived on Materhorn for 53 years and here’s how it all happened.
They met on the campus of North Texas State where Alison was studying medical technology and art (a natural pairing) and Paul was studying architecture, art, and interior design.
Obviously, their love or art overlapped, then they fell in love, got married, had two kids and eventually settled down in the heart of East Dallas.
Now here’s where we have to hit pause on Paul and Alison to tell you about the actual home.
In 1955, Robert Norris, a friend of Paul’s, ordered the plans of the home from Cliff May. In 1956, construction was completed. Cliff May is obviously considered the father of the suburban ranch house. He was also a Californian who popularized the idea of seamless indoor-outdoor living space.
In 1967, Norris and his family decided to move to Forest Hills. I mean, did this guy have exceptional neighborhood taste or what? Anyway, he asked his fellow architect friend, Paul, if he’d like to buy the Cliff May house. Paul said yes and the two agreed on the WHAT THE WHAT price of $16,000.
The Crafts moved in. They were obsessed with midcentury design so they stocked their home with all the biggest names of the time – Eames, Nelson, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Knoll, Breuer, and more. Both Paul and Alison were successful but kept their home purchase modest and their furniture purchases flawless.
They loved everything about that home – the signature wall of windows, the clerestory windows, the way all the natural light-filled the home. They loved it so much, they never touched it. They were meticulous in their care of the original hardwoods, bathrooms, kitchen, etc.
A Cliff May Time Capsule
That’s why it’s now 2020 and the house is perfect. It’s exactly what it was way back then. It was beyond lovingly cared for.
The Crafts were so into that era and the style, there’s a story of Paul saving door handles that other neighbors tossed. Now, that’s dedication.
Mindy Niehaus with Haus + Co. Group, brokered by JP & Associates, listed the three-bedoom, two-bathroom midcentury at 2636 Materhorn at $369,000.
She is also a previous host of the Casa View Cliff May Home Tour which is where she met the Crafts in 2016.
