A tilted 2-story skylight provides a star-command view within a 1970 townhome just behind West Ave. The area was dubbed the Upper Kirby District decades after this home and 4 related properties appeared on their stretch of block north of W. Alabama in the antique-shop-and-eatery hinterlands east of Lamar High School. The group of townhomes have varying facades of stucco, glass brick, timber and awnings, each over a 2-car garage. This home, slightly taller than its brethren, counters its contemporary origins with Old World-y flourishes. It was listed the first week of June, for $469,000.
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Behind the Lone Star on the front door’s street-side grille, an ornate wooden door formalizes the tile-and-plaster foyer (above).
The main room on the main level shares functions and a nifty mirrored bar element (at right in the photo above).
The bar gives the land-locked kitchen a service window, natural light, and a straight-on view of and out the beam-me-up skylight.
All 3 bedrooms are upstairs; the 2,800-sq.-ft. home has 3 full bathrooms plus a powder room. Judging from the empty-frame bed frame, it sure looks like this room is meant to be the master:
A lofted section of the second floor is open to the room below, with the skylight offering a sort of flight-deck look-see:
Access to the “do whatever you want with it” third floor comes from a stairway behind the balcony (at right).
The niche neighborhood of townhomes and older homes converted into commercial space is gaining a midrise apartment block, Gables Kipling. The Sunshine Kids Foundation is right around the corner; there’s also a line-up of restaurants wrapping around from the Brownstone Gallery on Westheimer.
- 2804 Kipling St. [HAR]
Horrid furniture. The remuddle looks like it could be reversed pretty easily though. If you don’t like modern, don’t buy a modernist house.
Fugly house and furniture. Yikes!
The over use of HDR has to stop.
All I can think of is the heat baking through that skylight. No thanks.
“All I can think of is the heat baking through that skylight.”
Yeah, but on a 1200 sq ft lot and as inner-loop streets become more and more like crayon boxes, the foresight of installing a skylight will become more appreciated. In cities who have been dealing with density for decades (SF, NY), the real estate listings shout out any sliver of natural sunlight that penetrates the interior.
Nouveau-riche-french-modern?
Yowza
We all have our own preferences regarding home decor. As for mine, I would definitely draw the line at giving that black&white pig free run of the house! (I.e., the little guy on the 2nd-floor rug.)