With its streamlined demilune tower and moat-like driveway, an austere 1979 Southgate home could be considered a contemporary castle, particularly in the imaginations of neighborhood youngsters riding around the block of mostly thirties-vintage housing. There’s plenty inside this property’s C-shaped structure to make up for its no-peeking from curbside blankness, however . . .
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Double-deckered windows and sliding doors, many of them paired up and full-height, ring 3 sides of the sprawling poolscape’s screened-in enclosure.
The home’s listing last week, asking $1.1 million, mentions a “remodeling in progress.” HCAD records show a different renovation took place in 1997. The current owners picked up the property in 2002 for $394,000.
A section of lowered ceiling (above) forms a hallway of sorts past the wall of windows and doors shared by the living room . . .
dining room . . .
and bar area:
The open-tread staircase spirals up the front tower:
At the back of the 3,705-sq.-ft. home, the kitchen’s pool view also takes in the front wing:
The study, located off the foyer, shares a 2-sided fireplace with the living room on the other side.
Two of the home’s 4 bedrooms are on the first floor. Here’s one:
Each bedroom gets its own bathroom. Here, mirrors and overhead lighting bling up the effects — and blur the presence of the photographer at work:
This upstairs room of built-in shelving looks over the living room via wooden half-walls flanking the brickwork:
Other bed and bath combos:
Whichever room is over the kitchen appears to get a wraparound balcony facing north and west. The lot next door was vacant for many years until 1997, when a front-loading Perry Home went up on it. A brick wall between the 2 properties blocks lines of sight on the first floor only:
A grill area (with service window into the kitchen), a shed, and a workroom are also under the dome:
This home’s 6,875-sq.-ft. lot is in the middle of the first block of the neighborhood’s eastern border fronting the Texas Medical Center. Traffic calming devices at the end of the street are intended to keep the road one-way heading east, toward the Hilton Hotel fronting Main St., which helps buffer the transition to much taller towers.
- 1919 Swift Blvd. [HAR]
Looks like what I imagine a Mexican Prison to look like. Note to buyer: Bulldoze.
I’ve never really liked Southgate, it lacks the beauty of it’s neighbors to the north and south. While Braeswood and Southampton are all bucolic and lush, Southgate seems like a desert in comparison. Most of the housing stock is poorly built and designed and the neighborhood lacks character. All it has is a GREAT location. I’ve always wanted to bulldoze the entire neighborhood, redesign the steets do the meander more, in an Olmstead, Kessler, Hare and Hare sort of way…and for god sake CHANGE THE F@@KING NAME! Southgate sounds like some shitty strip center built in the 60’s and now all falling down and ghetto.
Love it! A 70’s retro home. Complete with orange shag carpet, PINK rain boots next to the black step up tub(with laundry hamper for wet towels , I presume); like the screened in pool area w/ outdoor kitchen; the spiral staircase will be fun,especially after a few adult beverages ; the mini blinds- oh so much fun to duct every other week(I’d replace those ASAP );I do like the front parking court; the wet bar is fab ; like the volume 2 story LR; the location is awesome though. Close to the TMC/ Downtown/Rice VIllage/Rice U/museums/ restaurants-shopping-amenities,etc.
Ooh boy – it has that LP siding/single pane window/glazed tile 1980’s vibe . . .
But just give it to me! I’ll fix it ip!
I think the general population is not yet at a point to appreciate some of the finer points of this house or 1970s residential architecture in general. It has great bones and with the right interior designer, this place would be kick ass. The light filled spaces, the soaring ceilings, the interior use of brick and the complete indifference to the street (filled with ugly homes of no value or so I’ve been told) are a refreshing change from all the faux European goobledy gook of today’s homes. Give it ten more years and these types homes will be sought after.
70’s stepping up into fabulousness. Nice place. p.s. Shannon, who put vinegar in your Cheerios today? Sheesh.
love the neo-stalinist mod exterior.
Pardon me, Miss for having passion and giving a sh#t about style and this neighborhood , which I live adjacent to—oh and I’d eat Cheerios, I eat oatmeal or an omelet—maybe a crepe.
I don’t eat Cheerios*
Wonder if anyone ever snorted coke off a glass coffee table in this place?
I’m still pondering those pink rubber boots by the tub. I like it though, it’s very roomy and I could make it my own easily.
I live not to far from this house. It’s fugly. I laughed when I first saw the owner wanted 1.1 for this place. Prices are going through the roof and housing stock is thin but someone would have to be insane to drop that kind of money for this eye store. For the life of me I don’t know why anyone would want to live in a house that looks like a bunker.
A teardown would be a welcome sight.
the main issue with this house is that it seems out of place. despite Shannon’s rant otherwise, i think most of Southgate appears to be nice older houses, and the neighborhood is in a very quite area considering where it is located (unlike the neighbors to the north). i think this house would be more appropriate in the Briar Hollow area.
I imagine this is what a Roman Domus made in Houston of the 70’s would look like
There is good and bad architecture from all periods of design. This home, especially with its terrible, discordant updates, is trash. It might as well be in an older development in Kingwood. Only the most impressionable dimwit would consider this house.
This house could be (i.e., remove every single peice of furniture, repaint every single wall, pull up the white tiles) pretty cool.