Restoration has been swift at this concrete-block home in Garden Oaks that sold quickly in June 2013 — for $225,000. When the property reappeared on the market as a new listing late last week, the asking price was up to $475,000. Houston architect Allen R. Williams Jr. designed the solidly built home back in the day, the year of which was either 1950 or 1942, depending on which records apply. This year’s updates, by serial renovator Will Martin, hew close to the home’s mod origins. The original listing didn’t feature many interior photos, but the home’s latest appearance makes up for that:
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There’s new oak flooring throughout the 1,648-sq.-ft. home. The wood-burning fireplace (above), however, kept the original stacked flagstone on its low-rise hearth and somewhat flush surround in the combo living-dining room. Extra seating tucks under an island slab in the wide-open kitchen, newly fitted with custom cabinetry, Carrera marble, and glass-tile backsplash.
A wall of storage fills one end of the walk-about kitchen:
A small hallway off the kitchen leads into a bright space with windows or doors or both on all 4 sides, one of which serves a side patio. Currently, the room gets to be another dining area:
Three bedrooms share the 2 full bathrooms. Here’s the master, which has access to a deck:
The master bathroom has updated materials, but kept the single-sink and shower-only layout of its origins:
The other bathroom, also tweaked, gets the tub:
Much of the 12,084-sq.-ft. lot remains an open area with fresh landscaping, pathways, decks and patios:
There’s also a new irrigation system, roof, and driveway. The latter includes a curving portion across the front of the restored house and a dogleg to the 2-car garage that falls behind an automated gate:
- 851 W. 43rd St. [HAR]
- Previously on Swamplot: The Century-Built Home in Garden Oaks That Sold in About an Hour
Nice! I guess from the photos that he kept the original steel casements, which are hard to restore but quite lovely to look at. I hope the people who go look at the house prove to themselves they are operable. As pretty as they are, though, they are terrible energy leaks.
That’s my only issue I guess as the rest of the remodel looks really nice to my eyes.
Oh, if it were on any other street, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Great original structure and redo. Just too much traffic on W. 43 for a family with a little one and a pooch who like to make a run for it every now and then. Hope that the folks who did this can get to a few more mods in town before the wrecking ball does.
Pretty much perfect. It could only be better if it weren’t on such a busy street.
Oh look! A worthless shelf right up next to the bathroom ceiling- this must be a metaphor for this place. How much fun will it be for the owner to scale the throne and grab a new towel huh? So dumb. No thought to use whatsoever. The ugly ductwork that separates the kitchen ceiling from the living space detracts incredibly from the overall impression of this place. I kept looking at other pictures to see how poorly they squirreled the air ducts and, seeing no other glaring instances, I assume the worst is right out of frame. So many swings, so many misses and a complete fail to imagine something unique that pays homage to the structure and materials. The 80’s called, they want their track lighting back from this mangled mid-century.
See what can be with vision and a chunk of bucks. Save Houston’s old homes! Enough of the hastily built ,stucco/cement board clad future slums. Which already are falling apart!!! For example:build a home of about 3300 sq. ft. using higher quality craftsmanship/materials,etc. I AM 100% for new development and PROGRESS, but done well. Quality lasts..
Very impressive Mid Century redo. This home is not my taste, but it’s beautifully realized. I really hope they get what they ask, I like to see people rewarded for doing such a fantastic job on an older home. Bravo!
A plus on the staging as well.
Very nice!!!
Looks like a break in waiting to happen!!
Oh it’s coming!!
Next time skip the vessel sink.
Sometimes the venom spewed in these fora vexes me. Anyway, IMHO: Beautiful work!
Can’t wait to see the condo redo pix on the Will Modern website.
AT firat I thought, “Wow, that’s a lot of white!” But with furniture, it’s mostly just going to look *light*. A pretty job, overall.
I really like that fireplace!
That’s a beautiful job – KUDOS!
Bet it sells in a flash.
If you folks like this style of home so much, why not go out and build one for yourself? There’s not much to it. It can’t cost much to build a 1,650 SF house.
You can have a brand new house in the style you love with a newer/better foundation; building materials; insulation; electrical; plumbing, etc.
Why don’t we see any new construction like this? Do only poor people like this style?
I checked it out on Sunday. Very nice! According to the owner, all of the windows now work but 1 or 2.
This house is ALL concrete. The walls, even the ceiling is made out of concrete. I think there would be a little more to building a replica than you think, although it does seem like builders are scared of mdodern. I hear he got two offers on it already and has accepted one.
Bernard, this style although has some merit is only popular in small obscure circles. Without having some architectural background this house looks like just any other dumpy ranch house from the 60’s and is a very hard sell to an average consumer.
Bernard poses a good question. I did once ask a developer of inner loop homes why all the new single family construction is north of 3000 sq. ft., and why no one builds homes in the 1500-2000 sq.ft. range. His answer was that the economics of smaller homes just doesn’t work out.
It ain’t no Kickerillo; it’s SOLD.
@Bernard and Commonsense. Was there even a point to your comments? A few “obscure” people compliment an MCM re-do and you resort to one of your standard patronizing retorts?
Just out of curiosity, what architectural style would you say your respective dwellings are?
If you must know, the style that holds value in Houston and is the easiest to re-sell… Mediterranean. But not too pompous, a simplified Mediterranean with rustic accents such as clay tile roof with exposed mortar, stained wood corbels and Cantera stone door and window trim.
Oh so just that typical builder grade circa 2000-2010 stuff that is all over Crestwood and Tanglewood. Got it! Guess all those folks in early 1990s Georgians splattered all over West U and 1980s Euro Manses of the Villages and the revered Southern Colonials in River Oaks are just SOL. Not to mention all those obscurites in the dumpy ranches of Meyerland……..
Also, the Georgian, you can never go wrong with a well built and designed two story red bricked Georgian, Houstonians love them.
I suppose Wolf appliances, Jerusalem stone and hand distressed walnut floors ARE builder grade around these here parts.
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A nice new Georgian or Tudor might be quite nice, but only appeals to about 10% of the market.
I hate to break it to some of the developer types among our commenters, but not everybody is buying what you are selling. Your taste is as unappealing to some of us as ours apparently is to you. In a city of six million people, perhaps there is enough room for both points of view.
Let’s make a deal – stay out of our established neighborhoods, and we won’t sully yours with our apparently inferior standards.
I’m quite surprised to see that Mediterraneans hold their value and are so easy to sell.
I’m pretty old now, and I can’t remember anyone that I’ve known over the years who owned one, either presently or in the past.