Here we go with this week’s Where the Heck Is It? challenge. The home pictured was suggested by a reader. Do you have any clue where it might be?
Before you answer that, be sure you’re familiar with the rules of Swamplot’s weekly Neighborhood Guessing Game. Then get your neighborhood maps ready . . . and study these revealing photos:
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Thinking of someplace . . . special? Have you examined all the evidence?
Okay, now enter your guess in the comments! The answer will be revealed . . . Thursday.
Photos: HAR
It’s the Clone Stamp bedroom! All that interior brick and those little narrow slot windows, plus the window frames and the built-in bookshelves make me think a nod was at least made in the direction of MCM, but the kitchen screams “Tract House!” Remodeled once, but long ago — wood floors and that yucky paneling. Lemme think — three bedrooms — one master, one for grandkids and one for junk. Where are there MCM-inspired tract houses? A reasonable answer is “everywhere;” I’ll call it Westbury.
First picture, I almost threw up in my mouth. Good grief, are they pattern blind? OK, 2 story, 70s/80s low ceilings, old cabinets, vent hood, appliances and windows. This could be a lot of places… but, looking at those scraggly pines out back remind me of a place in which I woke up after a night of doing shots and beers at a bar off Rayford. Do not remember the woman, “Oh but boy do i remember the strain of her refrain.” and the neighborhood off Sawmill south of Sawdust in the Woodlands.
I am so guessing Spring Branch.
The paneling in the den is a pecky cypress commonly referred to as “wormwood.” Expensive in it’s day, too expensive for Westbury. The house appears to large with too many custom features like that to be a basic tract house. The pattern festival was popular back in the 70’s and cost a lot to create that abomination in decorating.
I would think this is Memorial or Tanglewood area, possibly Hilshire Village.
Braeswood area would also be a strong possibility.
I can almost see Gladys Kravitz peeking through the window of this late 60s ode to after-school television wonderland. Piney Point?
OK, I can buy some of the older northern burbs because of the pine trees, but I have a real problem with this as an upscale house. The kitchen is too old and poorly laid out, the bedrooms are too small, and the furniture is old and cheap. Maybe someone had the cypress paneling installed later, or it was one of the nicest houses in the hood back in the day. Or maybe they spent their money on the paneling instead of on furniture or kitchen updates. And, man, there’s a lot of interior brick. I’m sticking with tract house, maybe up to the 70’s because of all the interior brick. But I’m still sticking with the 50’s MCM-influenced tract house in Westbury. Maybe with a story-and-a-half second floor bedroom.
1950s MCM house. House was probably custom when built, materials are too expensive for the average tract home of that era. I’m going with Meyerland, Riverside Terrace, or Glenbrook Valley.
Memorial Drive
I’m going out on a limb and say West U or Bellaire.. This thing is screaming for a tear-down..
Horizontally divided single pane aluminum windows: 1977.
That is all.
How unkind to trash Grandma’s furniture! I am sure she was thrilled to get the whole Nettle Creek thing going when she remodelled the guest room in 1977. This is definitely circa 1950-3 with those large aluminum casement windows so commonly found in Afton Oaks, Braes Heights, Spring Branch and Tanglewood. The strip windows with brick in between suggest an upscale home of its era but that kitchen seems so cheesy so I’ll rule out Tanglewood/Memorial. This screams one story but the floralfest guest room ceiling shows
perhaps an upstairs mother-in-law suite which says Riverside. But that brick color
is all over Afton Oaks so that is my guess.
I’m going out on a limb and try Memorial Bend – even though it’s more known for its modernist structures. This house seems more a mix with the attic leaning twin-bed pattern room. Spring Valley/Hillshire Village would work too. Hmm…is that a brick floor in the study?
Oh my gosh, that first room. What a disaster. It looks like Fred Flintstone spontaneously combusted and exploded Fruity Pebbles all over the place. I’d hate to be the nurse that has to clean that mess up.
Oh…a guess. Older home, 50+ years back, dressed up to look a little nicer than it really is. I’ll guess TCJester just outside the loop.
Am I the only one that kinda likes this house? Granted, the decor needs to go, but the structure itself seems really cool. I love the panelling and the brick. Imagine MCM furniture in that brick living room! I think its Tanglewood. Even if it was decades ago, someone had to have some money to create a room with matching wallpaper, drapes and bedspreads.
Carol, I also like this house and totally agree that it took some $$$ to create the hallucinogenic patterned nightmare. Without the kitchen it actually looks like a Howard Barnstone house or even the house that Philip Johnson designed for Dominique de Menil in River Oaks.
Richmond inside the loop – west of Weslayan. That’s it…
I would swear I’ve been in this house. Right off Woodway near Sage (Pine Hollow Lane or something like that?)
Old Braeswood. Not a chance it’s anything else.
I have to suspect an older area of Spring Branch. It really looks like a 50’s origin.
Carol…I like it too…a lot!
The finishes are spectacular and just retro enough to be hip again.
So the kitchen sucks. The dishwasher is a KitchenAid circa 1972 and state of the art in its day. Even the patterned bedroom I could live with though those spreads are probably wearing a bit thin. The furniture is also custom from the period as well. Anyone remember Suniland Furniture? I bet they decorated this place.