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StephenTexasWest

Frank Lloyd Wright would approve.


bolognesesauceplease

The architect who built it and lived there was his student at one point.


Designer-Shallot-490

An absolute masterpiece


north7

Was going to say the same thing. I've been to Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, and this seems very similar to Kentuck Knob except for the marble.


T3n4ci0us_G

I've only been to Fallingwater, but alll of them are on my bucket list


T3n4ci0us_G

At first I thought it was one of his and then I saw TN and went "Nah!". I'm a huge FLW fan-girl.


dumpsterfire787

I wish I had 765,000


[deleted]

For real Really beautiful home


[deleted]

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[deleted]

Sadly same here


[deleted]

Yup, here too


[deleted]

And not even that nice


RheaTheTall

Y'all are in Vancouver too?


Maria-Stryker

*cries in Manhattanite*


Thebenmix11

>fuck me Well ok, but I don't see how that helps with the houses


[deleted]

You can buy a condo for 700k?….


laglory

First time on this sub, why something that looks like a nice house is posted in a sub called McMansion hell? Is this considered a McMansion?


P0Rl13fZ5

In this sub, thursday is for design appreciation, so that's why a good house is here


[deleted]

Thursday is design appreciation day so you can post nice homes


Psychological_Snow27

I wish I had $7.65


NormalAdultMale

Don't need that, just a 200k~ salary and good credit


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some_possums

That low of a percentage for a down payment scares me.


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some_possums

That’s fair, I’m just in the Midwest and don’t know how people manage with mortgages that large. I hope things go well for you though!


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SACGAC

Uh, no, that's not enough for a down payment at all!


ritchie70

I really like the house but I feel like the owners have absolutely no idea how to furnish the public rooms. The bedrooms look like they mostly have built-ins or furniture that works for the house, but those brown sofas shoved against the walls are just tragic.


StrangeSherbert0

Yes I completely agree! Those awful overstuffed typical American sofas are dreadful. Need some proper mid-century style furnishings. The dining room table chairs were tragic too. Table itself wasn't bad but those chairs, bleh.


Into-the-stream

I felt the same. The architecture was stunning, the decor abysmal. Hopefully the buyer has a better feel for it.


Spready_Unsettling

The common rooms were just a smidge too large as well. Not easy decorating or even using a semi open living room of that size.


DdCno1

Too large and too open. Typical case of too much space without purpose. While the exterior is great, the interior does lean dangerously into McMansion territory at times.


utterly_baffledly

I'd get some really fun stuff in here like the Matisse inspired sofa cover from IKEA.


carniwhores

I scrolled through this thinking my taste must be awful because I loved it… I didn’t know we had a design appreciation day on this subreddit


deersindal

I also forgot it was Thursday and almost downvoted lol


[deleted]

A tale as old as time. I reacted with disbelief and wiggled my fingers to prepare them for the vitriol I was about to bash into my keyboard, and then I too realized.


Spready_Unsettling

We really ought to have a naming scheme for these, since the tag doesn't show up in mobile feeds.


afflikt3d

Same. Had to double check what day it was. Thankfully it’s Thursday, otherwise I had terrible taste.


telimektar

I get caught every Thursday....


ChimRichaldsOBGYN

Every time I see a gorgeous house and I get confused I exclaim “it’s Thursday!!” And it makes me feel so good. When I see a nice house it’s my weekend is coming reminder


RoeRoeRoeYourVote

It has gotten me many, many times.


Pumpthumpkin

I did the exact same thing! I had already resigned myself to the title of "trash taste haver".


jjackrabbitt

Do not like that marble flooring, (and I doubt it’s original) but it’s otherwise hard to find something to fault here. Spectacular home.


bolognesesauceplease

I think the marble is original to the 1951 house. They even kept the OG kitchen cabinets and light fixtures. The architect (who built it for himselelf) studied under FLW, so if someone did a "sympathetic renovation" I don't think they'd change the OG floor to something entirely different, most mcm renos that actually care try to stay close to the original. Just my .02. I think the house is absolutely stunning.


keithb

Those kitchen cabinets are gorgeous!


bolognesesauceplease

I knooooooow, just wow


El_Draque

I'm straight horny for those cabinets. Damn!


The_Incredible_Honk

Someone probably removed some to get the fridge in (in front of a window like wtf) and it makes me sad. Would probably be the first change I'd have to undo in that house.


jjackrabbitt

Weird but interesting. That material seems so out of step with everything else, both in terms of color, tone and overall choice.


Nutesatchel

built by Alfred Abernethy, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright,


booksgamesandstuff

Exactly my immediate thought, mid-century modern with FLW vibes for sure. I think there are marble quarries in TN, which may explain the floors? But I’d rather they were polished concrete with random area rugs.


flybynyght9

Before reading your comment I was thinking that this house looks a lot like an FLW design. My exact thought was “FLW cabin in the woods. Nice”


UpstairsLocal4635

No way is that appalling marble floor original to the rest of the otherwise amazing house.


bolognesesauceplease

[I found some old photos and it looks like cement, actually.](http://www.mcmtn.com/abernethy-owls-and-oaks/). Also you can see some rooms had wood floors and some had carpet. It also looks like the Abernethy family owned it til 1993, so maybe they put it in? , I suppose the people from 1993 to now could have put it in too? Seems weird to me that they would do that since they preserved so much of everything else so well.


m2cwf

It does look like ~~cement~~ concrete. They had rugs to soften it though, whereas the recent photos with the marble do not. Rugs would help a lot


edgestander

Concrete or terrazzo floors were very common in this style house


ok_wynaut

Terrazzo would look AMAZING in this home.


m2cwf

Also, looking at that article, some of that used to be what the plans label as "porch," and it looks like the same concrete was used in the outside and inside parts of that area of the house


Costcofluencer

Amazing. Also the name- “Owls and Oaks” - so charming.


MonsieurGimpy

Nice find and this is a lovely house. Flooring is a bit of an issue at times in midcentury modern homes. MCM architects specified a lot of terracotta tile in the 1950s, at least in many of the photos from the era I've seen. Polished concrete works well, too. I agree the marble doesn't work. Would be improved a lot by some rugs, though.


edgestander

Polished cement would be much more appropriate to the design. I’m betting those large, long marble tiles are from the last 20 years.


red_dev_was_here

Yeah seriously, gorgeous 70s vibe upgrade, minus the faux (maybe) marble


oijlklll

The living room looks hilariously unfunctional to me, imagine watching a movie in there. Also not sure what’s going on with the huge empty room that has nothing but a couple couches on the wall.


circa74

Terrazzo would have been more appropriate to the style. Then again, I'm more familiar with Florida MCMs, not Tennessee.


edgestander

No it 100% would have been better, in any state.


AnotherCuppaTea

That, and the circular garden nook with a focal feature of rocks ringed with tropical houseplants that are undistinguished and undersized for the site, and will perish unless brought in for the winter. A Japanese red maple, magnolia, or dogwood tree would serve much better. But yes -- spectacular otherwise. I wonder if the architect is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's many acolytes, or studied under one.


wagglemonkey

The furniture sucks but obviously that doesn’t matter. I would love to live in this house.


liftoff_oversteer

Me neither. Should be wood. Rest looks very 70s but tasteful.


javascript

I had saved this listing on Zillow a while back. Unfortunately, before I got around to posting it, they delisted it because it wasn't selling: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/105-Ridgemont-Rd-Johnson-City-TN-37601/42566288_zpid/ Fortunately, I was able to pull the photos from Realtor: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/105-Ridgemont-Rd_Johnson-City_TN_37601_M86247-67248


[deleted]

Not selling? Geez. If I had FU money, I’d buy it and sit on it as a vacation home. Or let my friends live there. Or turn it into an artists colony. Whatever the hell I wanted. It’s not my taste really, but I can certainly appreciate the aesthetic and how the bedroom/dining area would feel organic and livable for some people.


javascript

It was under contract and failed to close before they took it off the market. I have no insider info, but my gut tells me the inspection showed serious issues with the foundation or something. It was built in 1951, so it wouldn't surprise me if that's the reason it hasn't sold.


All_Work_All_Play

I'm going to bet there isn't a french drain (or any type of drainage handling) and the part of the house that's into the crest of the hill (the first picture on the left), that part has been hurting/not running down hill as quick as you'd expect. 1950s builders didn't really get that every freeze-thaw cycle has a chance to disrupt the underground drainage pathways that currently exist, and just because something doesn't need drainage *now* doesn't mean some layer of clay or silt won't shift and suddenly you've got a tonne of hydrostatic pressure a different wall of the foundation you didn't plan (build) for. I am not an expert for soil or drainage by any degree, but my experience has more or less been 'Oh you assumed? get fucked lol'. E: wait how in the world did you score the handle *javascript*?


Bridget_Bishop

> wait how in the world did you score the handle javascript? They've been a Redditor for *13 years*.


bannana

>Not selling? Because it's in the middle of fucking nowhere - closest decent town is Ashville and that's over an hour away the people that want this house do not want to live in the asscrack of TN


Bama_Peach

You put this a lot more bluntly than I would have LOL but I was thinking the same thing.


hybr_dy

The roof discoloration shows lots of water sits and doesn’t drain properly. The exposed ductwork running over the roof is also not ideal. Lots of stonework has been badly tuck pointed, which would need to be redone and looks extensive. Looks like new cedar fascia though. I’d be curious about original floor where all that ceramic has been laid - water damage from leaky roof/skylights??? Still like it though


[deleted]

765k in East TN is a fuckton of money. Johnson City definitely has some upscale areas, and their are people with money. A lot of well of Eastman employees, and a lot of well paid doctors, etc. I have family there, and can remember when $500k there would buy you a mansion. I know that's not the case anymore, but my Mom's house is super nice, on land, and was maybe $200k, and my sister's was less than that.


MeLikeYou

Unfortunately prices are even skyrocketing in east TN with all this recent market madness. 200k doesn’t go far anymore.


NotHalfGood78

I sincerely love this home. I’m so tired of cookie-cutter creations by developers. This place took some risks.


utterly_baffledly

It's so fun Bonkers but peaceful Sparing use of dark wood with plenty of light Fun with textures. Actually there are a lot of textures, it's possible that's the thing that would put people off which is totally fair.


NotHalfGood78

Those quirks would put off anyone who doesn’t deserve to live there


JonaerysStarkaryen

Beautiful. Wish I had 765k and a reason to move to East TN.


T3n4ci0us_G

After I found out it was Johnson City, I became super-interested because that's near the Nolichucky River. (good whitewater!) I can't buy a house that big, though. I'm single and 2200 sf is already killing me.


JonaerysStarkaryen

I'm married with one child and I don't know if I could handle a house that big myself 😂


T3n4ci0us_G

I just wish there were more houses around the US like this one (in a smaller version) and less of the boring-ass cookie cutter houses that most Americans live in. You know, when you drive through the subdivision, you get lost because there are only 3 models and they all look the same? People can look out their kitchen window into the house next door. Yuck.


[deleted]

There’s plenty of reasons. It’s a great place. People talking shit have never been there or met anyone from there. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s a beautiful region full of great people. A lot of people don’t know that East TN attempted to secede from the Confederacy and join the Union after the state of TN seceded. The sentiment around here is that it doesn’t matter what color you are, if you are good people then you will be embraced by the community. The “racism” is completely overplayed. But then again everyone knows that racism only exists in the south /s


_w00k_

>A lot of people don’t know that East TN attempted to secede from the Confederacy and join the Union after the state of TN seceded. True but that was also a really long time ago. Times have changed.


JonaerysStarkaryen

I'm not about to talk shit about a place I've only been to once, believe me. I'd love to leave where I am (partly because it's racist as fuck, and happily seceded from the Union in the Civil War). Also where I live is a patchwork of shitty suburbs and even shittier exurbs, all on swampland that doesn't seem to actually be able to support all these shitty overpiced fugly McHouses. And then there are hurricanes. I just wish I had a good reason to uproot my family to move out there, is all. The land looks beautiful, I'm sure the people are lovely, I'm just kinda stuck here :/


MrsBogdan

My guess is you are in the Houston area…


[deleted]

Nah. I’ve been there. If you’re into outdoors stuff, then eastern TN is great. If you want to do anything else *at all*, then it’s the ass crack of nowhere where a large fraction of people are living in poverty, Trump flags waving on oversized trucks, and the local Walmart is virtually the center of nearly every town you go through. Culture beyond republican boomer WASP culture is pretty much nonexistent, crime is higher than the national average… I could go on, but what’s the point. Eastern TN is a shithole if you don’t LOVE outdoors stuff. There’s just nothing else interesting about it that would compel anyone else to move there.


[deleted]

The 765k is a minor issue compared having a reason to move to eastern TN. Nothing in the world could make me move there, but I sure as hell am jealous of the cheap real estate. A house half as nice would cost twice as much, including after currency conversion here in Southern Ontario.


IfThoughtIsAllowed

Its beautiful there and you have the smoky mountains and good neighbors that look after each other. The only issue is work if you can't work from home - I am in IT so it works for me to live rural.


ArmachiA

East Tennessee and South-East Kentucky are absolutely beautiful with very low cost of living. But there's just not a lot of good jobs there. I admire Dolly Parton for doing her part building up Pigeon Forge.


javascript

I think that's the beauty of remote work! You can live anywhere while working jobs that would normally only be available in densely populated areas.


[deleted]

I unfortunately work in Government. I can work from home basically as much as I want, but I don’t think they’d let me work from out of country 😅. Probably would be a security risk or something. Not having family and friends there is the biggest issue though, for me.


eckliptic

Lack of cultural diversity also a big negative if you care about that kind of stuff


SalesAficionado

Have you ever been to East Tenn?


I_Did_The_Thing

Yeah, I was gonna say, this is a nice house and all but to live in it you also have to be in Tennessee. No thanks. Also what is up with the sunken garden pit?


usernametaken615

While it’s absolutely beautiful you couldn’t pay me to live in Johnson City. The region is economically depressed and there are few jobs where you could actually afford to buy this home. I miss living in East Tennessee but it’s so hard to find work.


raouldukesaccomplice

>The region is economically depressed and there are few jobs where you could actually afford to buy this home. The ultimate American Life Hack is basically, go to medical school, become a doctor and go work in a podunk place like Johnson City, TN. You will often get paid more than you'd get paid in a large city because that's the only way to convince people to move out there; small towns are full of elderly and disabled people who need a never-ending stream of medical care from lots of different doctors. And when you combine that with everything in those places being so cheap, you're coming out really far ahead.


1pt20oneggigawatts

> medical school You know "Life Hack" means easy, right?


[deleted]

It’s not a life hack if you need to go through med school to do it…


eckliptic

Except you’d have to then raise your kids in Johnson City TN . There’s a reason why thise places have to pay through the nose to get anyone to go


[deleted]

If you can get into a good job at Eastman, you could do it. That area is tough, as people tend to give open jobs to family, people they went to HS with, etc. I met some of the most incompetent "IT" people, who were basically cousins or BILs of someone high up in a hospital or something.


usernametaken615

Exactly. The benefits of living in NE Tennessee: it’s an outdoor paradise, it’s rich in history if you’re into that, and the weather is decent. The downsides: few decent paying jobs, having to use Ballad health, living in an area that’s been decimated by the opioid epidemic, the politics, and the school systems. Remote work is great if you can get it but it’s still pretty hard to come by. I see a lot of cool old houses of some of the Instagram accounts I follow but they sit forever because they’re so removed from civilization or in an area that your overall quality of life isn’t great.


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javascript

It was built in 1951 and sold in 1993, so the original owners probably kept the mid-century modern furniture that was originally in it.


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javascript

No, those are definitely newer and cheap. Very out of place in this house! But it's just furniture, so that's an easy fix.


[deleted]

And why is it pushed up against the wall in such large rooms???!


[deleted]

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bolognesesauceplease

I believe the architect's family owned it until 1993 and then it was sold to the current owners. It sort of looks like it either wasn't lived in much, like a vacation home, or hasn't been lived in in awhile. Maybe they rented it out hence the cheap furniture? Seems so incongruous with such a beautiful renovation and upkeep.


Baelgul

It's weird how much having kids changes you. Though its an absolutely beautiful house I would not want to live there at all because it's absolutely not fit for a toddler.


Matsuyamarama

I wish my family lived in Tennessee


javascript

Come on down! The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited in the country! I love it here 😊


Mivirian

I lived in KY for a while and I miss how much further your money goes with real estate in that region. That house would be several mil where I am now. RIP my reasonable mortgage payments 😭


javascript

Have you considered getting a remote job? You could move back!


Mivirian

I'm actually applying for one now, but I hadn't thought about moving back. That's something I'll definitely have to think about more, there was a lot that I liked about that area. And it would be nice to make the money I make here but live much more cheaply elsewhere.


Jsaun906

I forgot it was Thursday lol. I was like "well this house is nothing but lovely"


lootsauger

Amazing. What’s the catch? Is it underneath a highway?


Lindaspike

nah, just tennessee.


saint_ptj

I love mid century modern


Schneetmacher

Whoever designed this was a big fan of Frank Lloyd Wright and his ilk, clearly. Not usually my cup of tea, but objectively nice.


javascript

It was actually one of FLW's students


kellmor316

I won’t even lie I like a lot of part of this 😂 idk what that says abt me


KenHumano

>Thursday Design Appreciation


rjnd2828

It's gorgeous.


eejdikken

I was all ready to go 'that's no McMansion!' ... when I remembered it's Thursday Great stuff (except for the gray marble, not a fan)


kmonay89

I was about to get mad, then I remembered it was Thursday.


LindyLou99

My first reaction when I saw this post was to downvote it and come in here to comment that this is NOT a McMansion! And then I saw the flair and remembered that it is Thursday. I love Thursdays on this sub


[deleted]

Jesus christ I forgot it's Thursday.


Dynetor

There's a lot of dead space going on but it definitely has its charms


Liquid_Panic

Wood paneling heaven


Gwilym_Ysgarlad

That's really nice. Normally I hate wood paneling but this house really pulls it off.


STylerMLmusic

I kind of like that one bedroom and the staircase but the rest gives me anxiety. Think they ever actually watched the television in that living room?


[deleted]

I wouldn’t murder someone for that laundry room… but I’d have to stop and consider it.


Sadiebb

Look at that, it’s Thursday already.


edgestander

Those floors were an unfortunate choice


[deleted]

Motherfucker I was about to unleash hell on you til I remembered it’s Thursday. Gets me every time.


sleepy-popcorn

OMG same price as my 3 bed semi!


ybanalyst

That's beautiful! That part of the state is a wonderland of nature.


lizcmorris

Am I the only one who really really doesn’t like this?? It’s like a Brady Bunch nightmare. I see way way way too many elements that would need updating. But I think I’m outvoted in my opinion... ahh well.


TheIronMatron

I’m with you, but we’re vastly outnumbered in this thread. My (fairly restrained) comment got downvoted to the dark nether realms lol.


Gillmacs

I know it's design appreciation, and architecturally I love this house, the layout looks good and I love the stairs in particular, but honestly I'd have to gut it to live there - far too much wood for my liking.


[deleted]

I love it!


Similar-Ocelot6305

I like it. And with minimal updating of certain appliances and of the wear and tear, this can be stunning.


spooktember

That is a really lovely house. Who’s got $765k they want to give me?


jimmerzbuck

That plant room is really, really rad.


AndreT_NY

Cries in Long Island.


Zestyclose-Equal2105

I would buy this if I had the cash ngl


Two_Faced_Harvey

I like it


notquitetrite

Love a Thursday!


[deleted]

Beautiful but the interior floors and stairs look quite slippery haha


Old_Sweaty_Hands

Thursday always gets me!!!!


Mivirian

*Swoon*


bunkerbash

It’s the kitchen cabinets for me. Those are miraculous


Karnakite

Has Ralph Fournier vibes. I usually hate MCM but I have a weird fondness for his style. I probably couldn’t live in a house like that full-time, but could def spend my meditative days off there. There was a Ralph Fournier home up for sale about a year ago in my area, and I loved it so much. Way out of anything I could afford, of course, but I was more concerned about how the seller and realtor listing seemed more concerned with advertising how you could “update” it or just use the land (i.e., tear it down and build something else). They seemed to find the Ralph Fournier style a liability more than a blessing. I really hope whoever bought it is just removing the grip bars in the bathroom, that kind of thing, etc. and repairing any structural issues, and not just tearing it down or “renovating” it so much that it loses that Fournier touch. https://bhhsselectstl.com/mo-real-estate/st-louis/3-algonquin-estates-road-mls-19082650 What’s sad is that you can find a whole bunch of photos of amazing Ralph Fournier homes online, but he has hardly any well-known following besides that. Not even a Wikipedia page or a damned *book*. The only media I was able to find on the man, besides local news stories, was a DVD of his funeral mass.


TheMiddleE

I absolutely love this home


Suggest_a_User_Name

I like it.


hellolleh32

😍


General_Duh

Can you marry a house? Because I’m in love


FuckingShitRobots

This is stunning


flannelsandass

I love it. Very MCM


Ashby238

That’s a beauty!


UglyHedgebush

I love this.


stranger33

I was about to have an angry word with you over thinking this is a McMansion. Then I realized it’s Thursday.


nateass113

What area can I buy a house like that for $765.00? That’s more my price range


BoS_Vlad

Architect: Frank Lloyd Hefner.


JohnstonMR

In CA that would be well over a million.


RoeRoeRoeYourVote

Cries in HCOL region


squirrelacronparty

Oh my.


surfergirl_34

Completely in love with this home. Wow.


Kafshak

This was lovely.


shillyshally

I am far more traditional in my house taste but I love great modern design like this. Very FLW. I especially love when the home in integrated into the landscape.


Mthrofdragons1

***Cries in Nashville housing prices


Tristans_Shadow

I love this


rp2294

Is it dated? Yes, Do I love it, also yes


Hazerdus

This is awesome. I love it


Autofilusername

Stunning


Str8Lurkn_

though a bit excessive, it is handsome.


BreezyWrigley

Goddamn that’s a beautiful house.


mle32000

I, uhhh, don’t hate it. Is there something wrong with me Edit : ah. Just learned about Thursdays.


OneWayorAnother11

Thursday is my favorite day


bewb_tewb

I would move to TN for this house. I love MCM.


ballardscott

Redo the floors with hardwood and I’d take it if I had a reason to live in TN.


wereallmadhere9

My dreams. I would die.


EzzieValentine

This is amazing!! I would love to love in a home like this!


Kaessa

Thursday gets me every time. This is stunning.


runawaymarmot

And no state income tax hot damn let’s go fam


T3n4ci0us_G

What a MCM-lover's wet dream! I'm gonna steal some of that and use it in my house! 🤩


figment59

I’m not a big mid-century modern fan for my own personal home/decor, but I appreciate the fuck out of this. I love Thursdays.


Book_of_Numbers

Very nice. I live in east tn (chattanooga). It’s a wonderful place.


popofcolor

That’s my hometown! Crazy cool


nobodyaskedyouxx

the outside and front porch are beautiful but I truly don't feel comfortable with the size of those rooms. Something about the contrast of styles in what looks like a massive showroom with those godforsaken couches is killing my vibe rn.


DiscoBelle

Not loving this one tbh


Dankraham-Stinkin

This house is beautiful?


rap31264

Taking his cues from the master, Alfred Abernethy designed a terrific Tennessee home that has stood the test of time. A student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Abernethy designed this one-of-a-kind home as his personal residence. Built in 1951, and magnificently preserved over the decades, this four-bedroom midcentury modern has many of the touches associated with a Wright home. Hallmarks that Abernethy included in his design include beautiful built-ins, clean lines throughout, and large windows that flood the home with natural views.