Mid-Century Modern Brick Home ~ Vaulted Ceilings & 1-Acre Yard ~ Just $85,000!

Update 9/30/2014: The price on 1124 Boyden Road has been reduced to $72,500!

It's time to get your Retro on! Someone is really going to have fun with this home!

If houses reflect the times they were designed, mid-century modern is the architecture of ideas, created by those who believed the forward-looking style could be a vehicle for social change to create a better society.

Characterized by flat planes, large glass windows, and open space, these homes -- built from the mid 1930's to the mid-60s -- featured simplicity and an integration with nature, encouraging residents to explore the world in new ways.

Mid-century modern architecture often included these key elements:

• Flat planes. The geometric lines of the house are regular and rigorous. Flat roofs are common, though modern ranch-style houses had gable roofs.
• Large windows. Sliding-glass doors and other expansive panes of glass allow light to enter rooms from multiple angles.
• Changes in elevation. Small steps going up and down between rooms creates split-level spaces. A mid-century modern might have partial walls, or cabinets of varying heights to create different depths in the space.
• Integration with nature. Rooms have multiple outdoor views, or multiple access points, encouraging an appreciation of healthy living.

Realtor® Greg Rapp (704.213.6846) specializes in historic homes and homes with a history! This low-slung brick home at 1124 Boyden Drive built at the edge of the Fulton Heights Neighborhood in Salisbury North Carolina in 1956 is a perfect specimen of a mid-century modern home. The mid-20th century (roughly from 1933 to 1965) saw a dramatic outpouring of creativity in architecture, graphic design, and industrial design. 

Furniture and buildings with clean, sweeping lines and surprising design elements came on the scene during this architectural phase. The book "Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s" by Carla Greenberg cemented the term "mid-century modern" to refer to the style of furniture, art, and architecture popularized during this time period. 

"Retro-mania", brought on by shows like Mad Men and good, old-fashioned nostalgia, is driving a return to mid-century modern style, and this home has certainly got a unique style, perfect for that Retro enthusiast!

Situated on an deep one-acre lot that right now is bursting with daffodils, this circa 1956 mid-century modern home at 1124 Boyden Drive boasts geometric windows, characteristic of the architectural style, louvers and dowel screening, vaulted and beamed ceilings, and multiple changes in elevation.

Walking in through the carport brings you through the wood-paneled den with its vaulted ceiling and the freshly painted white brick wall that backs the kitchen.  The changes in elevation start here as you step from this warm room into the main living areas.

The large living room has a wonderful, geometric, center white-brick fireplace with a gas log system ~ certainly the focal point of the room!  Brand new, soft oatmeal-colored wall-to-wall carpet in the main living area suits this style perfectly, softening the angular architectural design elements.

We love the geometric windows flanking the front door, in keeping with the simple lines and organic forms that characterize this sleek style—which flourished from the 1930s to the 1960s, but is still popular today. The main floor bath features these same Retro geometric windows, painted brick, and cool blue ceramic tilework.

The small dining area’s triple-hung picture window looks out onto the deep back yard that includes a small fenced in area, and then expands out and back extensively, rich with mature plantings and even a grape arbor. 

A nice screened-in back porch overlooks this stretch of private land.

In one corner of the living room, a dowel screen makes an interesting architectural statement...indicating the changes in elevation here:

Up two steps to the master bedroom and second bedroom, with its walk-in closet and a combination of smooth walls & wood paneling. . . . or downstairs to the a large third basement bedroom with its small bath with stand-up shower ~ (this bathroom will need some updating to make it attractive).

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Basement Bedroom or Den

Let’s take this opportunity to have a look at how this house could look, in full retro mid-century décor. Furniture of this era tended to be low-slung and showed off the beauty of the natural wood grain. Graphic patterns and a color palette of avocado, mustard, and tangerine hues were staples in the style's heyday. (http://www.houzz.com/mid-century-modern-decor)

Eye-catching essentials included statement light fixtures, mirrors, and clocks in space-age shapes; and shag and flokati rugs. Cocktail hour reigned, and many homes had fully-stocked bar carts.


 
Impeccable craftsmanship makes mid-century modern furniture timeless. It is no wonder that today, mid-century modern furniture is enjoying resurgence as a popular choice for households across the country.
(http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/add-midcentury-modern-style-to-your-home/pictures/index.html )

We won’t lie to you…the kitchen is probably going to need a little help. Despite its excellent pedigree, the house, like so many of its contemporaries, has suffered a bit over the years from a few unsympathetic renovations, its integrity lost in the shifting tides of taste. It is currently a galley style kitchen, but we think the original plan probably had a half-wall overlooking the living area. The laundry room is in dire need of a beautification project. Despite this “egregious stuff,” the place has a good heart, a good vibe, and the bones to make it work and bring it back to its retro glory.

The home features a large two-car portico ~ stylized with louvers across the front of the home ~ an interesting design element. Another good-sized garage sits to the rear of the home. 1124 Boyden is actually a 2-parcel piece of property, and this is what gives the owner the wonderful 1+ acre lot!

This all brick home has a new metal roof, and has been freshly repainted inside. It’s nice to see mid-century modernism being appreciated now, as we’re entering a period where houses from the 1960s are becoming eligible to be on the National Register of Historic Places. And this home is priced right, at $85,000, for the right buyer to make this place a stunning example of a mid-century modern showpiece with very little effort and have a great yard as an additional bonus!

Would you like to have a look at this wonderful example of mid-century modern home living for yourself? Then contact Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846.

This house is move-in ready ~ and just in time for YOU to get YOUR Retro on!

1124 Boyden Road, Salisbury NC, 28144 ~ MLS# R56183 ~ $85,000 ~ Call Greg Rapp (704) 213-6846

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