A Single-Owner, Award-Winning 1966 Time Capsule…

Homes.tastrophes
April 01, 2024

Years ago, our homes were busiest in the evening hours after school/work, with many of them sitting completely empty through most of the day. Since the Pandemic, however, more and more Americans are spending more of their lives in their homes. This past week, my two kids (8 and 5) were home from school on spring break while my husband and I both worked from home, and it really put our house to the test.

Normally, our open-floor plan and shared office on the first floor is a great use of space, but throw two elementary-aged kids into the mix and all hell breaks loose. Fortunately, outdoor space can be the answer to many tight spaces, and when the weather is good – we encourage the kids to play in the yard with neighbors for as long as they can.

We didn’t take a vacation during this spring break, but we managed to take a day trip to the shore so our dog could swim at the beach! ☀️

Using the outdoors to extend the useful space of one’s home is by no means a new notion in architecture, but it had somewhat of a moment in the 1960s, with midcentury architects embracing outdoor spaces to be functionally and individually designed to the residents’ unique needs. Today’s main feature is a great example of that…

It’s getting harder and harder to find single-owner midcentury homes. It’s harder, still, to find single-owner midcentury homes in perfectly preserved time-capsule condition with original midcentury modern furniture, flooring, and fixtures… but this award-winning post, beam, and glass house, suspended over the hillside of University Heights in San Diego is just that.

Don’t miss more unique listings at the bottom of this email, including:

🏰 Crazy Castles

🫨 Insane Interiors

!? DI-Why?

🛥️ Floating Finds

4726 Panorama Dr San Diego, CA 92116

Designed by architect Homer Delawie, the house won awards for its “custom compact” design making the best use of space on the hillside. Despite being under 800 square feet, the house feels open, spacious, and airy due to the floor-to-ceiling windows that bring dappled golden sunlight into every room and the fantastic two-story deck that runs the length of the property.

As I mentioned, the unique use of outdoor space is the real showstopper of this property. The expansive deck is the perfect place to relax and unwind, with plenty of room for outdoor dining and lounging with a small jacuzzi tub set into the deck.

If you love midcentury design, you’ll appreciate the grasscloth walls, wood-slatted ceilings, green shag carpet, cork flooring, and other organic textures that give this house a surprising amount of warmth.

Though this house is 60 years old, you’d never know it from looking at the kitchen and bathroom, which are aging gracefully. The kitchen even still has its original oven/range.

Check out the listing to take a closer look at some of the incredible pendant lamps, midcentury custom furniture, and other original features.

While you’re there, check out the neighborhoods feature on Homes.com and see if they give an accurate description of your own neighborhood. I have to say that it has quickly become my favorite real estate feature because of how thoroughly and accurately they describe each neighborhood.