Split Levels

Aloha!

I know this isn't tiki (I guess it's *Way Beyond * Tiki, but forgive me, I'm new!

We're looking for a new house and I was wondering if any of the mid-century modern experts had an opinon on the split-level home. I will admit to having a certain ingrained prejudice against "step-up, step-down living" (as they used to say in the brochures), but I can't help thinking that all my 50's furniture would look right at home. And the downstairs rec room is made for my '59 Seeburg jukebox & pinballs.

So, does anyone else like them, hate them, couldn't care less? If this will help sway your vote, there will be a tiki bar in the rec room as well!

Well I'm no midcentury modern expert, but they are evocative of the time period. Certainly they don't carry the cool midcentury modern feel of a Case-Study glass and steel structure, but they are retro cool in the same way midcentury modern ranch homes are. They capture a 50's feel without a huge price tag. There's a bit of coverage on the rise of split levels in the book Populuxe worth looking at as well.

[ Edited by: Suburban Hipster on 2003-01-22 11:15 ]

Wow, this reminds me that I have an old paperback pulp-type novel called "The Split Level Trap" which is about bored housewives going wild in the suburbs while the man in the grey flannel suit is at work. Anyhow, getting to the point, given the housing selection and prices in the Philly area I'd say you'll be fine with a split level as long as you can eradicate all of its interior 70's vibe, like drop ceilings and filthy shag carpeting. I see possibilities.....

Our house is a 1962 split entry, not a split level, but I like it. I was extremely averse to the idea when we were house shopping. Our house is one big boring box, and there are no classic style details that are worth restoring; the house almost looks like it could have been built in the 80s. However, I do like having the split entry -- I like having a separate entry area. Originally the entry had a single door and a large glass side panel, we replaced it with a double-door which looks much more interesting, but also works much better in the space. I've worried about over-remodeling and having the house lose some character, but I'm pretty sure the house didn't have a lot of character to begin with, even in 1962.

Here's the before pics, from before we started remodelling:

http://www.flipnik.com/house/

Thanks, everyone. The split-level in particular that we're looking at was built in 1960, and the original owners are still living there. So, I'm hoping we won't see too much harvest gold in the kitchen when we go to look at it tomorrow. Having lived for 3 years in a townhouse with harvest gold bath & kitchen, I couldn't take another minute of it.

Humuhumu, I love that fridge! :)

TikiGoddess, we're in upper Bucks County, so you're right on, going by the Philly market!

[ Edited by: Leilani on 2003-01-23 09:16 ]

Aaargh! This house is absolutely perfect in every way. It's barely been touched since 1960! Original kitchen cabinets (glass-front!), pink tile with a vintage light fixture in the bath....

We're putting an offer in on it, but we'll be the third, so far. Wish us luck!

Untouched since 1960! Oh that sounds terrific, good luck, I'll ask the tiki gods to smile upon you when you bid on the house!Keep us posted.

Thank you; we'll need it! If we do get it, we'll have a huge housewarming cocktail party for everyone (here, there & everywhere). We may get outbid, though- our realtor says there is "lots of interest", so I guess there might be more offers coming in. Yipes! I just hope the person who does get it doesn't turn it into a Home Depot nightmare renovation with stencils on the walls.

[ Edited by: Leilani on 2003-01-24 10:19 ]

Leilani, I agree and I shudder at the thought! As I sit here in my own house looking at the white fake woodgrain panel veneer 70's kitchen cabinets I have yet to remove....

We got it!!!

Home Sweet Home!

We'll see what we can do for a housewarming party in May sometime- any TC'ers in the Phila/NJ area send me your address & I'll send you an invite when the time comes!

Congrats Leilani! So where's the Polynesian Room going?

The lower level- the rec room is to the left of the front door. It's got a door directly to the outside, and one to the garage inside, so we can move the bar right in. I don't have a real tiki bar (yet!) but I do have a real swingin' fake fireplace which opens on the top to reveal a lighted bar & a stereo system. The speakers are the "sides" of the fireplace.

how exciting!!! livin the tiki life!

i dont envy the moving n such ~ but having lotsa space, rec room & tiki bar is splendid!

elicia

Hooray Leilani! Congrats on your new pad!!! Im sure you will create terrific tiki environment in such a fine abode!

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone!

I'm sure the Tiki Gods were smiling on us. :)

Wow!

Congrats!

No better thrill than getting a home!

Looking forward to seeing pics of your tiki evolution there!

I just had a thought- does anyone have experience setting up an outdoor tiki bar in a non-temperate location? (i.e. the northeast!) We have a frame outbuilding with glass windows & door that could be retrofitted for bar use in the warmer months. Of course, we'd bring the good stuff indoors during the winter, but I think it would be fun to use it in the summer. I'm going to plant a bamboo hedge nearby anyway (ha- my neighbors will hate me!), so we'd have the ambience already.

Anyone ever try this?

Thank God! Another modern house saved from contemporary remodelers!! Bless you and good luck in your new home.

My hubby and I got our 56 ranch for cheapy-cheap because it was too vintage!! but in perfect condition. Someone boring would have had alot of beige carpet to buy and pink tile to rip out. Buying it though has saved the house and our budget, all the other places we liked would have cost too much to retro-them-up.

I respect those that save their homes too (even the victorian types, although way too much work for me) There will always be new homes being built, the neato older ones need to be saved.

we figure 50 years from now our house will be historic!

CONGRATS!!!! You can start signing over your paychecks to Home Depot now!

[ Edited by: Tiki-Troll on 2003-01-29 15:10 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki-Troll on 2003-01-29 15:11 ]

Actually, any house over 50 years old can be considered "historic", so you've only got 3 more to go, Tiki-Troll! I've done a bit of historic preservation in my time, and 50 years is considered the baseline for the National Register (I believe?), but it has to have additional "historical significance" as well. Of course, we need more people to recognize the value of mid-century design to save it from the buldozers. But I know I'm preaching to the choir here!

I'm trying to get a bamboo hedge going myself but its slow going. I am trying two varities, one looks like a low bush and it puffs out in width but doesnt grow tall. The other grows tall but it doesnt grow too much each year, plus the horrible winters we have dont help. But give it a try! Why not?

Well, I don't think mine is going to be on a list anytime soon, but I do think in my lifetime that our neighborhood will have the same kinda of appreciation some of the historical districts that are filled with victorians and bungalows get now. We were lucky to find a 'hood that is almost all 50's ranches in our downtown...which is almost impossible in Florida. When we told our Realtor we wanted a Ranch, built between 1950-1965, he looked at us like we were on crack...we were the first people he had ever make that request!

Besides the coolness factor of buying an older home, I worked in the construction industry just long enough to know you made a really wise decision. All the termite and mold calls were always on houses built in the 80's and 90's, some people were having terrible problems with houses less than a year old! Yikes!

oh, and about Bamboo? does anyone have any advice on growing it in a medium sized yard as an alternative to privacy fence? We'd like some space to frolic without the neighbors peeking in, but I don't want a bamboo jungle in a couple years either!

On 2003-01-30 11:24, TikiGoddess wrote:
I'm trying to get a bamboo hedge going myself but its slow going. I am trying two varities, one looks like a low bush and it puffs out in width but doesnt grow tall. The other grows tall but it doesnt grow too much each year, plus the horrible winters we have dont help. But give it a try! Why not?

Which variaties are you growing? They should grow like weeds! We have some here at work (Center City) and it grows with no problem. Maybe your soil is too rocky or something, but bamboo usually needs to be physically restrained (like with concrete) to prevent it from running rampant.

I have no idea what varieties I am attempting to grow. I bought the low bushy one at a garden store where it was labelled simply "bamboo" and the tall one is from a 5 or six inch shoot I dug out of a crack in the sidewalk near a large bamboo "forest" in my neighborhood. I planted the shoot and it didnt do anything the first year, then last summer it shot out three stems that grew about five feet quickly. Then the roofers fixing my roof trampled one of them. Im anxious to see what happens this summer.