Savannah's Mid-Century Wonder Gets Buyers
Mar 23, 2023
Savannah's Mid-Century Wonder Gets Buyers Atlanta
By   Tiffani Sherman
  • City News
  • Savannah
  • Mid-Century Modern House
  • Best Design Residence
Abstract: Mid-century modern home that has belonged to the same family since it was built in 1960 comes to market for the first time.

"My husband was born and raised here," says Kelli Weis, listing agent and owner of Daniel Rowans International Realty." It's a steel and glass house with a thoughtfulness behind every room and every design feature.

 

This showstopper in Savannah, Georgia is listed for $1.5 million. The house was on the market for only five days before it went into provisional sale.

 

Weiss's in-laws helped design the 3,640-square-foot house with architect Mark Hampton, who was a member of the Sarasota School of Architecture. He designed several homes in the 1950s and 1960s.

 

The house was noted in the New York Times on 19 June 1960 as one of Architectural Record's 20 Best Designed Homes of 1960.

 

Wise and her family moved into the house and began a series of renovations following the death of her father-in-law.

 

"Over the past four years, we've done a lot of updating so that it maintains the integrity of the building but has the features and benefits that people are looking for now," Weiss explains.

 

The home's renovations include bathroom upgrades, an expanded kitchen, additional windows and new flooring.

 

Shoji screens provide privacy for the two-storey glass walls.

 

"We just updated the look of the house while still keeping all the original feel of the walnut and giving it a whole new feel," says Weiss.

 

The light fixture in the main entryway is not original, but it looks like it might be.

 

"It's the centrepiece of that two-storey living area," Weis says." I call it the Starburst because it kind of reminds me of the stars hanging from the ceiling, and it makes me very happy. You can see it throughout the living space of the house."

 

She explained that the family tried to choose pieces that were in keeping with the period and architecture of the house - decorations that "could have been there".

 

The house has four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and a "floating living area", as Weis puts it.

 

"It doesn't have any walls and has a railing around it that is actually welded up from steel," she says, adding that it is her favourite part of the residential area." From here you can see the rest of the house and have a great view. You can also see the pool and the golf course, and the natural light coming in is spectacular. It's just a calm, happy place to sit and have a good conversation with someone."

 

Members of the Old Wei family were involved in the film industry and the home used to have a film screening area. Some of its features are still there today.

 

"Back in the day, cinema owners would get large reels to preview films before deciding whether to show them in their theatres," Weiss explains.

 

The place where the reels were once stored is now an infrared sauna. The room's original door is still in place.

 

As to why the family is selling the property, Weiss says it was only a matter of time.

 

"My husband has been trying to sell it for a few years, he says he was born here and he doesn't want to die here," she laughs." We've done everything we can with the house and I think it's ready to turn the next chapter - to find an owner who can continue to manage the integrity of the house and take it to the next level."

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Savannah's Mid-Century Wonder Gets Buyers
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