Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The New Coffee Room. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Hey George -- here's a nice property for sale in your neighborhood..
Topic Started: May 29 2011, 11:16 AM (819 Views)
ivorythumper
Member Avatar
I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
Iconic FLlW.
The dogma lives loudly within me.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
George K
Member Avatar
Finally
I've been in the Coonley House. It's pretty typical FLW, with all the charm and all of the drawbacks. It is a huge building, and really comprises two residences. They are completely separated and, for all practical purposes, it's like a townhouse (two homes in one structure). I may be wrong, but only one of the residences is for sale.

Wright built several structure for the Coonleys at that time. One was a servant's residence, another was a "playhouse" that was used for staging plays and the like. Both of those have been turned into private residences. The Coonley "playhouse", as you might imagine, is, er, interesting on the inside. It has a large living area, with an elevated area to the north that was the stage. It is currently the dining room. Kitchen and (I think) two bedrooms are in the wings of the stage. An anesthesiologist from a local university used to live there. He was a colorful sort.

The playhouse is noted for its wonderful window designs, but the structure is not all that fancy:
Posted Image

Another view here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagogeek/2605743737/

Here's a shot of the servant's quarters: http://www.flickr.com/photos/josepha/3556972473/

When I worked at the university (no, not the one I mentioned earlier), one of the surgeons owned the Tomek House. Posted Image Once again, nice to look at, but a nightmare to maintain. The roof was always leaking and the windows were a horror. Also very leaky. This place was about a block from where I used to live - I could see it from my deck.

A bit off topic, but when we were looking for our second home, we came *this close* to buying this place.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/josepha/3560498064/in/photostream/

It needed a ton of work, and somehow the dirt floor in the basement put us off a bit.



Edited by George K, May 29 2011, 12:35 PM.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
George K
Member Avatar
Finally
More, better pics of the Coonley House here: http://www.thefranklloydwrighttour.com/apps/blog/show/6992213-avery-coonley-house-frank-lloyd-wright-1908

A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brenda
Member Avatar
..............
Love the pics of the FLW homes. Not my particular style, but I enjoy seeing these.

George, that was quite the home to pass up years ago. It sounds like it was not in great shape at that time, but the current pics look good.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Steve Miller
Member Avatar
Bull-Carp
Very nice!

Zillow shows it listed at approx 3X market value. Should be interesting to see what it finally sells for.
Wag more
Bark less
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ivorythumper
Member Avatar
I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
Steve Miller
May 29 2011, 01:48 PM
Very nice!

Zillow shows it listed at approx 3X market value. Should be interesting to see what it finally sells for.
A 6000 SF home on an acre in Riverside overlooking the Des Plaines River, designed by Wright -- why do you think that is more like a $1M property?

Back in the 80s a Wright table and chairs went for almost $600K, and a dresser for over $250K.
The dogma lives loudly within me.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
George K
Member Avatar
Finally
Obviously, there's a premium to be paid for living in a FLW home - if you're that kind of person (I'm not). I don't know if this house is considered a "historic home" but there are certainly tax benefits to be gained by owning one.

I was approached about having my former home listed as "historic". Since the town I live in is a National Historical District, I could "donate" my home (to I forget whom), and claim it as a charitable contribution. My house was built in 1921 and would qualify. I don't remember the details of how much you could deduct, or over what timespan, but it was a chunk - a HUGE chunk. I asked my accountant about it and he said it was all legit. THe problem was that any improvements to the house (other than decorative) would have to be approved, and when I sold it, it would be a PITA.

Brenda, the house looked exactly the same when we looked at it in 1984. Same color, etc. That street (Scottswood Road, named after Gen. Winfield Scott who camped there in the Civil War) has some huge beautiful money pits houses on it. In fact, the house behind the home that I used to own am renting out was Scott's residence for a while.

Here's a link to the Google Streetview for that house. You should take a walk down Scottswood - you'd like it: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=10+E+Burlington+St,+Riverside,+Illinois+60546&ll=41.824405,-87.823505&spn=0.01679,0.024505&z=16&layer=c&cbll=41.824516,-87.823877&panoid=OBXPC5yBwKsnbb2GYGwLQg&cbp=12,6.73,,0,17.18

The Google Streetview doesn't show much of the Coonley house.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
George K
Member Avatar
Finally
ivorythumper
May 29 2011, 02:05 PM
Steve Miller
May 29 2011, 01:48 PM
Very nice!

Zillow shows it listed at approx 3X market value. Should be interesting to see what it finally sells for.
A 6000 SF home on an acre in Riverside overlooking the Des Plaines River, designed by Wright -- why do you think that is more like a $1M property?

Back in the 80s a Wright table and chairs went for almost $600K, and a dresser for over $250K.
The Tomek House (the one owned by the surgeon I mentioned), from the WSJ in 2001:

Quote:
 
The Tomek House, Riverside, Ill.
Asking price: $975,000

The Tomek House, Riverside, Ill.

On the plus side, this Frank Lloyd Wright home is a national historic landmark. On the down side, owner Maya Moran Manny's sons used to cover its signature art-glass windows and play floor hockey in the billiard room. Otherwise, though, Ms. Manny says she has taken pains to preserve the place. "I don't own the home. I curate it," she says.

The home has been on and off the market in recent years, slashed from $1,235,000 to its current price. Even at that level, it's at the high end for Riverside, which has yet to see a sale crack the $1 million mark, including another Wright estate that sold last spring for $975,000.

Ms. Manny says the husband of one couple who toured the house wanted to buy it, but his wife quickly nixed the idea. Not because of its unusual Wright design, but because she hated the idea of washing its 74 decorative windows. "It will take a unique buyer," Ms. Manny says.

None has shown up so far. Local brokers say the market in Riverside, just outside of Chicago, remains strong but that this house is a bit overpriced given its condition. With the exception of the main living area and dining room (which has lighted Tiffany glass on the ceiling) the house needs a lot of work. "We're talking several hundreds of thousands of dollars," says Carm Merola, an interior designer who toured the house recently.

But there's a lot here for anyone willing to spend the money, including vistas of a park landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted, of Central Park fame. The windows alone are worth almost twice the asking price of the whole house. The hitch: You can't sell them. The deed prevents structural changes, and many of them have been donated to a Wright conservancy.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
George K
Member Avatar
Finally
AHA! The other residence is for sale as well:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/300-Scottswood-Rd_Riverside_IL_60546_M81625-05396

A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brenda
Member Avatar
..............
Lovely streetscape, George. The boulevard between the streets is like having a park outside your front door. I'm afraid that neighborhood is too spendy for our family, but we have something almost as wonderful that's plenty for us.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Horace
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
Pretty remarkable that one could own a FLW home for 3 mil. I would have expected more of a premium.
As a good person, I implore you to do as I, a good person, do. Be good. Do NOT be bad. If you see bad, end bad. End it in yourself, and end it in others. By any means necessary, the good must conquer the bad. Good people know this. Do you know this? Are you good?
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
George K
Member Avatar
Finally
Horace
May 29 2011, 04:04 PM
Pretty remarkable that one could own a FLW home for 3 mil. I would have expected more of a premium.
Just to show you what's happening in the housing market, the Tomek house, which sold for $950K in 2001 has a Zillow estimate (and they tend to run high) at $765K.

Wouldja like to be my neighbor? :lol2:
Edited by George K, May 29 2011, 04:12 PM.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Horace
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
George K
May 29 2011, 04:11 PM
Horace
May 29 2011, 04:04 PM
Pretty remarkable that one could own a FLW home for 3 mil. I would have expected more of a premium.
Just to show you what's happening in the housing market, the Tomek house, which sold for $950K in 2001 has a Zillow estimate (and they tend to run high) at $765K.

Wouldja like to be my neighbor? :lol2:
Cheddar Shack style neighbor, or Illinois (FISH bowl?) style neighbor? I think that's a difference of a mile distance or so...

I'd probably like either one come to think of it.
As a good person, I implore you to do as I, a good person, do. Be good. Do NOT be bad. If you see bad, end bad. End it in yourself, and end it in others. By any means necessary, the good must conquer the bad. Good people know this. Do you know this? Are you good?
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Optimistic
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
George K
May 29 2011, 12:31 PM

A bit off topic, but when we were looking for our second home, we came *this close* to buying this place.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/josepha/3560498064/in/photostream/

It needed a ton of work, and somehow the dirt floor in the basement put us off a bit.



That house is BEAUTIFUL! The porch design is fancier than I´d prefer, but the size of it is great, and that house color (red) is my absolute favorite.
PHOTOS

I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up.
- Mark Twain


We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
-T. S. Eliot
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Steve Miller
Member Avatar
Bull-Carp
ivorythumper
May 29 2011, 02:05 PM
A 6000 SF home on an acre in Riverside overlooking the Des Plaines River, designed by Wright -- why do you think that is more like a $1M property?
I don't know anything about it. My comment is based on the Zillow estimate included in the first link.

Even so, at the listing price the Wright home is valued at some 10X the average in that zip code. Is it worth that? Dunno - maybe to the right buyer but it seems like a stretch.

There are a number of downsides to a house like that - not the least of which is the historic status and the difficulty involved in making any upgrades. Any sort of repair is going to be a PITA and the house is old enough to need plenty of them even without the wood rot that comes part-and-parcel with Wright homes. The wiring and plumbing are ancient, the heating system geriatric, everything is weird/custom, and the finishes are both exotic and rare. Going by the bathroom picture picture 13 I'd say that at least some of the upgrade work already performed is not sympathetic to the original design. All of these challenges can be met but it will take plenty of $ and no shortage of time.

On an artistic basis, its certainly worth restoring. On a financial basis, particularly at the listing price, I suspect it will sit on the market for a while.

Wag more
Bark less
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Steve Miller
Member Avatar
Bull-Carp
If you like Wright architecture, this website offers a nice overview of his life's work all in one place:

http://a4atriangletours.com/wright.htm
Wag more
Bark less
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ivorythumper
Member Avatar
I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
Steve Miller
May 29 2011, 09:27 PM
ivorythumper
May 29 2011, 02:05 PM
A 6000 SF home on an acre in Riverside overlooking the Des Plaines River, designed by Wright -- why do you think that is more like a $1M property?
I don't know anything about it. My comment is based on the Zillow estimate included in the first link.

Even so, at the listing price the Wright home is valued at some 10X the average in that zip code. Is it worth that? Dunno - maybe to the right buyer but it seems like a stretch.

There are a number of downsides to a house like that - not the least of which is the historic status and the difficulty involved in making any upgrades. Any sort of repair is going to be a PITA and the house is old enough to need plenty of them even without the wood rot that comes part-and-parcel with Wright homes. The wiring and plumbing are ancient, the heating system geriatric, everything is weird/custom, and the finishes are both exotic and rare. All of those challenges can be met but it will take plenty of $ and no shortage of time.

On an artistic basis, its certainly worth restoring. On a financial basis, particularly at the listing price, I suspect it will sit on the market for a while.

I assume that people who buy Wright homes probably know what they are getting into, and do so as hobbyists and aficionados rather than for the sake of investments. A buddy of mine owns a Greene & Greene in Pasadena, and he loves restoring it.
The dogma lives loudly within me.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Steve Miller
Member Avatar
Bull-Carp
ivorythumper
May 29 2011, 09:45 PM
I assume that people who buy Wright homes probably know what they are getting into, and do so as hobbyists and aficionados rather than for the sake of investments. A buddy of mine owns a Greene & Greene in Pasadena, and he loves restoring it.
Love Greene and Greene stuff and have toured the Gamble house twice.

Got any photos of your buddy's place?



Wag more
Bark less
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ivorythumper
Member Avatar
I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
Steve Miller
May 29 2011, 09:54 PM
ivorythumper
May 29 2011, 09:45 PM
I assume that people who buy Wright homes probably know what they are getting into, and do so as hobbyists and aficionados rather than for the sake of investments. A buddy of mine owns a Greene & Greene in Pasadena, and he loves restoring it.
Love Greene and Greene stuff and have toured the Gamble house twice.

Got any photos of your buddy's place?



It doesn't show up on Google street view -- it's on Grand just north of Holly.
The dogma lives loudly within me.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
George K
Member Avatar
Finally
Steve Miller
May 29 2011, 09:27 PM
On an artistic basis, its certainly worth restoring. On a financial basis, particularly at the listing price, I suspect it will sit on the market for a while.

As Maya Moran said in the WSJ article above:
Quote:
 
On the plus side, this Frank Lloyd Wright home is a national historic landmark. On the down side, owner Maya Moran Manny's sons used to cover its signature art-glass windows and play floor hockey in the billiard room. Otherwise, though, Ms. Manny says she has taken pains to preserve the place. "I don't own the home. I curate it," she says.

I knew Maya. It was a constant struggle with the house. There was, as you say, Steve, always something.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
bachophile
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
Posted Image

nice wine room.

"I don't know much about classical music. For years I thought the Goldberg Variations were something Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg did on their wedding night." Woody Allen
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
plays88keys
Pisa-Carp
I think the biggest disappointment of my life has been not realizing my dream of living in a historic home; it's something I've yearned for since my 20s, when I was lucky enough to live in a beautiful Victorian townhouse for several years.

The photos of that house you almost bought really tug at my heart, George.
You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · The New Coffee Room · Next Topic »
Add Reply