Homes

Automatic for the People

Lisa Murtha — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:00:00 GMT

See a gallery of images from this home.

Concrete block structures are so common today that, to an untrained eye, this home hardly seems unique. And yet, in 1954 when it was built, stone, wood, and brick were the materials of choice for builders. “You can have a common material used for specific functions,” says author and Cincinnati architecture expert Walter E. Langsam, “but it takes a genius to see that material’s potential aesthetically and practically.”

In this case, that genius was legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who had begun experimenting with concrete block back in the 1920s. “His first prototypes [for concrete block houses] were in California,” notes Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, director of archives at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Wright referred to his experiments as “textile block” construction—“think of warp and woof in weaving,” says Pfeiffer, who also notes that Wright’s goal was to develop a building process that did not require skilled laborers, and therefore was less costly to implement.

Wright eventually came to describe this less expensive way of building as “Usonian,” and although his first official Usonian structures were built with wood as well, the rising costs of carpentry following World War II led him to revisit the concrete prototype. This time, Wright went one step further and developed a building system called “Usonian Automatic,” which was akin to a life-sized concrete Lego kit. These homes were theoretically simple enough to build that homeowners could construct them alone, without the help of skilled laborers, thereby driving the cost down even more. “The homeowners made the blocks, and they participated in the building of the house,” says Pfeiffer.

For years, Gerald Tonkens, a Cincinnati area car dealer (who had grown up in Milwaukee and seen much of Wright’s Chicago work firsthand) had been vowing to his friends and family that he would one day commission a Wright house of his own. “People said: ‘He won’t take such a small commission,’ ” says Tonkens’s second wife and widow, Beverly Tonkens Vangrov. “But Gerald wasn’t one to be stopped at all. He made an appointment with Mr. Wright.”

When they met, the story goes, Tonkens showed Wright some preliminary plans for a home on an Amberley Village hillside site; they had been drawn by one of Wright’s former students. When Wright, then 86 and a known egotist, saw them, he “flipped them into the fireplace” with his cane, says Tonkens Vangrov.

Tonkens’s needs presented a challenge for Wright—although, notes Wright’s grandson Eric, “he always kind of liked it if it was a little difficult.” Not only was the four-acre site on a hill, Tonkens also needed a home that was low maintenance (“I’m not one to paint the shutters,” Tonkens reportedly told Wright) and most important, he had a limited budget—for a Wright client, anyway. Enter Usonian Automatic. “Wright said, ‘I really would like to use you for my guinea pig,’” recalls Tonkens Vangrov. “‘I have a new concept and I’m calling it Usonian—it will be a very simple thing for middle class America. All I need is inexpensive labor, a ball of twine, and a cement mixer.’

“P.S.,” she adds today with a laugh, “[suddenly it’s] 17 months later, the cost overruns, and you could not build it yourself.”

The Tonkens house is the only construction project Eric Wright supervised for his grandfather before leaving to work for his own father, Lloyd Wright; he admits that the concept worked better in theory than in practice. “Unfortunately, the blocks were handmade, so they didn’t come out exactly equal,” Wright says. “So at the end of a course of 20 or 30 blocks, you could be a quarter-inch off in elevation. You had to keep shimming them.” Which could explain why the Tonkens house—under Tonkens Vangrov’s care since her husband’s death—is just one of a handful of Usonian Automatics ever built.

Still, Wright adds, “it definitely is one of his finest concrete block houses. They maintained it well, it was beautifully built, and it has wonderful proportions.” In other words, it’s a truly concrete example of what can happen when the right client meets the right architect at exactly the right time.

Originally published in the July 2013 issue.
Photographs by Ryan Kurtz

405 East Second St.

Lisa Murtha — Thu, 30 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

It’s not difficult to imagine Covington’s more genteel past when you visit the Licking Riverside Historic District. This area was among the first residential property developed in Covington. It’s also home to the Gano-Southgate (or Carneal) house, credited as the first brick home in Covington.

Legend has it that Kentucky developer and Covington founder Thomas Carneal built this place circa 1820. It was a showhouse of sorts, designed to entice wealthy families across the Ohio River and into his fledgling new community.

By the time the current owners discovered the property in 2007, it had been subdivided and was in almost irreparable condition. A year-long renovation effort overseen by ArchitectsPlus and Dahlman and Bohl general contractors helped transform this into “a new house in an old house,” says listing agent Susan Asch.

The renovation brought the home back to its original splendor—“pocket” windows in the dining room that slide up into the ceiling are just one of many restored architectural treasures here—but the current homeowners were careful to include modern updates as well, like a second basement / garage, an elevator, and geothermal heating. The work paid off: In 2010 they won a Rehabilitation Award from the Cincinnati Preservation Association.

Cool historical spots on the property include an original petrified tree used as a support beam in the attic; the original ice house out back; and the original basement fireplace, which was used as the home’s first “stove.”

Photograph by William Manning
Originally published in the June 2013 issue

Green Living

Lisa Murtha — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Architect Anthony Kunz Jr. designed this colorful enameled tile–clad home in North Avondale’s historic Rose Hill neighborhood for pork-packing magnate Charles Roth. No one knows why it’s green—maybe it was Roth’s favorite color?—but the theme carries further than the home’s skin. The conservatory perched at one end of the front porch has a green glass dome (the tinted glass was added later, perhaps in the 1920s). Green tile fireplaces grace both the living and dining rooms. And subsequent owners hand-painted the “smoking room” fireplace tiles with a green-hued pastoral scene.

Verdigris finishes are not this home’s only talking point. There are also two perfectly preserved specimens of artful stained glass: a five-foot-high window with colorful birds and wisteria vines in the dining room, and a pristine 12-foot-long multi-hued dome in the second story ceiling. Exterior light passes through via a clear skylight in the roof (that explains the dome’s condition: no exposure to the elements).

Like any centenarian, this old manse, currently listed for $299,000, is in need of some tender loving care. Once featured in Walter Langsam’s and Alice Weston’s Great Houses of the Queen City, the low point came seven years ago when homeowner Philip Bates was shot in the front yard. But it’s now ready, says listing agent (and neighbor) Adam Sanregret, for a new “steward”—one who appreciates the history of the neighborhood as well as the building’s potential.

Which brings to mind another definition of green: “young, new, and blooming”—just what this home is at heart.

Photographs by Crystal Scanlon.
Originally published in the May 2013 issue.

2707 Ida Avenue

Lisa Murtha — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

From the front, this home looks like a charming craftsman-style cottage tucked into Norwood’s quaint Highlands neighborhood. But the six-bay, Alamo-style garage out back is a dead giveaway that 2707 Ida has a storied past. That garage once housed delivery trucks for the Becksmith Candy Company—the original homeowner’s fabled business, which was based in a warehouse next door. Frank C. Becksmith built the home in 1905, lived there with his family, and from the warehouse, distributed chocolates and fountain drink supplies to drug and sweet shops throughout Cincinnati.

The company eventually dissolved, the warehouse property was sold, and the home was purchased by Hank and Mary Ann Burwinkel in the 1950s. The Burwinkels raised seven children here before converting it into a bed-and-breakfast called The Empty Nest. During the Burwinkels’ tenure the home was featured on the Norwood Historical Society’s home tour; that’s when current owner Sally Arthur first saw and fell in love with it.

Arthur and her then-husband jumped at the chance to buy when their dream home was available in 2005. With the vision and muscle of contractor Mark Santoro, they left almost no interior wall untouched. The kitchen was gutted to the studs, then refurbished with new white cabinets, a periwinkle-colored island, stainless steel appliances, and black Corian countertops. Today, it can all be yours for $319,000.

Despite the extensive renovations, some of the home’s original features still remain, such as the tin paneling on the dining room walls and kitchen ceiling. And of course the six-bay garage—which, along with the renovated carport, has witnessed numerous outdoor parties—still stands, a tangible reminder of this home’s sweet past.

Originally published in the April 2013 issue.
Photographs by William Manning

2079 Vina Lane

Lisa Murtha — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Richard Schilling and his brothers built themselves up from door-to-door egg salesmen into larger-than-life restaurant and nightclub magnates (among other establishments, the family owned the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate). Schilling’s former Villa Hills home is larger-than-life, too. “He never built anything small,” says his son, Scott, who notes that his parents, now deceased, built this 16,000-square-foot home when they were 70 years old. Scott’s mother, Marie Theresa, had been in charge of decorating Schilling’s restaurants and nightclubs. “My mother wanted a home and my father wanted a new restaurant, so she said he built a home as big as a restaurant,” he says. The white pillared manse with black awnings is on the market today for $975,000.

Tucked back in the otherwise unassuming Ria Vista Estates subdivision, the house is decorated in trademark Schilling style: a huge sunken living room offers spectacular views of the river and Western Hills; a king-sized bed sits on a stage-like pedestal in the master suite (“My father always put my mother on a pedestal,” says Scott); and—the piece de resistance—an 18-karat-gold-overlay powder room sink steals the show with its matching swan-head faucet.

Successful entrepreneurs never let much go to waste; Schilling, who came of age during the Great Depression, was no exception. The brick on the driveway and the basement carpet were both left over from restaurant projects, and the marble panels surrounding the courtyard pool were salvaged from Cincinnati’s convention center. “My father was there during the 1990s [renovations],” Scott says. “Guys were taking sledgehammers to it. My father said: ‘I’ll show you how to remove it without breaking it.’ ” Schilling later bought over a hundred pieces of that marble for $5 each. Just one more successful deal for this businessman.

Photographs by Glass House Studio
Originally published in the March 2013 issue

11870 Snider Rd.

Lisa Murtha — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:27:00 GMT

It’s safe to say that Matt Kuhnell likes metal. Not only does he own Steel Quest, a structural steel design and construction firm, but his house—from the wall studs to the exterior paneling—is mostly made of metal, too.

Kuhnell commissioned local architect/modernist extraordinaire José Garcia to design this Symmes Township dream home for his family of six. “José had this vision,” says Kuhnell. “He gave us a rendering and we really didn’t change anything”—right down to the steel studs, which Kuhnell supplied and Garcia showcased in the exposed, two-story great room ceiling. Kuhnell’s wife, Holly, tempered the interior design slightly to make it more family-friendly, but for the most part Garcia was given an architect’s dream: free rein.

The 6,222-square-foot home’s exterior is clad entirely in zinc panels, which are essentially self-healing and can last 100 years. (Garcia used a similar siding when he updated a Ray Roush–designed home in Hyde Park.) The interior finishes are all über-low maintenance: a lot of stainless steel, but also concrete, glass, stone, and glass tile (there’s almost no wood or drywall here).
Lest readers think this Symmes Township home—which is currently on the market for $2.2 million—is all work and no play, the Kuhnells are happy to point out that the concrete floors make it easy for kids to skateboard inside, and that the second-floor media room/playroom comes complete with a 110-inch HD projection screen, a built-in stage, and a galvanized metal barn door.
And then there’s the glowing red resin sink in the Corian-walled, pebble-floored guest bath. No kidding—there’s a light source inside the sink. What more can we say? Best. Powder room. Ever.

Photographs by Ryan Kurtz
Originally published in the February 2013 issue.

Q&A: Amy Suardi, the Frugal Mama

Amy Brownlee — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:55:00 GMT

Amy Suardi prefers the simple life. That’s why the Terrace Park native and mother of four created Frugal Mama, a money-savers blog that has gotten the attention of national media outlets like TLC and The Washington Post. Now living in Washington, D.C., Suardi explains the mindset behind frugal-mama.com.

Why did you start blogging?

I realized that it is possible to live a high-quality family life on not much money. I started getting more interested in the free-play kids movement, where kids are playing on the playground, reading, drawing, coming up with their own games, and it’s all basically free.

What is a frugal life?

It’s not playing the same game as the mainstream culture. It’s taking yourself out of the competition for who has the biggest house, the nicest car. I realized I could not compete with my friends who had things like that. So I had to find my own satisfaction in doing as much as I could for little. Frugal is green. It’s slow. It’s simple. It ties into a lot of movements that are good for us in general.

How has your blog evolved?

It’s gone through several changes. I thought that I would try to turn the blog into a business. A lot of people try to monetize their blogs because they’re spending so much time on them. I found that that was impossible to do and also maintain the life that I was writing about. I like living this life just as much as I like writing about it.

Photo courtesy of Amy Suardi
Originally published in the January 2013 issue.

Built-in Bonanza

Lisa Murtha — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

This Amberley Village hideaway—backing up to the woods of French Park—is a perfectly preserved time capsule of Mid-Century Modern architecture, says Susan Rissover, who listed the 3,800-square-foot house for $250,000 last fall. The 1951 home, designed by father-son architect team Earl and Druce Henn, was built for a then-rare dual-career couple: pediatrician Adrian Diamond and his wife, Dorothy Bernstein Diamond, an attorney. The couple needed a place to raise their young family, so they purchased this 2.67-acre wooded plot for $6,000.

The Diamonds requested a sleek and streamlined space that fit their family’s busy lifestyle. All the standard MCM built-ins are here: couches with hinged seats for extra storage, a buffet and lighted china cabinets in the dining room. But there’s also a boatload of built-in novelties, like the aquarium in the great room; multiple stereo systems; a television (surely one of the first of its kind); a soup crock in the cooktop; and even a hidden slide-out panel in the kitchen banquette that to this day holds Adrian’s prescription pad.

The couple’s quest for domestic efficiency didn’t end with the furniture; after living in the home for a few years, Adrian had all of the cork flooring in the great room replaced with low-maintenance stone and Dorothy had all of the drywall replaced with wood paneling so there would be no more fingerprints on walls and no need to paint. Move over Carol Brady; Dorothy Diamond raised six kids, worked full time and had a spotless house—and she didn’t even need Alice.

Color photographs by William Manning, black & white photographs courtesy Better Homes & Gardens
Originally published in the January 2013 issue.

The Address: 5575 Palisades Dr.

Lisa Murtha — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:25:00 GMT

Unique homes are often the talk of the neighborhood, especially when they’re being built. Back in 1969, this mid-century modern gem on Palisades Drive in Delhi Township was no exception; people stole building materials from the site, neighbors were convinced Pete Rose lived here (he didn’t), and the homeowners even caught a neighbor giving unauthorized walking tours on weekends. After 43 years, the gawking has slowed, but this home—set at the end of a cul-de-sac in a sprawling subdivision of otherwise traditional abodes—remains a majestic reminder of an iconic era in architecture. It’s also for sale for the first time ever, listed at $695,000.

Palisades Drive was developed in the 1960s by a man named Bud Brune, who purchased the land from the Elsaesser Dairy Farm (the dairy itself is now a restaurant and banquet hall on Anderson Ferry Road called The Farm); when Brune sold this nine-acre parcel to a young couple looking to build their dream home, he had no idea the then-heavily wooded lot had the best views on the street. After clearing the land for construction, Bruner reportedly told the buyers: “If I had known what you knew [about the view], I would have charged you more.”

An architect named Tom Taylor was hired to design a unique home for the site; he delivered this fascinating structure, which has so few right angles, it took three years to build. In addition, the homeowners included so much stone in the design that they ended up buying part of a quarry in Indiana to be sure they’d have enough; they used 22 tons in all.

Even so, the home hardly feels cold. Dark wood trim and beams, tons of accent lighting, and walls of windows showcasing the westward river view, which is stellar come sunset, all com- bine to make the home fun, polished, and livable. Who needs right angles?

Photographs by William Manning
Originally published in the December 2012 issue.

The Address: 60 E. Sharon Rd.

Lisa Murtha — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 04:00:00 GMT

You know Steve Meller and Colleen Haight’s house is cool when you notice that the two stone dogs guarding the front door are each wearing a pair of black sunglasses. Don’t let that touch of whimsy fool you, though. Meller and Haight take this historic Glendale home very seriously. Since 2003, Meller, who bought the home during his bachelor days, has been more than just the owner of what’s known as the Gordon House (it’s listed on the Glendale Historic Register); he has been its steward. “I think that’s important when you buy an historic home,” he says.

Developer Thomas Gordon built this prospect house in 1884. When no one bought it, Gordon packed up his own family and moved them in instead. The handy homebuilder also made furniture in the home’s basement.

When Meller purchased this 6,000-square-foot house 119 years later (he moved from a 109-year-old Pleasant Ridge home), it had been kept up, he notes, “but not fastidiously.” Meller got right to work checking off virtually every thinkable item on the home’s lengthy to-do list. The entire roof was redone (including new hand-made copper dormers), the whole top floor was re-plastered and finished into a five-room suite complete with 12-foot-high ceilings matching those on the first two floors, and the entire walkout basement was waterproofed and turned into a sizable greatroom with a chic wine tasting area. (It’s now on the market for $675,000.)

Despite the extensive renovations, Meller was careful to maintain as many original features as he could. “This house is not very different from a new house because of what I’ve done to it,” he says. Indeed, the Gordon house has had so much done to it, it might be better than new.

Photographs by Rebecca Messmer
Originally published in the November 2012 issue