Odd Duck Homes

Folks. Most older desert homes were originally built for swamp coolers. Even in upper CA. The roof mount cooler was effective in low humidity and cheap. As times moved on, the AC manufacturers saw a easy target market and designed a single piece swap out replacement. That is what you are seeing. As one of the other posters mentioned, most new homes have changed to the evaporator/condenser split units that are the norm in other areas.

An aside, the first new construction home I looked at in Hawaii in 1976 had no ductwork, heat or AC. Each area is different.
 
Good post, I do like unusual or unique homes. We toured a 19th century carriage house, yes for horses and carriages, in Pittsburgh for a mansion of a (steel?) industrialist. Amazing!
 
+1 on the architectural salvage idea.

I've seen this kind of thing in the past. It's possible to purchase all (or nearly all) the woodwork from old homes, many from Europe, and have it shipped to the United States. Many pubs/bars do this - take an old family estate from England and use the paneling, ceilings, etc. to build an intimate pub on Mainstreet America. It's been done in houses too and the OP seems to have stumbled on one. Even if not from Europe, a Victorian, house in the U.S. could have been dismantled and the components reused.

Regardless, it an interesting house but certainly will appeal to a limited number of people.
 
Ok, so here is a real money sucking fantasy. 1899 construction, 37,000 sq', 6000 sq' shop, coffered ceilings, commercial kitchen and fitness center in the basement - with pistol range! Basketball court upstairs, dining/bar area, it goes on and on... check out the wooden lockers!

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=3wc2WhXfLWm

Not really sure rural New York is where I want to be - the heating bill might drain the coffers post hasty - and that roof is due for replacement - but fun to look at. Listed for $650k

Edit: forgot to mention the multi-story turrets and rifle slits for enfilading fire against any random troops.
 
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Looks like they forgot to embellish the wooden ceiling fan blades.
And after scrolling through the page of pics, at the bottom it says: Have Questions?
But seriously, those are some mad woodworking skills...
 
calmloki said:
I like looking at real estate and ran across a truly strange place today. Someone with some skills put outrageous woodwork into/onto a plain Jane in the middle of flat desert. Not lipstick on a pig, more like the finest upscale designer wear and jewelry on Greta the lunch lady. Strange mix.

https://www.betterprescotthomes.com...a_avenue_chino_valley_az_86323/image-gallery#
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This looks to me like someone transplanted the interior of an older east coast mansion into a desert house. The outside definitely doesn't match the inside, but it is a beautiful inside. I'd love to hear the backstory of this house. I enjoy looking at real estate all over the country as well. But I've never run across a find as interesting as you have.
 
I remember when it started being done!

braumeister said:
To me, the important thing is that it was obviously a labor of love.

Reminds me of a house not that far from us. Search "Cincinnati mushroom house" for details.
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It's on Erie, right near the local police station. (It never had any name back when I was in the area (decades ago, before being relocated to another state)
I was living in an apartment nearby on Portsmouth and saw it being started. (have older photos from various stages) It took quite a while, as it was done in stages. We figured that they wanted to piss off some of the other Hyde Park big wigs.
 
Here are a few shots from the interior of our house before we purchased it. It was really out there. Its an open concept type place and the main living room had 6 chandeliers, none the same. Needless to say we renovated the whole interior. The outside is a bit odd too. The original owners modeled it after the stable building on the estate of the founder of Champion Spark Plugs. I tell people it's the weirdest house in the county.
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A first glance I thought that was a Yoda statue.
 

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68bucks said:
Here are a few shots from the interior of our house before we purchased it. It was really out there. Its an open concept type place and the main living room had 6 chandeliers, none the same. Needless to say we renovated the whole interior. The outside is a bit odd too. The original owners modeled it after the stable building on the estate of the founder of Champion Spark Plugs. I tell people it's the weirdest house in the county.

It reminds me a little of Fred and Lamont Sanford's place.
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Montclairbobbyb said:
To each his own, but taking it for what it is, that's a really COOL house!!!
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I do agree - the staircase is killer (really - having dealt with a set of stairs with triangular treads they are really easy to fall down if you're walking down close to the railing), the shape is neat, and some of the interior door moldings are very cool. It even has its own Wikipedia page!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hosford_House
 
calmloki said:
So here's an old brick house - a two story octagon with cupola and a spiral staircase from basement to the tippy-top. Location location - seems mighty cheap to me, but Ohio?...

64 Sandusky Street, Monroeville OH 44847
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That picture looking down the staircase is like a nautilus shell. Very cool and thanks for posting!
EDIT: Yes, spirals are some dangerous stairs for sure. A friend lives in a small town where one of the builders really liked to build curved front steps. No good way to put up a rail and so many people have fallen on those blasted "cool" stairs.
 
Almost looks like they took furniture from Germany before WWII, chopped it up and turned into millwork.

We used to see those type of carvings on furniture coming out of NYC and New Jersey at big wholesale antique auctions outside of Atlanta. Much of the furniture just didn't fit the homes of the heirs--or it was just too fancy. Many of the families escaped Hitler with just their furniture.
 
skyking1 said:
That picture looking down the staircase is like a nautilus shell. Very cool and thanks for posting!
EDIT: Yes, spirals are some dangerous stairs for sure. A friend lives in a small town where one of the builders really liked to build curved front steps. No good way to put up a rail and so many people have fallen on those blasted "cool" stairs.
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OHHH, BTW, I would want a had rail on the OUTSIDE of the curve... none there now...
 
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