Olfelt house for sale

JChoate · Post by **JChoate** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 12:39 pm

https://www.redfin.com/MN/Minneapolis/2 ... e/51491649

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:13 pm

This is a beautiful house, meticulously maintained. I hope the Olfelts are well? They were about the last of the original clients still in situ.

KevinW · Post by **KevinW** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:28 pm

I don't think I've seen those drawer and door pulls with the escutcheon used before.

JChoate · Post by **JChoate** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:42 pm

it's a masterful job of siting the house on the given piece of land. In the real estate photos there are views out toward, and of, the landscape behind the house that look almost primeval (at any moment a velociraptor or a brigade of confederate soldiers could emerge from the tree line and dash across the matted grass).

Upon a quick Google Earth search, however, it becomes evident that this house is located on a typical cul-de-sac in what looks to be a generic Minneapolis suburb. Close by is the interstate, some train tracks, and suburban sprawl including a Home Depot, etc. To sit in that living room with views out to unsullied nature must feel like something special.

Reidy · Post by **Reidy** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:57 pm

(It's also under the inbound flight path.)

I've never seen a roof as low as the one on that carport. Does anyone know how high it is on the right interior? High enough to stand up?

JChoate · Post by **JChoate** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:05 pm

it also looks like the side slope of the carport floor is about a foot from left to rigth, which amounts to about a 5% slope. The the unlucky one who parks on the right side, in addition to flirting with a head bump on the ceiling, risks a door ding if the other car's passenger isn't careful when opening their door.

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:15 pm

Yes, Peter, you can stand up anywhere in the house. Photo 5 shows the banquet built along the wall you question, so ceiling height isn't a question at that point, although it is still high enough to stand.

John, unfortunately the entire Mpls/St. Paul metro area has been sliced and diced by freeways without any consideration for the livability of the city. Los Angeles is bad enough, but in Mpls one is never far from the noise of a freeway.

Kevin, the unusual pulls and escutcheons may have something to do with Jack Howe's considerable involvement with this house, built after FLW's death. On a visit in 2000, Geiger pointed out that the slender ceiling strips (photos 5-8) in the living room and the way they were integrated into the framing of the triangular ceiling lights was also indicative of Howe's involvement.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:18 pm

Here is Storrer's page on Ofelt:

Â© 1993 William Allin Storrer

http://www.savewright.org/wright_chat/v ... php?t=6094

SDR

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:24 pm

Not certain, but it looks like the carport is only about 20 feet wide, which is a bit tight for two cars (assuming the Olfelts didn't drive Crosleys). Perhaps it was meant as a one-car port?

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:28 pm

Wright underestimated the sizes of many objects, including (on occasion) his clients. A plan drawing of the Ocatilla camp shows a garage into whose stalls the 'twenties cars would have had to be pushed, as there is no room at all for the opening of car doors . . . !

The Ofelt kitchen is quite generous, on the other hand; it appears to be almost 12 x 16 feet on the plan above.

SDR

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 3:26 pm

Roderick Grant wrote:Not certain, but it looks like the carport is only about 20 feet wide, which is a bit tight for two cars.

A 20' wide, 20' deep garage with a 16' door is fairly standard for a production builder in suburbia. This house has no door to deal with, so it would be even easier to navigate than typical.

I agree that it is too narrow with all the crap people keep in their garages nowadays.

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 3:28 pm

I love how the roof floats over the living room windows... magical.

jay · Post by **jay** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 5:46 pm

Does anybody know the story of the "rec room"? Is it in the basement, or the "tool" room converted? (picture #18 in the Redfin listing) It's not in the original floorplan provided by Storer/SDR

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:10 am

Really like the tall thin windows along the garage wall and entry. But what's with the lally column in the basement? Was that level a later dig-out addition?

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 12:34 pm

Paul, 20' may accommodate two cars easily enough, but remember that this carport was designed in 1958 and built in 1960. Imagine if the Olfelts had a '58 Buick Limited and a '60 Pontiac Bonneville. They could stand side by side, but getting into and out of them would be a challenge at least, while the back end of the car toward the acute angel would hang out in the rain.

Jay, based on the shape of the rec room, it must be directly under the living room. It's possible that it is under the master bedroom, but since the living room is on a steep slope, and the bedroom wing is not, and the stairs to the basement are aimed toward the living room, it would make sense for the rec room to be under the living room. Photo #19 is the space below the north side of the living room, with windows opening onto the carport, as seen in #2.