John Randal McDonald home on the Market

[Tina Swain]

I have just listed a home designed by John Randal McDonald. It has 110 ft of Beaver Dam Lake frontage (at over 6,500 acres, Beaver Dam Lake is the 15th largest in WI).

I have many pictures of the interior for those that would like to see more. It is very typical of his work......spectacular!!! The sellers have appreciated the gem they have owned and therefore took loving care of it.

If you go to my office website http://www.wisreal.com and enter in MLS number 1490123 you will find the details. The price is $420,000 and I feel it is worth every penny to be able to live in such a piece of art.

Feel free to call me on my cell 920-319-0174 or contact me at [email protected].

Tina Swain
Wisconsin Real Estate Brokerage, Inc
1708 N Spring Street
Beaver Dam, WI 53916

[Paul Ringstrom]

I've been in about eight of JRM's houses and was fortunate to have met him several years before he died in 2004. He was quite flamboyant and a self-promoter, in the Wrightian vain (all puns intended). He had a nice touch in his homes. We'd love to see those photos you refer to posted on this chat board or your website.

[SDR]

I second that. I'll start with what I find on the linked site. . .

Thanks ! SDR

[outside in]

I think the real estate agent shares some of MacDonald's personal characteristics - I love the quote "surpasses anything done by Frank Lloyd Wright"!!! JRM was a very talented architect, no doubt, but his constant attempts at one-upmanship with Wright seemed unnecessary and a little bit annoying.

[SDR]

I'll second that, too.

[Paul Ringstrom]

Here are some photos of the Maloney House (1957) that the realtor sent me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45747476@N ... 176955365/

[EJ]

Although a neat design from what I could see, the Maloney house's current interior design scheme is, well, horrible.

Is there a square foot of space in that house not covered in clutter?

[Ed Jarolin]

Do I hear a second on the horrible interior "improvements" (kitchen cabinets, wet bar tile, bathroom vanity and striped wallpaper) and the unsympathetic furnishings? Yes, I have a second. These folks obviously didn't have a clue what they had architecturally.

As to the "surpasses FLlW". Not even close.

[Roderick Grant]

The "architecture" doesn't show through on the interior photos, at least it didn't look very interesting to me. The exterior, with its shingles mansard did not fill my heart with joy. And the cheesy lighted risers on the over-carpetted stair case should just be eliminated. Other than some nice stone work and a lot of handsome wood, I don't see much to recommend it. If this is what JRM uses to contest FLW's pre-eminence, he fails.

[Paul Ringstrom]

Since we have all been in numerous Wright houses that were not occupied by the original owners, I am sure that if you can look beyond the decorating, you might enjoy these 360 degree interactive virtual tours. The stone-work, windows and lake view have much to offer.

http://www.wisreal.com/panorama.cfm?vie ... um=1490123

[m.perrino]

I have been a viewer of this site for many years, way back when students would message in, begging for assistance with term papers about FLW, due the next day. I have read many interesting things and learned much,even some of the in-fighting and "feuds" have been a learning experience. With my interest and study of FLW for 35+ years and with my 21 years as a docent/volunteer at Taliesin West, I find it impossible to allow the statement "...better than Wright...." to stand in comparison to the McDonald house.

[SDR]

It's always a mistake to claim that one is BETTER than the original ! With a little humility, a bit more respect is possible. . .

SDR

[PNB]

I don't care for the Mansard roof either although I have never liked these. I do think that if you look past some of the interior furnishings that the inside looks very nice. Surpasses Wright is a silly statement of course but what do you expect in advertising. Still if I wanted a JRM house I would have stuck around my last locale and waited for a much more attractive example of his work to come on the market. It would have been a third of the asking price of this one.

[SDR]

Does this photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/45747476@N ... 176955365/ show the Mansard roof you mention ? What I see is a series of rectangular solids with vertical (not sloped) sides (note vertical edge at far right of photo). . .?

SDR

[Roderick Grant]

It is hard to tell from that one photo, but it dates from a time when some architects were doing a riff on the mansard in shingles. Either way, I don't find it an impressive house. It's nice, but nothing to get overly excited about, with or without the too much furniture and hairy stairs.