Vintage Palmer & Krisel Fixer in Southwest Whittier For Sale – Whittier, CA

Following this week’s theme of Palmer & Krisel vintage fixers is this 1955 home located in southwest Whittier, CA. This efficient midcentury diamond in the rough features four bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,340 square feet, and attached two car garage all on a modest 5,100 square-foot lot and carries an asking price of $410,000.

Front of home

The entry to the home sits recessed in the front yard, behind a prominent garage façade. A wide lawn sits between the home and the street, accented with palms and a small patio. The exterior of the home maintains a classic midcentury light blue color, while original four-pane floor-to-ceiling windows flank the front door.

Living room - behind that couch is a pretty great modernist fireplace

Dining and living room 

The living and dining rooms sit towards the rear of the home, and are open to each other with a bust flooring pattern drawing attention down rather than outwards. A signature modernist Krisel fireplace anchors the living room, with a long, low shape, open corner and stacked brick accents, but unfortunately couch placement prevents visibility of this great piece of architecture.

Original kitchen 

The kitchen sits at the side of the home, and appears to be mostly original, with unpainted original cabinetry and signature tile countertops still in place. The unique two-piece split cooktop, so far unique to this subdivision, is still present as are peg board sliding upper cabinets.

Secondary bedroom 

Secondary bedroom

Original unpainted doors are still intact throughout the home 

Secondary bedroom 

Guest bath

Master bedroom 

Master bath

All four bedrooms appear in their original configurations, with vaulted open beamed wooden ceilings still intact along with floor-to-ceiling windows. All interior doors in this home appear to be nice and vintage unpainted, giving the home a solid midcentury vibe throughout. Both bathrooms have been updated with materials and finishes that are not necessarily in keeping with the modernist aesthetic of the home, and are now good candidates for a makeover.

The one and only picture of the backyard is of the shed

Very few of the homes in this subdivision have a substantial backyard, and this property is no exception. The rear yard area consists mainly of a large concrete patio with a wide storage shed occupying a substantial portion of the patio area.

There’s lots of great potential with this home, both with the original kitchen being in such great shape and the opportunity to bring out the best with the interior and exterior of the property.

Check out the full listing on Redfin.com here: 11609 Nan Street

Or Zillow.com here: 11609 Nan Street

One Owner Vintage 1955 Palmer & Krisel For Sale – Whittier, CA

Located in southwest Whittier is this fantastic opportunity to acquire a one-owner Palmer & Krisel-designed midcentury home. With four bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,344 square feet and a two car garage sited on a 5,100 square-foot lit, the asking price of this efficient piece of modernist architecture is $398,000.

Front of garage

Side entry - check out that nifty vintage mailbox!

The exterior of the home maintains its original lines, with the only visible update being the large coach light adjacent to the original garage door. The front yard appears to be meticulously maintained, with a crisp green lawn accented with base plantings along the garage and a hedgerow at the front of the home. Entry to the home is located along the south side of the property, lined with rose trees and well-manicured plantings.

Living room - fireplace and steel surround is original, bricks and hearth are not

Dining room 

Dining and living

Inside, the living and dining rooms face the small backyard through large open windows and clerestories. The original steel-framed floating fireplace is still in place, anchoring he living room, however red brick has been added as a hearth and to the left of the fireplace box, which would have originally contained one-inch mosaic tilework.

Kitchen, complete with pegboard cabinetry and vintage bullet light

Kitchen 

Laundry

Breakfast nook - check out that floor!

The kitchen and laundry room sit adjacent to the dining room along the north side of the home, and are near mint as they were in 1955. The original pegboard cabinetry with saucer pulls is still intact, as is Krisel’s signature speckled tile countertop. The appliances have all been updated with newer white replacements, which seem to work well with the original-ness of the room, and an original bullet light fixture completes the space. The breakfast nook sits adjacent to the kitchen, finished with brick veneer and wood paneling, and multi-colored VCT floor appears to be original.

Bedroom 

Bedroom 

Original paneling at bedroom 

Bath

Bedroom 

The bedrooms all contain their original open beamed wood ceilings with natural finish, original windows and mahogany paneling. The baths have been updated over time with simple, white tilework and fixtures which work for the diminutive space.

Side yard with original clothesline

Backyard and covered patio

The side yard contains a small patch of turf and a vintage clothesline, along with lush, well-maintained plantings surrounding the perimeter of the yard. The rear yard off the living and dining rooms is essentially a large patio space, mostly covered to minimize the western sun, surrounded with raised planters and lush plantings at the perimeter of the space.

One-owner Palmer & Krisel homes are becoming rarer and rarer these days, and the amount of care this home has had over the last sixty-one years is impressive. Be sure to jump on this one before its gone.

Check out the full listing on Redfin.com here: 8211 Westman Avenue

Or Zillow.com here: 8211 Westman Avenue

Vintage Whittier Palmer & Krisel Fixer Ripe for Restoration – Whittier, CA

Up for grabs is this sweet 1955 Palmer & Krisel-designed home with well-worn vintage features but is ripe for restoration. This 1,344 square-foot home contains four bedrooms and two bathrooms, a detached two-car garage and a 5,900 square-foot lot with an asking price of $420,000.

Situated on a corner lot, this modernist home is definitely a diamond in the rough, with its unassuming curb appeal and worn front yard. There’s great architectural bones hidden behind mature shade trees, with north-facing clerestory windows on the gable end of the home, a detached rear-yard garage with clerestory windows, and classic midcentury lines.

Living room 

Living, dining and entry

Living as viewed from hall

The entry sits at the center of the home, leading to the living, kitchen and dining rooms at the rear of the home overlooking the backyard while the bedrooms sits along the northern streetside of the home. The living room features walls of glass overlooking the backyard, with the original clerestory windows still in place. A slim, low-profile modernist fireplace with a simple steel surround, while the blank face next to the firebox opening would have originally been accented with one-inch mosaic tiles.

Kitchen with original cabinets, counters and cooktop

Laundry and kitchen 

The kitchen sits adjacent to the living room and still maintains its original, yet very well worn cabinetry. Original black speckle tile countertops, a signature material used by Krisel, are still in place, and the original split gas cooktop is still intact. The kitchen is open to the laundry, which in turn opens to the backyard.

Hall

Master bedroom 

Master bathroom 

Master bath shower

Secondary bathroom 

The hallway maintains original storage cabinetry, while the bathrooms contain original medicine cabinets, sinks, and original tilework in the master bathroom shower surround. The bedrooms appear to be in their original configurations, with uninsulated open beamed vaulted ceilings and clerestory windows on the end bedrooms.

Backyard

Backyard covered patio - the first covered here with track lighting!

The backyard is a good candidate for a jackhammer, as one hundred percent of it has been covered in concrete, devoid of greenery and surrounded by concrete block walls. A portion off the patio off the kitchen is covered, with track lighting, a first seen on this blog.

Homes like this one offer nothing but opportunity. The vintage fixtures, appliances and features naturally yield towards preservation where feasible, and the blank slate that this one offers should make anyone excitement with the endless possibilities.

Check out the full listing on Redfin.com here: 8239 Westman Avenue

Or Realtor.com here: 8239 Westman Avenue

Southwest Whittier Palmer & Krisel with Lots of Potential For Sale – Whittier, CA

Built in 1955 is this midcentury modern Palmer & Krisel-designed home with lots of potential in southwest Whittier. Situated on a 5,000 square-foot lot, this home includes four bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,344 square feet with an asking price of $415,000.

Front of home

This property was a foreclosure, and has been sitting vacant for quite a while now, and is in desperate need of some love and attention. The exterior of the home has recently been painted a light-beige color, perhaps in an effort to hasten the sale of the property. The front yard hasn’t had any real care or maintenance for quite a while and is ready for a water-smart modernist makeover to compliment the great architecture of this home.

Living room - note window to the right is a later addition

Living and dining room

The front door sits off to the east side of the home, and leads visitors into the rear-facing living and dining rooms. The living room is anchored by a signature Krisel-modernist floating fireplace box, a design seen on a handful of other Krisel-designed homes across the west. Of note is the clerestory window above the fireplace, which offers an obscured view of the exterior chimney. Floor to ceiling sliding glass doors and north-facing clerestory windows overlook the backyard.

Kitchen still includes some original features including tile counters and lower cabinetry

Kitchen

The kitchen sits just off the dining area, and features well worn-original cabinetry and green tile cabinetry. The kitchen sink has been replaced over time, and non-matching replacement tiles were used around the new sink. Some cabinet boxes have been replaced,, lending an inconsistent look to the room. Large windows above the sink overlook the side yard, and small service porch accesses the backyard.

Bedroom at front of home - floor-to-ceiling window has been shortened to a waist-high window, sliver window and clerestory have been painted over

Front of home bedroom - one floor-to-ceiling has been converted to a waist-high window

Guest bath

  

Secondary bedroom with jack and jill bath

Secondary bedroom - original floor-to-ceiling window has been replaced with a waist-high window

Jack and jill bath - medicine cabinet is the only remaining original feature

The four bedrooms sit toward the front of the home. The bedrooms are in their original configuration, with the front-facing bedrooms featuring their original clerestory windows, some of which have been painted over. The front corner bedroom once featured a floor-to-ceiling sliver window overlooking the front yard, which was cut in half over time and then eventually painted over. Some bedrooms have had their original floor-to-ceiling signature-Krisel four-pane windows replaced with shorter, half-height windows. Both bathrooms have been updated over time with plain materials indicative of a do-it-yourself big-box store renovation. One bathroom still features its original Krisel-designed medicine cabinet, but that’s about as original as they get.

Back patio

Back yard

Back ayrd

The backyard is shallow, consisting of a concrete slab and small covered patio. The yard is definitely low maintenance, and could be converted into a great outdoor entertaining space with a little creativity.

This midcentury home has great original lines, and with a little vision will make a fantastic renovation.

Check out the full listing on Redfin.com here: 11615 Nan Street

Or Zillow.com here: 11615 Nan Street