"Mid-century modern" is a broad term for a certain design and architecture movement that follows a specific set of characteristics. That doesn't mean that all MCM homes are carbon copies of one another, though. There's a lot of variation under the MCM umbrella, thanks in part to visionary architects who took the basic principles of MCM design and did their own thing with them, producing something unique.
That's why merely calling this breathtaking Portland home a "mid-century modern" house isn't really doing it justice. This home was specially designed by Robert Rummer, an architect whose homes blurred the lines between the indoors and outdoors in a really innovative way. You're about to see why this place is a plant lover's paradise:
See why just calling this home " mid-century modern " is an oversimplification? As Taylor Addie (aka @stayrealtygroup ) said, the original Rummer homes were built between the late 1950s and mid 1970s, but this house looks very ahead of its time. That incredible solarium foyer felt like something right out of the late 1980s, despite the fact that this home was built in 1968.
As Addie expounds, the classic Rummer home is "known and distinguished by its seamless blend with the outdoors." A lot of mid-century modern design attempted to blend with the outdoors by favoring large floor-to-ceiling windows over thick ornate walls, adding skylights, incorporating organic materials, etc. Rummer took that principle and amped it up to 11, incorporating his signature feature into his homes: the aforementioned solarium foyer.
Rather than building a solarium at the back of the home overlooking the backyard, Rummer brings it to the forefront and gives it top billing. These airy, light-filled spaces are the first thing that greets you when you walk into a Rummer home. Perfect for relaxing and filling with plant life (like this one), these foyer solariums set the mood as you walk through the foyer and are greeted by an open floorplan and massive windows looking out over even more natural green scenery.
This home is incredibly spacious and full of natural light, from its open entertainment area to the cozy bedrooms in the back. Though some updates were obviously made, the renovations didn't ruin the home's unique feel, and unique architectural flourishes like the walk-down showers and aggregate concrete hallways have been left untouched. The surrounding grounds are lush, tree-lined, and full of mature vegetation and thriving garden beds , which really accentuates this home's incredible earthy fusion of outdoors and indoors. It's very Zen, very stylish, very organic, and very modern, but in a timeless way that doesn't feel strictly tied to the mid-century modern era.
An Architectural Marvel for Under a Million
This home is gorgeous, and while I like mid-century modern architecture in general, I think this home is exceptional for its time, and stands out among its contemporaries. Rummer-built homes aren't exactly common throughout most of the country, but Addie claims that there's about 750 of them within the Portland area, with ten more Rummer-style homes expected to be built soon. Perhaps that's why this architectural masterpiece is selling for less than a million - but only just.
According to its Zillow listing, this 1968 Rummer-built home at 7290 SW 84th Avenue in Portland, Oregon is selling for $999,000. Only 8 miles from downtown Portland, this breathtaking 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home is perfect for party hosts, plant lovers, and people who just appreciate innovative modern architecture. Though it's been on the market since June, there don't seem to be any takers just yet. As beautiful as this home is, though, it's only a matter of time before this gem is taken off the market.
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