A spectacular Midcentury Modern in Midway Hills popped up on MLS recently. It was designed by architect Gordon Nichols and beautifully updated by Welch Architecture founder Cliff Welch. It made me think about the resurging interest in Midcentury Modern homes and the architects who designed them.
Of course, I turned to Coldwell Banker’s Ed Murchison, who has been an incredible resource to CandysDirt.com. No one knows more about Midcentury Modern homes and their architects than Murchison.
Long-time readers may recall Murchison listed a memorable Gordon Nichols home at 11016 Pinocchio that went viral.
“It was a magnified time capsule, and it spread like wildfire,” Murchison said. “The New York Times reached out, and I got calls from London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Australia. The owner was into everything Midcentury Modern, down to clothes and cars. He had a Kips Big Boy statue by the pool from the Kips at Marsh and Forest. It was pure midcentury throughout.”
When Nichols designed and built the Pinocchio home, he told reporters it was designed for a family of five who liked to entertain informally. Nichols generally met the family he was designing for and planned accordingly for their particular lifestyle and activities. However, the Pinocchio house was a spec home for the Home Builder’s Association of Dallas County’s 1954 Parade of Homes, so he clearly pulled out all the stops…