Extreme Home Makeover

[Red Arrow]

Artist,

Now that it's finished, can you tell us anything about what you did on the mural?

[Hometown]

I'm happy if the family living there is happy I'm happy.  But has anyone else noticed the house is out of scale to surrounding homes and it is generally not pleasing to the eye?  Post-Modernism is not going to age well.  

My grandmother used to live in that neighborhood in the 50s and since it has been completely changed by the encroachment of TU and all the tacky apartment buildings.  Originally it was a modest but rather lovely neighborhood.  Remember that old white brick library with the steeple?

Tulsa used to be so pretty.

[sgrizzle]

I'm happy if the family living there is happy I'm happy.  But has anyone else noticed the house is out of scale to surrounding homes and it is generally not pleasing to the eye?  Post-Modernism is not going to age well.  

My grandmother used to live in that neighborhood in the 50s and since it has been completely changed by the encroachment of TU and all the tacky apartment buildings.  Originally it was a modest but rather lovely neighborhood.  Remember that old white brick library with the steeple?

Tulsa used to be so pretty.

From the front it has the same setback as the rest of the houses and width-wise it is the same. There are design elements shared with the house next door to the south. The house next door on the north has a chicken coop in the front yard so I guess you're right, they need a chicken coop so they can fit in.

[AngieB]

So is the crew now headed to Slaughterville, OK?

http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/02/04/bachelorettes-jillian-to-pitch-in-on-extreme-makeover-home-edition/

[waterboy]

I'm happy if the family living there is happy I'm happy.  But has anyone else noticed the house is out of scale to surrounding homes and it is generally not pleasing to the eye?  Post-Modernism is not going to age well.  

My grandmother used to live in that neighborhood in the 50s and since it has been completely changed by the encroachment of TU and all the tacky apartment buildings.  Originally it was a modest but rather lovely neighborhood.  Remember that old white brick library with the steeple?

Tulsa used to be so pretty.

The house is too big and out of context for the surrounding hood. I'm glad for them but no use spinning it.

HT- I think you're remembering the little white colonial style library a bit farther north near 2nd street east of Lewis and Whittier Square. It was just called the 2nd street library. Charming, quiet and very handy to me growing up. Glad to see you're still here.

[AngieB]

The house is too big and out of context for the surrounding hood. I'm glad for them but no use spinning it.

Agree 100%. They seem to be a really deserving family, it's a wonderful home, but I can't help but feel bad for the neighbors. Simmons should have just built them a house in one of his many developments. But that wouldn't have been as dramatic.

[Conan71]

At least you guys are helping me out of the guilt I was feeling for the exact same reaction I was having.  At least it wasn't a Tuscan nightmare 

[AngieB]

At least you guys are helping me out of the guilt I was feeling for the exact same reaction I was having.  At least it wasn't a Tuscan nightmare 

I heard it's in excess of 3,000 square feet. I know from a previous owner that the house next door is around 1,600. I guess it is extreme in many ways.

[Conan71]

I heard it's in excess of 3,000 square feet. I know from a previous owner that the house next door is around 1,600. I guess it is extreme in many ways.

Most of those lots are 50 x 150 in that part of town and there have been some really lousy additions done on a lot of the original craftsmen, bungalow, and gingerbread style homes in the area. 

As far as this goes, the style is not necessarily in keeping with everything else in that circular neighborhood, but it's not poorly done, either.  At least they didn't plop this down smack in the middle of Florence Park.  I think the impact on that particular neighborhood is not as bad since, IMO, that neighborhood is not in quite as much demand for it's original architecture as is FloPa.  There's also an odd and ecclectic mix of eras represented in the neighborhood this house is in.  Houses range from the mid to late 1930's to the 1950's craftsman to ranch, just on that block alone.  There's at least one house I'm thinking of about a block to the east which appears to have been built in the late 60's or early 70's.  I don't see a huge sin here, there are other areas I think this would have seemed more out of place.

[SXSW]

I was just looking at the slideshow on the TW website and yes it is a bit out of scale in this neighborhood.  It looks nice though and I'm happy for the family and for Tulsa getting positive media exposure.  Even though I'm not a fan of that show it does pull in a lot of viewers on Sunday nights before Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters come on.  It will surprise (some) people to see that we have snow here.  

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=371&articleid=20100204_275_0_Itwash762002

[joiei]

At least you guys are helping me out of the guilt I was feeling for the exact same reaction I was having.  At least it wasn't a Tuscan nightmare 

amen for that

[sgrizzle]

So is the crew now headed to Slaughterville, OK?

http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/02/04/bachelorettes-jillian-to-pitch-in-on-extreme-makeover-home-edition/

They have multiple crews and are always doing two shows at any time. Ty is the only person who is at both (which is why he is there for the beginning and end, but disappears in the middle)

[sgrizzle]

I heard it's in excess of 3,000 square feet. I know from a previous owner that the house next door is around 1,600. I guess it is extreme in many ways.

It is, the overall footprint is about 40x80

[sgrizzle]

Agree 100%. They seem to be a really deserving family, it's a wonderful home, but I can't help but feel bad for the neighbors. Simmons should have just built them a house in one of his many developments. But that wouldn't have been as dramatic.

Then they would have to sell their old one and would be resigned to living in suburbia. As it is, a well known TU benefactor (and fan of red cubes) paid off their mortgage. (Photo of the family thanking said benefactor attached)


Also, TU gave all 3 kids scholarships and TU is taking over Ethan's speech therapy so you want to keep the location.

[AngieB]

Then they would have to sell their old one and would be resigned to living in suburbia. As it is, a well known TU benefactor (and fan of red cubes) paid off their mortgage. (Photo of the family thanking said benefactor attached)


Also, TU gave all 3 kids scholarships and TU is taking over Ethan's speech therapy so you want to keep the location.

That's awesome about the scholarships and speech therapy! More life-changing than the house!!

I'm no tax expert, but it's my understanding that when someone pays off your mortgage, gives you a house, etc, etc, the IRS considers that income and you have to claim it and pay taxes on it. So yes, they are definitely better off, but there ain't no such thing as a free house.