When Someone Says ‘It’s Untouched,’ You Should Ask Why

I adore Midcentury decor as much as the next person (unless the person either has no soul or doesn’t understand the concept of moderation). But darlings, this home we found for this week’s Wednesday WTF is either a bit much, or perfect, depending on your outlook.

“A rare find as it has been untouched,” this listing says. Well,  for one, if someone says something is untouched, it’s only good when you’re talking about a finite number of things. And even then, when someone says, “this is untouched,” you should really ask why. 

Why don’t they want to touch it?

And in the case of this 1953 Mid-Century Modern Hollywood Regency in Grosse Point Farms, Michigan, you should really ask if untouched is a completely a good thing.

There are beautiful things about this house that stood the test of time. None of those things are the carpet. 

In some places, the house has stood the test of time. In others, time marched all over it, dragged it around, and forgot to give it a good cleaning before taking pictures.

What do I love about this house? The lines. The staircase. The period-perfect kitchen that, if those appliances still work, could use some new countertops and perhaps new flooring, but for a Midcentury fan, it’s a real time capsule. 

But the carpets are dingy, and the wallpaper is plentiful and sometimes extremely taste specific, and sometimes involves feet.

In one of the bathrooms, you can bathe while holding hands with your significant other, while he or she answers nature’s call. It’s the master en-suite for the couple that truly wants no secrets.

Also, you have Riparian rights. If you were like me and thought that involved swordplay or a chariot, you’d be wrong. Riparian rights are a kind of water right and I refuse to dig further because that’s what Ambien is for.

But for some buyer, it will either be a complete gut job, or the perfect time capsule that just needs a little love (and a lot less carpet and wallpaper). What is it for you?

Want to see more? Here’s the whole listing.