House Lust: A Sweet Retro Abode in Bristol
Long live pink bathrooms and basement bars.
I love this place. Not every house can pull off stenciled kitchen cabinetry, scrolled valances and wide arched doorways. And don’t get me started on the tiled bathrooms. The interior shutters are painted to match so, potential buyers, it’s final: The pink stays.
Retro details abound in this sweet abode in Bristol that, according to the listing by Mott and Chace Sotheby’s, was built by E. J . Sevigny and designed by Karin Linder. I couldn’t dig up much on either but, suffice to say it, both professionals were well-versed in the 1960s aesthetic.
Modern buyers tend to turn up their noses at this brand of mid-century design. We bow at the feet of Frank Lloyd Wright, but a functional U-shaped kitchen with a wall oven and a homey vegetable backsplash? First we scoff, and then we sledgehammer. And that’s a crime against time. Such places — especially when they’re already so well-preserved — should live on, if only so we never forget the way things used to be.
For me, it’s simpler than all that: It reminds me of my grandmother’s house, n0t necessarily in look but in spirit — a place that smelled like walnut brownies and had thick squares of bubblegum stowed in a kitchen drawer. I bet this house had its own brand of brownies and bubblegum. Some folks were happy here. They took good care of their home.
And now it’s ready for a new generation of walnut brownies. Vintage lovers, here’s your House Lust:
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6 Brookfarm Drive, Bristol, is on the market for $579,000. (Photos via Mott and Chace Sotheby's)
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Built in 1960, the home has three beds and three baths over 3,758 square feet. The lot size is more than 10,000 square feet.
Built in 1960, the home has three beds and three baths over 3,758 square feet. The lot size is more than 10,000 square feet.
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A view of the entryway with chevron patterned flooring.
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Another view of the living room, which is sunken from the entryway.
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A view of the large living room with a fireplace (check out that fire screen!) and built-in bookshelves.
A view of the large living room with a fireplace (check out that fire screen!) and built-in bookshelves.
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The living room leads to the formal dining room with corner cupboards.
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The bright kitchen -- white never goes out of style -- features quartz countertops and stenciled cabinets.
The bright kitchen -- white never goes out of style -- features quartz countertops and stenciled cabinets.
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A view of the rear of the kitchen, complete with a wall oven.
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A view toward the kitchen peninsula and breakfast area.
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One of three bedrooms in the ranch-style house.
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The finished basement features a bar, full bath, office space, cedar closet and workshop.
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A view of the basement bar.
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The basement workshop, which leads to the two-car garage.
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For more information, contact Mott and Chace Sotheby’s Laura Kinsella at 401-580-8133 or visit mottandchace.com.