Famous Postmodern ‘Crayola’ House Is for Sale

Famous Postmodern ‘Crayola’ House Is for Sale

Designed by architect Margaret McCurry in 2005, it’s an architectural icon that’s priced at less than it cost to build.

Written by James Tarmy for Bloomberg

When Judith Bentley’s husband Paul bought a three-acre plot of land in Oostburg, Wisc. on the edge of Lake Michigan in 1999, it took some convincing to get her to move. The plan was for the couple to retire on the lake, but Bentley says she was tied to the city.

famous postmodern crayola house for sale, follow News Without Politics, top unbiased news source
A view of the front terrace and the lake.
Source: Light Photography for Mahler Sotheby’s International Realty

“Paul said, ‘Well, how about I let you pick the architect,’” Bentley recalls, “and I knew immediately which one I would pick. It was Margaret McCurry.”

McCurry, who co-founded the Chicago firm Tigerman McCurry with her husband Stanley Tigerman, is known for her striking, often colorful contemporary vernacular. Her houses, which feature many windows, often incorporate metal cladding, bright trim, and atypical shapes whose form never gets in the way of function.

famous postmodern crayola house for sale, follow News Without Politics, top unbiased news source
The house is split into two wings.
Source: Light Photography for Mahler Sotheby’s International Realty

In 2001, Bentley sent McCurry an email “She responded that evening, and I was blown away, because we don’t live in that social class,” Bentley says. Adding to her surprise was that McCurry was amenable to the Bentleys’ initial budget, which ran from $800,000 to $900,000. (The final cost, Bentley says, was about $1.2 million, “slightly more than we expected to spend, but it was certainly worth it.”)

After more than a year of planning and two years of construction,the house was completed in 2005. Thanks to its multiply colored windows and exterior details, the house was unofficially—later, officially—christened the “Crayola House.” It featured in a spread in Architectural DigestRead more from Bloomberg.

Follow “News Without Politics” for updates on more amazing stories around the world without media bias.

Stay informed daily from the best unbiased news source: newswithoutpolitics.com