Scaffold planks wood memphis5/2/2024 ![]() Next came the downstairs den, with its brick fireplace and private patio, a lovely retreat. “All three were gutted and rebuilt,” she says, including the upstairs bath, a light, airy room that now boasts a contemporary yet retro look. ![]() With those repairs underway, she moved on to the upstairs bedrooms. The roof also had little insulation left, “so I’ve been able to add several layers,” says Koeppen. Tree limbs also had to be removed so the workers could more readily gain access to the structure. ![]() Since the low-pitched roof was tarred and covered with gravel, sections of it had to be peeled back like a soup can and carted away. The elevated portico and courtyard are common design elements in mid- century modern homes.Įach window and beam over the ceiling ran seven or 14 feet “and I didn’t want any short piece of lumber because the strength of the roof depended on it.” She wound up ordering 4,000 board feet of lumber - this, in the midst of Covid, with supply-chain challenges and high lumber prices. Ultimately, the two pooled their resources and in August 2020, Koeppen became its fifth owner. “I thought the only way I would do this project was if I lived in the house for a while so I could enjoy the work,” Koeppen says with a laugh. After touring the house together, Koeppen’s mother called later that afternoon, encouraging her daughter and offering to help out with the purchase. The home’s interior did retain many original features, including the wood ceiling, a tongue-and-groove-paneled wall in the dining room, several floating cabinets in the bathrooms and den, bronze window hardware, and concrete and brick flooring.Ĭlearly, the buyer would need to look past what was to envision what could be. The home’s electrical system was outdated, and the backyard had reverted to a more natural state - ironic, since the Kahns worked with Memphis Botanic Garden (where they were generous donors) to allow a garden gate to connect their backyard to the park. When Koeppen first toured it, she realized unchecked roof leaks had left significant water damage throughout the west wing, bowing wood floors and wholly compromising the downstairs den. The result is sophisticated and stately, with a layout that flows graciously from room to room.īut it’s fair to say the house had seen better days. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls, which line either side of the living and dining rooms, flood the house with light while offering views of the portico and courtyard at the front of the house and the swimming pool at the back. Here he employed an exposed post-and-beam design, which was groundbreaking in its day, replacing bulky support walls with ones seemingly made of glass, notes the AIA’s guidebook, A Survey of Modern Houses in Memphis.
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