Mad About Modern home tour returns for a second virtual year in Charlotte
Later this month, you’ll get a chance to step inside some of Charlotte’s midcentury modern homes — without ever leaving your couch.
For the second year in a row, the Mad about Modern home tour will be held virtually, with 360 degree access to tours of five featured houses, plus a digital guidebook highlighting the homes’ significant modernist features.
“The Mad About Modern home tour will be virtual again this year so that we can share the best of Charlotte’s midcentury and modern architecture with as many people as possible, as safely as possible,” Adria Focht, president and CEO of The Charlotte Museum of History, said in a statement.
Here are the details:
WHAT: Mad about Modern virtual home tour of five houses plus a virtual guidebook
WHEN: Ticket holders can view the virtual tour from 6 p.m. on Sept. 23-Oct. 22.
COST: Tickets for the 360o virtual home tour are $25.
KICKOFF EVENT: Tickets for a kickoff party and fundraiser called The Mod Experience will be held Sept. 23 at The Charlotte Museum of History. The event takes place outdoors and inside the museum and will feature a midcentury modern pop-up exhibit, midcentury-themed activities and a costume contest for best midmod attire. The pop-up exhibit includes iconic midcentury modern furniture and accessories, including an original Eames chair, from Fos Restoration Co. Tickets are $75 and will be limited to keep the event COVID-19 safer.
Midcentury modern homes you’ll tour
At the Mad about Modern home tour, you’ll have virtual access to five of Charlotte’s best midcentury houses. Here are the tour homes:
Amos Smith Road
Neighborhood: Catawba River area
This home was designed by Charlotte architect Murray Whisnant and give views of the Catawba River.
- Built in 1958
- Three bedrooms, one bath
1,400 square feet
What to look for:
- Expansive windows and outdoor living space
- Low-pitched, hipped roof with overhanging eaves that efficiently shade the floor-to-ceiling windows
- Preserved interior ceiling panels, highlighted by a row of skylights.
Carlanda Circle
Neighborhood: Selwyn Park
The original owners hired Charlotte architect Friedrich Schmidt to design their home after seeing his church designs in The Charlotte Observer.
- Built in 1964
- Four bedrooms, two baths
2,600 square feet
What to look for:
The midcentury A-frame, unique in Charlotte and is more commonly found in mountain homes.
The double-height living space, which includes a cathedral ceiling, natural light and an original metal fireplace that architect Schmidt also designed.
Coatbridge Lane
Neighborhood: Wynwood
The designer and original owner worked as a professor of philosophy at UNC Charlotte, where he taught a course on utopian communities.
- Built in 1970
- Three bedrooms, two baths
1,959 square feet
What to look for:
- Large picture windows and skylights
- The house is wrapped around a courtyard
Colchester Place
Neighborhood: Spring Valley
House began as a standard model home and the owners slowly added on. The wife is a painter, sculptor and architect. Her husband was a principal architect at Charlotte firm Hawkins-Kibler Associates.
- Built in 1964
- Three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths
1,895 square feet
What to look for:
- Angular additions
- Unique skylights and statement windows
East Providence Road
Neighborhood: East Providence Estates
Ranch-style home with an open floor plan that flows into a continuous outdoor deck.
- Built in 1980
- Three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths
3,864 square feet
What to look for:
- Midcentury artifacts, including Eames furniture, Nelson lamps and vintage cameras
Picture windows and a prominent clerestory, the row of windows that rise above the flat roofline
For questions, visit the FAQ page at madaboutmodern.com or contact The Charlotte Museum of History: (704) 568-1774 or info@charlottemuseum.org.
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
