Every so often, a home for sale is brought to our attention that has me wondering: Wait, are these listing photos current? Because it seems like I’m staring straight into a portal to the past. THIS is one of those homes—a remarkable two-bedroom time capsule built in 1958 by a Kansas architect named Bob Batt and decorated by his wife, Maryellen Batt that still looks the same today as it did then. This open-concept mid-century modern gem was their only home, and it was full of color and joy. After Bob passed away in 2012, Maryellen continued to live there alone for another decade. Then, the home hit the market and lit up the internet. 

Architectural details inside old homes are some of the best enduring examples of craft. Bob’s designs were so clever that the new owners, Kasey Day and her husband Michael, who have been there for two years, are still uncovering the surprising ways their stylish vintage home functions around them.

Kasey and Michael are technically the third owners. Her dad, Thomas Fry, bought the house first, for $380,000, and beat out numerous other bids with the promise that he wouldn’t change a thing (a friend sent him the listing from Cheap Old Houses!)

As the newest homeowners, Kasey and Michael feel the same about not messing with the magic. While they have integrated a few of their own pieces in the home, Kasey said the ultimate decision comes down to what Bob and Maryellen would say about it. “We do have a few of our own pieces of artwork that we’ve put up that we feel Bob and Mary Ellen would approve of. That’s kind of how we make decisions in the house. It’s very much, do we think Bob and Mary Ellen would be okay with it?”

Inside, there are gorgeous slate floors, expansive windows, a fireplace and sunken living areas, custom furniture built for the spaces, and a rooftop studio looking out over nearly three-acres. It also has the coolest round bathroom and round kitchen with appliances that still get the job done! 

Recently, Michael discovered the manual for their 1959 GE oven. “The kitchen is in amazing condition. The appliances are still in great shape, including the Frigidaire oven with the dual open door.”

I asked Kasey: a house from 1958 is bound to need some work, right? What she said surprised me! “Inside, the repairs are miniscule. A slate tile here and there, but nothing major. They left a lot of materials behind so we have all of the original materials for the house.”

Outside, however, wood was rotting and the yard was overrun. “My husband and my dad, a general contractor specializing in older homes, actually repaired the wood last summer.  We were going to repair the wood paneling but as we opened it up, there was more damage inside. So we basically totally restored the whole outside and updated it. There’s all new framing and insulation and we basically restored everything to exactly how it was. So it looks like the original, but it’s updated.” 

Now it’s their mission to make the outdoor spaces as cool as the indoor spaces, said Kasey. “Maryellen had gardens out back that you could tell at one point she really loved to take care of, but they’ve since been overrun. Now we’re trying to lovingly restore the yard.” 

Thank you Kasey and Michael and Kasey’s dad for saving this one-of-a-kind house!

We’ve had the joy of stumbling upon amazing mid century modern homes in our travels around the country. In the Cheap Old Houses book, there’s an *amazing* mid-century modern saved in Texas that has a similar open concept with a catwalk! Whether mid-century modern is your vibe or another old house style, the book highlights other bold buyers who are stewarding old homes to last into the future. Pick up a copy or send one to your favorite mod-loving pal.