Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity, One-of-a-Kind Home

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one-of-a-kind

It’s been described as a light box nestled in the woods, but the so-called “Cube House” in Plymouth, Michigan, can also be considered one-of-a-kind, and owning it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Tivadar Balogh was born in Detroit to Hungarian immigrants, and after a stint in the Navy during World War II, graduated with a degree in architecture from the University of Michigan. He worked for several firms in Michigan throughout his college years and after, before another stint with the Navy during the Korean War.

When he made it back stateside, he married his wife, Dorothy, and began working as an architect again. He bought a three-acre wooded lot in Plymouth in 1958 and built a home that is both an ode to Midcentury Modern sensibilities and a testament to the idea that a family home doesn’t have to be stuffy and boring.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

Like pretty much all Midcentury Modern homes, it embraces its setting, making the forest lot it sits on the showpiece from nearly every room.

Balogh’s concept originally came from drawings that won the Progressive Architecture price in 1957 and called for two bedrooms, ample living spaces, and a study that could be converted to a third bedroom. He knew he wanted to implement high ceilings, as well as create impact from the moment you entered the house.

The resulting one-of-a-kind redwood sided cube cost the Baloghs about $32,000.

Stairs with cantilevered slab-type treads provide entry to the house through a tall entry court. The main floor boasts a master bedroom, kitchen, and a living room with two-story ceilings and a wall of windows on the south side.

Upstairs, an additional bedroom, full bath, and a loft with a skylighted nook provide even more space.

one-of-a-kind

The lowest level of the home has a family room surrounded by windows, bringing more light and views into the home.

“In preparation for sale, the home has been painted and stained and had carpeting replaced but all details have remained unchanged from its original construction,” said listing agent John Goetz with Real Estate One.

To see more of the home, click here.

Bethany Erickson

Bethany Erickson