A Perfectly Preserved Mid-Century Modern Home Goes on the Market in Ross
PHOTOS BY GENE YUGER, PITTSBURGH REAL ESTATE MEDIA
Bob Scheible enjoyed the rare experience of remodeling his childhood home, although there wasn’t much to do; his parents put all the right pieces in place when they built their Mid-Century Modern brick ranch in Ross back in 1955.
“It was kind of a labor of love,” Scheible says. “I did everything I wanted to do in the house that I couldn’t do growing up.”
Located on 1½ acres, the well-maintained home at 133 Parkview Drive has all its original features preserved. When Scheible and his husband, Gary, moved there in 2016, they took on the task of modernizing the design, while still staying true to the home’s history.
Now that the couple is moving to the West Coast, they’ve placed the house on the market for $389,900 (MLS# 1590899, Elaine Bodnar, Coldwell Banker Real Estate, coldwellbankerhomes.com). It is open by appointment.
Located at the end of the street near Ross’s walking trails, the home is just 4 miles from Downtown. Its landscape includes a nice mix of low-maintenance shrubs, flowering bushes and ground cover alongside mature trees.
The front door is classic MCM style, with five square windows that run down its center. Inside, the 19-by-13-square-foot living room is anchored by an offset ledgestone fireplace set against a paneled wall. A corner pole light provides some whimsy, as the room is decorated in era-appropriate accent pieces and furniture.
The space’s light gray paint and large windows also give it a fresh feel.
“The fireplace has gas logs; it is fully functional, but not connected,” Scheible adds.
The couple’s sharp eye for design continues in the dining room, where a brass Sputnik light hangs over a round dining table. The set-up is enhanced by an adjacent sunroom finished with knotty pine walls and ceilings.
“It was originally built as a patio with a roof, then it was enclosed 30 years ago,” Scheible says. “It has its own heating system, and the slider is always open from the dining room; air conditioning flows in there for the hot season.”
The first project the couple tackled together was adding an exterior stone patio off the back of the sunroom. Besides extending the home’s usable space, it elevated the expansive backyard.
Next, they completely overhauled the kitchen, finishing up the project in 2018.
“It was kind of bittersweet,” Scheible says. “It was the kitchen that I grew up in, but it needed a little more functionality; we worked with designers on that and put that together.”
The kitchen was finished in subtle shades of gray and white, with white shaker cabinetry, brushed gold hardware and a glass-tile backsplash. A brass-accented globe light sits above the kitchen sink.
The stainless-steel appliances include double-wall ovens, a French door-style refrigerator, a gas cooktop and a dishwasher. At the far end of the kitchen is a wallpapered accent wall displaying a modern tree motif. Complementing the original, Dutch-style kitchen door is a 1960s’-era table and chair vignette.
Ranging in size from 14-by-11 to 12-by-10 square feet, the three bedrooms, including one used as an office, all have ample closet space and generously sized windows. The perfectly preserved bathroom is done in shades of salmon and black and includes built-in soap dishes and a pedestal sink.
In the basement, a spacious 21-by-11-square-foot family room with pine wainscoting became a favorite space for the couple over the years.
“It was one of the coziest places in the winter,” Scheible says. “There is a German-made, wood-burning ceramic stove. It really provided extra heat.”
They also installed — and are leaving behind — a 55-inch television and full sound system for the next owner. The room is able to fit a large sectional and dining table.
“We hosted Christmas down there one year,” Scheible says.
In addition, there’s a full-size laundry room and work bench. The extra-large, two-bay garage has separate access doors for each auto, plus plenty of storage space.
“The community is amazing,” Scheible says. “We could go Downtown to a show and be home in 15 minutes; all of the services that Ross Township offers are very close.”
In particular, Scheible enjoyed living near the grade school he attended as a child — and he also found lots of other connections in the neighborhood as well.
“I started to do a lot of walking and connecting to other couples,” he says. “We had one neighbor doing an Oktoberfest; then we had a whole bunch of people who joined. There were a lot of couples coming from the city.”
Drawing on her years of experience covering the region’s real estate industry, Rosa Colucci’s Hot Property will offer an inside look into unique and historic homes currently on the market. Each week, Hot Property goes behind the For Sale sign to share the story of a special Pittsburgh area home. And four times a year, Hot Property will give an in-depth look at the region’s real estate market in Pittsburgh Magazine HOME, track housing prices and sales and detail where the hot properties can be found. Rosa can be reached at onecordovaroad@gmail.com.
About: Ross (ross.pa.us)
Population: 33,567
Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Public transit via Pittsburgh Regional Transit. Rideshare.
Schools: North Hills School District (nhsd.net) serves 4,508 students and has four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. It offers more than 20 sports programs. The district also has a highly lauded arts program, including a drama club and musical programs.
Neighborhood: The community is a draw for young families, thanks to its accessibility to shopping, services and recreation, including close proximity to North Park. The large community center has extensive programming for adults and youth. Among the many community gatherings are farmer markets and maker markets, as well as regular creative events held at The Block Northway mall.