Built in 1948, this home is ideal for buyers torn between the charm of the traditional midcentury homestead and the ease and clarity of the sort of stripped-down, light Scandinavian style with which IKEA has made most of us familiar (but which comes in higher-quality versions as well).
On the outside, the 2,131-square-foot home looks more or less like many of those in its North Loop neighborhood—or, at least, how many of them used to look—touched up with fresh paint but otherwise intact.
Inside however, are big, open, bright rooms with blond wood floors, picture windows, and spare ornamentation in living areas and bedrooms. Rough-hewn, partially stripped shiplap in the kitchen/dining area stands as a well-chosen, solitary reference to the past and give the place a slight farmhouse touch. The spare feel falters a little in the bathrooms, where someone couldn’t resist some dark slate and tile, but they are still restrained by current standards.
The four-bathroom, two-bedroom home also has an addition in back, which is presumably where the home got its second story (one that includes a balcony along the back). Viewed from the large backyard, it blends well with the original structure, mostly by being completely unremarkable or showy.
• 5405 Avenue F [Twelve Rivers Realty]