Tour a Memphis, Tennessee Mid Century Legacy

This unusual cantilevered mid century home in Memphis, Tennessee once sat on the edge of a lake, with a vacation home feel that it still retains today.

Memphis, Tennessee, doesn’t often spring to mind as a location known for modern architecture. In fact, Memphis has a rich history and a strong catalog of Mid Century Modern homes, but you have to look hard to find them.

Margaret Mikkelsen and her husband, sculptor Ryan Faulkner, were looking for a modern home when relocating to Memphis two years ago, but they were short on time. “I had exactly one day to look at homes. I found that the AIA (American Institute of Architects) had a list of significant modern homes, so I read through it and then cross-referenced that list with what was on the market.” Mikkelsen recalls, “There were actually three homes for sale, but only one was in our price range.”

Original Elements Galore in this Memphis, Tennessee Legacy

That home turned out to be a stunningly preserved mid century gem with a multitude of original elements including birch ceilings in the great room, birch paneling elsewhere and original cabinetry in almost every room.

“All three bedrooms have built-in dressers,” explains Mikkelsen. “Two have built-in lighted vanity mirrors that lift up, and the third has a built-in desk. The floating credenza in the dining room is original, as is the 12-foot sofa in the living room that has an integrated end table and connects to the marble fireplace hearth.” Mikkelsen herself sewed new cushion covers for the sofa when she was unable to find anything that fit.

Few Owners, A Lasting Mid Century Legacy

The home was designed in 1957 by W. David McKinnie, a Navy lieutenant-turned-architect, who designed two hospitals in Memphis as well as myriad public buildings and homes. The house was originally created for the Forsythe family, who Mikkelsen says owned it until around 2003.

Memphis Tennessee home exterior — Almost no new work was needed on the home before move-in day in 2019. The family replaced the wood deck and addressed some drainage issues around the exterior, regrading a section of the backyard that was allowing water to seep into the small area under the home that houses the furnaces and water heaters. Much of the woodwork around the windows was dried out, but Mikkelsen’s husband used techniques from his work as a sculptor to replenish the wood and restore its glow.

The Memphis, Tennessee mid century home formerly sat adjacent to a small lake, so there’s no basement. Built on concrete pylons, one whole wing of the home cantilevers out from the rest, providing space for a carport and a narrow opening to the expansive backyard beyond. The bedrooms are located in that section of the house, and Mikkelsen says the raised section means the bedroom windows overlook the tree canopy, making the rooms feel like they’re part of a modern treehouse.

Memphis Tennessee living room with blue furnishings — The living area embodies open-concept living, espoused by architect W. David McKinnie. A built-in sofa anchors the room and is attached to the floating marble fireplace hearth. The soaring cathedral ceiling is original and untouched. “I heard from a neighbor that the previous owner wanted to paint the wood, and the neighbor talked her out of it. She’s my favorite neighbor,” Mikkelsen says.

Quirky Details in the Memphis, Tennessee Mid Century

The mid century Memphis, Tennessee home has some fascinating elements, where architect McKinnie attempted to maximize square footage, even in the awkward corners where the two wings of the home meet. The result is a triangular bathroom with an original wedge-shaped vanity. “It has 15-foot ceilings because it’s set at the main level of the house, but the ceiling is the same as the top level of the house. So it’s the tallest powder room and very hard to change light bulbs,” Mikkelsen says. An angular closet below makes use of similarly shaped dead space.

Memphis Tennessee modern kitchen green subway tile white cabinets — The kitchen cabinets are original, though they’ve been painted and the original sandstone color is still visible on the inside. At some point handles were added to the upper cabinet doors; however, Mikkelsen removed them for a more original and streamlined look. “It took some work filling in all the little holes and painting them, but it’s worth it.”

Another standout feature is the array of built-in lighting throughout the home. A hidden light fixture in the dining room ceiling is tucked into a small recess, and Mikkelsen says it casts a lovely warm wash of light down over the built-in Formica-topped wood buffet. “That light fixture is easily 15 feet long, and I think it might be fluorescent or possibly neon. If it ever goes out, I don’t know what we’d replace it with.”

floor to ceiling windows living room — The home embodies typical MCM inside-outside living, with floor-to-ceiling windows that are original to the home. Mikkelsen say they’ll keep the windows but hope to have some restoration work done so they open more easily.

dining room teal upholstery on dining chair — The top surface of the dining room credenza is a wood-look laminate despite the rest of the piece being solid wood. Mikkelsen says it means the surface is low maintenance and there’s no worry about water rings, wine stains or spills when entertaining. Also visible is the glow from the recessed lighting.

den with blue and multi colored modern furnishings — The den is where the family spends most of its time. Comparing old real estate listing photos over the years, Mikkelsen was able to uncover that the paneling was painted at some point and then later restored before her family bought the home. She says those old listing photos show the distinctive wood grain she can see today. “That must have been so expensive, but it turned out beautifully.”

Mikkelsen says the previous owners had kept the home in outstanding shape, and only some basic maintenance was required when they took possession. She was able to take her extensive collection of vintage furniture and move right in, finding everything fit the aesthetic and the wide-open spaces perfectly.

Finding Value in Memphis Modernism

Having fallen in love with her new city and new home, Mikkelsen has had time to reflect on how tough it was to find something special when she was hunting for her Mid Century Modern house, noting realtors would often market these modern and mid century-era homes as “perfect for teardown,” when in fact their bones were strong. “It drove me bonkers to see these really great family homes being torn down and replaced with McMansions.” So Mikkelsen decided to pursue her real estate license, becoming a realtor in Memphis specializing in modern and mid century homes. Through word of mouth and her website, modernmemphishomes.com, she focuses on helping people find these homes—or sell them for their true value.

mid century modern Memphis Tennessee bathroom — Mikkelsen chose to keep the original bathroom vanity and marble top, painting the cabinets a vibrant fuchsia hue. The walls are Blanched Coral and the vanity is Flamingo’s Dream, both by Benjamin Moore. The principal bedroom’s bathroom is an early example of a Jack-and-Jill style and also opens onto Mikkelsen’s home office.

Her realtor status also means she’s had the opportunity to peruse the old listings for her home and see how it’s changed (there was once a mirrored fireplace in the den) and what some fixtures and finishes previously looked like. That’s helped her create an aesthetic that balances the home’s history with the needs of a family in 2021.

Future projects include replacing the carport ceiling with something that offers more insulation since the cantilevered section of the home can be chilly in the winter. “I hope we’re here for a long time. I just love this house,” Mikkelsen notes. “There are some things we want to do with it, but nothing radical.”

black and white angled 1970s powder room — The oddly shaped powder room used to have dramatic 1970s-era metallic wallpaper that’s actually still under several layers of paint. Mikkelsen herself created an angular design for the walls to play to the room’s shape, masking off a pattern in silver washi tape. The walls are Silverpointe by Sherwin Williams.

Memphis’ Most Eclectic Neighborhood

Hunting modern homes in east Memphis

Norfleet Estates was part of the eastern expansion of Memphis in the 1950s. While a small lake adjacent to Mikkelsen’s home was probably a neighborhood selling feature initially, it was later filled in as the development advanced over the decades.

The first parcel of land sold in the late 1950s; however, the last lot in the area was only finally built on as recently as 2020.

The neighborhood has an eclectic mix of classic Southern homes and stately properties, cottage-style dwellings and MCM homes, like Mikkelsen’s. “Every house is unique, and it makes it a beautiful neighborhood to walk through. There’s something for everybody here.”

Looking for more MCM in Tennessee? Read on for The Dwell Hotel: Tennessee Hospitality With a Mod Touch. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Atomic Ranch articles and ideas!