A Self-Taught Designer Builds a Midcentury-Inspired Home on a Budget

[@danielirmscher8525]

Dwell, thanks for showing so little of the house in favor of showing so much of the dude! Amazing editing

[@KyAl2]

I am curious what his definition of affordable is?

[@drewcipher896]

Probably something as warped as his definition of a "small house".

[@Son37Lumiere]

Well, the cost of land in Nashville is pretty low and it's obvious that this house doesn't use any costly high end materials or items. As he said, the windows are the most expensive single purchase. According to the article it was $115 per sq ft which is around $200k, that's actually very cheap for the size. My house cost me $250k and is only 1180 sq ft in Phoenix and not nearly as nice as this, although it has some nicer materials.

[@ingridfullerton1253]

Somewhere near his definition of sustainable...... He's repeating the word sustainable to greenwash the justification of building the house. It's not a light footprint on the ground and I'm confused about back-justifying the use of monolithic slabs then showing off the extensive use of wood in the rest of the house. Are all those windows oriented for passive effects? That would be a measurement of sustainability. I would not justify concrete as a sustainable material for a house when it is more difficult to replace the Earth's supply of sand rather than replacing trees, which is easy. Let's see his utility bills then let's talk about sustainability. Also, they're called footings not footers, and I'm not a fan of the idyllic countryside retreat with a single-story home, when we should be pushing more sustainable density rather than sprawling. There is no sustainability or reciprocity in land sprawl.

[@CC-si3cr]

National average. If you compare the cost of his home to the national average of home prices, which would include NY, CA, HI, MA, etc., then that's how he can come up with "affordable". Which I feel like his home is, but I don't remember him saying a price.

[@CC-si3cr]

@@Son37Lumiere PHX sux, but it's one of those last top ten cities that's still affordable.

[@barnabaas79]

1750 sq ft is a small house!? well F me then, I must be living in someones closet.

[@DWink-bp8vw]

Not just "small," but "very small!" Let's measure this "sustainability" by his electric bill in Nashville, with all that glass. Heating something like this North of Chicago would be a good lesson in financial "sustainability." I'm guessing build cost upwards of $200 per square foot for this tiny house...

[@fhecrewdavid]

@@DWink-bp8vw $115 per square foot per the article.

[@NoteFromSELF]

@@DWink-bp8vw You would be WRONG. You know what they say about assuming ...

[@jeanettenaumiec7784]

How big is the closet your living in ?

[@NoteFromSELF]

@@jeanettenaumiec7784 *you're

[@maxwoodworth]

1700sqft may not be especially small, but it sure is a damn fine looking house

[@matthewhassan3133]

"Small house" and "on a budget" are quite debatable ways to describe this house.......

[@MORDEKAIZ]

@Sho Yu Weeni The fridge alone it's 8000$ you can't buy a snack with 8000$?

[@MORDEKAIZ]

@Sho Yu Weeni I misread

[@DamianLewd]

Not really, anything’s debatable I’d you wanna be an asshole. NOTHING he said was unreasonable if you have some BASIC Knowledge of the subject and actually listened to what he said

[@catemoon]

I laughed out loud when he said a 1700 sq foot house was “very small.”

[@marmouth]

Yup, and let's not forget "sustainable" : the house is filled with concrete, and according to him not using wood is actually a benefit :(

[@suechenard6052]

Good lord, lot's of negative comments here! First off, the house is gorgeous! Well done Bob! Yes it seems a bit big to be called a "small house" but it is a matter of perspective! The finishes are simple and true to MCM style. Very impressive for a self-taught designer!!!

[@GhostedStories]

Awesome, love how he articulated how glass can blur the lines separating outside from inside, and how it is a whole new wider perspective of the space changes.

[@graphicsociety1]

I wish the video was longer. I wanted to see more of the interior and hear from him about more details. Overall stunning work of art!

[@Strylover]

I think this is a beautiful space, so open and so very airy. As someone else commented, if he truly designed this himself, and is self taught, then I am thinking that he is indeed an artist. From my own perspective, always having been a city dweller, I wonder about all of the glass and the fact that anyone can just see everything in your home (although he does seem to be surrounded by hedge type plantings all around). More importantly though, I too wonder about the "affordability" of such a place. As always, affordability is again, probably, a relative thing. But I think that the space itself is truly beautiful and inspiring. He created a wonderful place to live.

[@AlphaMachina]

God, I love that modular shelf and desk design. That's just brilliant, and absolutely stunning.

[@GraceCanadaful]

Beautiful home - each view, each perspective is interresting and pleasing to the eye....

[@larynOneka8080]

Beautiful! The layout makes it seem much larger than it actually is. Great use of space.

[@TrojanNationCO]

But not a single comment on those sandals?

[@drzavahercegbosnaponosna5974]

artistic !

[@dasasa2]

Almost takes away all sexiness!

[@Adsjabo]

I definitely had that thought of what the heck are those sandals about. But hell, the dude has a vibe going on. Good for him.

[@charmedprince]

I wish he wore socks with them, a la Olsen twins

[@CC-si3cr]

I think they came with the house.

[@mahaalabduljalil6596]

The choice of colors, levels and materials is just amazing! It's so comforting for the eyes good job!

[@allsaintsacademy9344]

Absolutely love this .... I saw concrete floors in a home I nearly bought and fell in love with the idea ... gives to a very earthly feel.

[@daveya5351]

This is exactly the kind of aesthetic that I look for in a house. Love it!

[@sydswakening6255]

This is literally the kind of desire I’m looking for!!! 🥰 I wish people will stop judging the size; compared to Tennessee homes, this is a “small” home. I’ve been searching for a few years for a decent size home that has garage space and not a mini castle of a home...

[@llc1976]

This is gorgeous!!! I love everything about it! I love the plywood cabinets!!!

[@nckknc]

This house deserves a full tour!!

[@luxelife418]

One of the most beautiful house designs I’ve ever seen! Absolutely gorgeous 😍

[@Prieze868]

This guys got taste this is the best example of a new build in a mid century modern style I really thought it initially look in sleep started saying what he was designing with monolithic slab that it was a real mid century modern from the 50s or 60s

[@ricecrash5225]

Where do I get the plans ? This is an amazing home, exactly what I would love to build.

[@felixkrusch9635]

Stunning design! Love it!

[@jekku4688]

Dude, 1,700 SF is nothing to sneeze at--you've got 1,000 SF on me! This is a great house, love all the concrete, but it still feels warm and friendly. Not too shabby for a self-taught designer!

[@mcchickenmcdicken]

Does Dwell understand the concept of a "home tour"... you have to show us more than one angle of the living room.

[@whitter86]

they showed several angles, did you watch the video or what

[@sharksport01]

I wanted to see that sawtooth roof.

[@EvaaLvsM]

Everybody freaking out about how big the house is and I'm just blasted away about how this man is a visionary.

[@jomontanee]

His dog is so pretty. I loveeeee the houses with pets. Some decor articles or videos feature "showcase" houses with no kids, no pets. Real houses have people living in them, including pets.

[@tabber87]

“Budget”, “affordable”, “conservatively priced” yet not a single mention of the actual cost...

[@lizbrownsays8383]

I know, isn't that ridiculous?

[@YokaiTetsuiga]

i was about to say.... if you built that in say Adelaide SA it would still cost 1M....

[@DamianLewd]

Was there some sort of obligation?

[@MrBanditFace]

The article says that it cost $155 per sq foot, and at 1750 sq feet it would put the cost at $201,250. That seems pretty good!

[@bobimhoff3577]

@@MrBanditFace $115* - Great cost/sf

[@elgrz90]

I love the simplicity, light, and modernism of this house.

[@sunny37845]

That is awesome work 👍🏻

[@voiceofreason1663]

i like the cement, the white walls, and the warm or birch color of the wood, black steel and house plants combination

[@ChrisPage68]

Bigger than the house I grew up in. This is huge by UK standards.

[@DiscoFang]

PageMonster The UK has a smaller average home than even Japan. It's true.

[@kaileymo]

By American standards even. At the very least it's NOT small. And I'm from the Midwest where houses are large anyways. He's confusing not having multiple floors with small.

[@corysgood881]

@@kaileymo If you have 5 kids and a wife this is a really small home. Other people have other needs based on their own lifestyle..

[@corysgood881]

This isn't in the UK though..

[@gordo1163]

anything is bigger than a UK house

[@rebekkad.2092]

This is absolutely beautiful, and you had me until the deer head.

[@Patrick.Edgar.Regini]

Beautiful sense of proportion against perspectives, lots of spatial feelings. I can see your sensitivities for the impression space and boundaries, transparencies and enclosure create. Nice work !

[@roycecovington2154]

This a gorgeous house inside and out!

[@mollietenpenny4093]

Guy in the video: "This is a small house." Me: watching video in my 777 square foot townhome.

[@BrendaNelson-e9s]

Great job, Bob! Love it!

[@judjohns59]

What a beautiful little home! Yes I think nowadays, 1750 feet is somewhat small but for a couple or small family it’s fine. The idea of 2000+ square feet, didn’t really get popular until the 80s.

[@smilinglynn9584]

Why wasn't the grass roof mentioned?

[@kalo924]

Absolutely love it! You have a beautiful home. And lots of ideas whether one has a tiny house budget or a mcmansion budget.

[@marquamfurniture]

A beautiful achievement!

[@AlfoncinaMatilda]

If he really is self taught, I think his house is very admirable

[@hassanhabib6059]

Great video Dwell I could watch contact like this all day!

[@humoody]

i liked this way better than the 50,000,000 real estate listings

[@DiscoFang]

With a magnificent moustache like that, this house is a Mid Century Mo' Den.

[@bobird6099]

Well thought out, gorgeous home. Love it 🥰

[@paulajf4205]

If he had only said it once- "This is a very small house."- I would have let it pass, but he said it more than once. 1750 is not small! Check your privilege at the door of your "small house." Other than that, it's a fabulous design, wonderful layout and minimal decor. Love it.

[@sadadevries5875]

This is small?? I see two kitchens, three livings , a study and a lot of outer space.... but what a fantastic house ❤️❤️❤️

[@Dufffaaa93]

1750 sq ft is samall? That's 162 sq meters which is huge for most Europeans.

[@DamianLewd]

2700sq” average American home. Everything’s bigger in US get over it.

[@DamianLewd]

Sho Yu Weeni you too the words right out of my mouth

[@mariapaloma1878]

Beautiful Home... Congratulations. It's unique. Love it

[@jeremyburton1208]

When he’s talking about ‘affordable house of the future’ he’s talking about the Case Study houses which were his inspiration. It was a collection of designs by architects in an architectural magazine that sort of formed the Mid-Century style of architecture.

[@alekazhani7914]

I have actually fall in love with this "affordable" house😂

[@douglasyoung4771]

Super cool.I like your style , homes.

[@mn3994]

Nice design - how much is it exactly? It's so cool to be walking on grassy roof. The room in @1:28 though makes it look like the ceiling is very low when it looks to be of average height. If the wooden beams are load bearing I would understand the thickness, but if keeping the exposed beam look just for style, I would shorten them

[@stevenmathieson5713]

2 kitchen areas both with dining tables & he says it's small. Definitely like it, even if it's "small"

[@renasyed1606]

Love it…I would love to know about the design of the roof…

[@MilVukovic]

Mate, this house is quality.

[@faithnelson2013]

wow! great house. not even a huge fan of mid-century modern and i would love to live there.

[@bosvigos9165]

What a glorious home.

[@thijsmotoqatar806]

Thumbs up for the E30 in the driveway!!

[@deborahwebb3736]

If you can design a home or any building so that it looks bigger on the inside than it seems possible to be when viewing it from the outside, you have done a good job. I hope this makes sense.

[@carlosalenduran4630]

Gorgeous home

[@ramip8816]

Simply Stunning!!!😍

[@onethingeverything]

Great work! Kudos to Bob Butler! Very inspiring

[@AngelaGomez-ji7nf]

Very good design and I am very picky...job well done.

[@deepaligupta4938]

It is such a beautiful home, I loved it

[@patricksterling7389]

I see a lot of these types of homes that forgo handrails along stairs and in this case a balcony too. I have wonder if this makes the acquisition of home insurance more difficult? All it would take is one too many glasses of wine and....

[@ErinDeNis]

This house is brilliant.

[@nancyburns8910]

My kind of home.Love it.Its beautiful.

[@itsmattchase]

Anybody know where to find that burnt orange accent chair?

[@jackieqiang]

Does anyone know where the chairs next to the fire pit is from?

[@lucilletorres5989]

Beautiful!

[@F4TiMA.]

Absolutely lovely 🦋

[@MiticaF]

I'd love to see the actual numbers that went into completing this home. What's "affordable"?

[@zarzarbinks1705]

The same value for a "small house"

[@justkidding7523]

1.4 Mil

[@9823625313]

Amazing design

[@jogb9515]

Nice place. And groovy sandals.

[@rayandnoah8769]

Beautiful home

[@pureposture]

Well done! Should consider a smokeless fire pit like Breeo!

[@michelleeggers6871]

I want that house! Amazing! 😃😃😃😃😃😃

[@mojogrip]

I almost bought a small house earlier this year. It had 754 sqft. This is not a small house. But it is a very nice house.

[@MariaPNW]

How much did it cost to build it? Materials and labor, not including the land? I couldn't access the article; yet another subscription-only article. I have too many subscriptions as it is. Thanks

[@NG-fg6qf]

This video is very annoying. Why the music so it's difficult to make out what the somewhat soft-spoken man with the deep voice is saying? Why the constant quick pans and cuts? It's an architectural video. Take some cues from the people who make architectural videos for real estate sales. Long pans that allow the viewer to understand the size of the room and how it relates to other parts of the house. This is why I don't buy Dwell magazine. The photography is trying so hard to be interesting and artistic, I have no idea what the seemingly interesting house they're featuring looks like.

[@naes123]

Do you also ‘want to see the manager’?

[@NG-fg6qf]

@@naes123 I think, Sean, that my urge to vent my frustration in a comment on this video stemmed from the same urge that caused you to comment on my comment.

[@dpfutbol]

@@NG-fg6qf well said haha

[@CC-si3cr]

I thgt I was the only one that was having trouble hearing this annoying hipster. The video was all over the place bc once I scoped out what looked like the living room I was trying to decipher if it was a sunken living room like in the 60s/70s then it clipped to the bathroom, then I see him out back and I could not understand walking the dog on the roof. Quite dizzying.

[@kimosabbe50]

@@drzavahercegbosnaponosna5974 Thank you!! 😀 👍

[@benvin10365]

Great design and implementation!

[@laurenarington2431]

Thanks for sharing! Did you buy land and then build or was there already a structure? Who were your builders? Im looking for someone in the area to also help with a midcentury modern build. Thanks!

[@carhomie7739]

Would like to know where the kitchen ceiling stretch lamp shade came from.

[@--signald]

Sustainability is getting way overused and misused these days. In this context it means that every human on the planet could have a house like this without damaging the environment. This is sustainable for this guy and his pals. In other words, not sustainable.

[@ingridfullerton1253]

Love that. Couldn't agree more, and I commented up above.

[@tokyowarfare6729]

On point

[@kaileymo]

This natural, organic, artisinal house...

[@livewiya]

0:47 is that a Scirocco chair? It's definitely a derivative of the Klint Safaristol/Roorkee chair...

[@RC2214]

Not to fond of the bathroom tile but the rest of the house is gorge!😊

[@diannemc4840]

Beautiful!!!

[@sammysamMZB]

The house👏is👏amazing👏

[@justmegeorgie5930]

BRILLIANT! JUST BRILLIANT!

[@olgasarahvelkovich1453]

Beautiful, good job!

[@tdhmaerskb]

Could you please re upload this but without the drum overlay. I can't make out a word that the gentleman is saying

[@feesor]

Love mid mod! Did you have to buy an empty plot of land? I prefer concrete. Not that I live in a California forest zone but prefer all fire resistant building materials.

[@esdrasramos4961]

Love this house

[@JamesWilliams-qn5cq]

Wow..., This is Soooo Tight. Gr8 Job !! You are such a visionary and such an artist. The layers of your design skill(s) are innumerous. The amount of amazing design features are incalculable.

[@dr.c.c.1671]

Well done!👍🏾😎🌟

[@cmicmi176]

Can you add the square metres?

[@cf5914]

Nice house but its not small. My house is 750 sq ft...

[@eloyreno]

Colin F fucking Christ my apartment is 660 sq ft.

[@corysgood881]

Do you have 3 kids and a wife?

[@cf5914]

@@corysgood881 2 and the wife...

[@DamianLewd]

You sound dumb google aver American home sq footage

[@himanshugrnoida]

Mine is 2800 sq ft. & its considered average in our area of India. 😁

[@zandersgallery]

duuuude have an open house! id love to check it out!

[@DiscoFang]

Alexander Fierro www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/24916080?guests=1&adults=1