Even though it’s usually referred to as the Mushroom House, this outstanding complex of pod-like structures was actually designed to look like a group of Queen Anne’s Lace wildflower. Five connecting “flowers” make up the unconventional dwelling: a master suite with office, two living areas, a two-bedroom guest pod and a patio.
Designed by James Johnson, the complex was completed in 1971, but it still is one of the strangest homes today. Each pod weighs 80 tons (except for the patio) and has a diameter of 34 feet. The stems are 14 to 20 feet high and they are 5-foot thick at the base and 3-foot thick at the top. The original owners of the house were Robert and Marguerite Antell, who chose an earthy color scheme for their dwelling, with sand-like stucco walls and earth tone ceramic tiles on the floors.
Only two other owners followed the Antells, with the last ones – Steve and Christine Whitman – having bought the property in 1999 for $279,000. They made some modifications to the house, but always kept in the original style. They actually even contacted the architect of the Mushroom House, James Johnson, and asked him to design a 1,500-sq.ft. great room into the side of the property hill. It can be accessed from the main pod via an underground walkway and it boasts an outdoor hot tub.
Free-formed rooms and colored tiles make this residence look more like a work of art than a house. Actually this is exactly how Mr. and Mrs. Whitman see their home: a 4,168-square-foot piece of art, worth $1.1 million (that’s how much they ask for it). The price includes custom-made furniture like fine cabinetry by wood craftsman Tom Scott, tree-and-branch design in the great room by Adam Chesis, two doors by sculptor Wendell Castle, ironwork by Keuka Studios’ Dan White and a roof sculpture in the great room designed by the house’s architect and manufactured by Pepsy Kettavong.
