the artistry of richard t. calef

our ad featuring 'the blum house' - for the spring '11 issue of atomic ranch

Many cities with large tract developments of MCM homes have a few different floor plans and elevations repeated throughout the neighborhoods.  Not in Cincy!  With the exception of the Pease kit homes (the George Nelson Shorewood and other modern ranches), just about every Midcentury Modern home I have seen in Cincinnati is as unique as the original owner who commissioned it and the architect who designed it.  Some were even done by early ‘design build’ firms that did both the design and construction.  Richard T. (Dick) Calef was one of a few talented artists/entrepreneurs who did just that.

Like many others of his day, Dick Calef’s education at the University of Cincinnati’s architecture school was disrupted by WWII.  He flew many combat missions before eventually returning to Cincinnati and opting to design and build instead of returning to school.  He used his trademark used red brick on most of his buildings (with the notable exception of the Rosen house in Amberley, sheathed in lava rock!) and he had a reputation for building a very cool and very well constructed modern house at a very reasonable price.  Maybe too reasonable – he built for only about 10 years, mostly in the Mt. Washington, Anderson and Turpin area before leaving town.

“He didn’t charge a design fee, even.  Dick was a terrible business person, but a very talented designer and a fabulously wonderful person,” local gallery owner Carl Solway once told me.  Carl actually lived in a house designed and built by Calef in the early 1960’s.  Legend has it Calef moved to Texas when he left Cincinnati in the late 1960's, but the trail ends here.  I would love to find out more information about him and of course my ultimate wish would be to have a complete list of his projects.  But for now, all we can do is ‘discover’ them, one at a time.

Below are photos of 3 Calef homes that I have had the pleasure of representing.  The first one, in Turpin Hills, is currently on the market!  I’ve been told that Dick's own house was on Eight Mile.  If you know of this house or any others he designed, please let us know!

'the blum house.' the only dick calef home currently on the market. his artistry really shines on this one! click on image above for visual tour. 'the blum house.' check out this unique carved walnut screen original to the house. some of the best modern bling i have seen!'the blum house' living room overlooking woods and ravine. this house is in turpin hills, one of the best 'pockets' of mcm in all of cincinnati!'the blum house' original plans and drawings have been preserved and are included in the sale.

'the perritt house' in anderson twp. this one sold in '07 to a sympathetic buyer who I've heard is keeping it true!'the rosen house' in amberley village. this photo and the next were taken in '08 before its most recent sale. a former owner destroyed much of the homes interior integrety and subsequent owners have been working to bring it back. the most current owner has removed all of the lava rock on the facade since this photo was taken (?!)'the rosen house' back view circa 2008'the rosen house' in its original interior state, photos circa 1968 courtesy of former owner betty wayne. for many reasons, this is one of my all time favorite mcm's!