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Project posted by N Blase

Currin Residence

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Location
Midland, Michigan
Year
1959
Structure
House (Single Residence)
Style
Midcentury
The home's exterior is very modest, clad in redwood and featuring low, sweeping roof lines. The home is hidden from the road and entirely unassuming from the front.
The home's exterior is very modest, clad in redwood and featuring low, sweeping roof lines. The home is hidden from the road and entirely unassuming from the front.
The main entry. To the right of the oversized, solid wooden door is an equally oversized picture frame window. The floor in the entryway features the same field stone as used on the fireplaces throughout the home.
The main entry. To the right of the oversized, solid wooden door is an equally oversized picture frame window. The floor in the entryway features the same field stone as used on the fireplaces throughout the home.
Five original 1950's Cordette Series lamps from Moe Light hang in harmony from the ceiling above the stairwell, greeting you and inviting you in as you step through the front door. All of the lights in the home are Moe Cordette lamps in various forms and offer warm, indirect lighting.
Five original 1950's Cordette Series lamps from Moe Light hang in harmony from the ceiling above the stairwell, greeting you and inviting you in as you step through the front door. All of the lights in the home are Moe Cordette lamps in various forms and offer warm, indirect lighting.
The home is almost entirely hidden from the road by a cleverly-designed driveway which curves around a wooded front yard.
The home is almost entirely hidden from the road by a cleverly-designed driveway which curves around a wooded front yard.
The den, part of the master wing and located just off the living room, offers repose and a place to work quietly.
The den, part of the master wing and located just off the living room, offers repose and a place to work quietly.

Credits

Posted by
Architect
Francis E. "Red" Warner, AIA

From N Blase

The Currin Residence (1959) is a privately-owned, mid-century modern home in Midland, Michigan currently under restoration. The home was designed for Cedric and Betty Currin by architect Francis E. “Red” Warner, AIA.

Warner received his architectural degree from Pennsylvania State College in 1951, after which he began working under the tutelage of Alden B. Dow, FAIA, a former Taliesen fellow and life-long friend of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Then, in 1957, he started his own architectural firm in Midland. His designs were deeply inspired by nature, and were for those who appreciated beauty without extravagance.

The Currins were one of Warner’s first clients, and their home is a shining example of mid-century modern design, featuring clean geometric lines, an emphasis on function and livability, and extensive use of natural materials such as Douglas fir, redwood, and field stone from Lake Superior. Warner also carefully considered the style and placement of the structures in order to achieve passive solar energy, and an attached greenhouse, also designed by Warner, was added in 1978.

When asked about why he contracted Red Warner to design the home, Mr. Currin replied, “I grew up in Wisconsin and had a general familiarity with Frank Lloyd Wright. I looked up architects in the Yellow Pages and saw Warner’s listing. After visiting his own home, and seeing how easy he was to work with, I decided to go with him. And I’m so glad I did!”

The Currins adored their home and lived there for the rest of their lives. Betty passed away in 2016, and three years later, at the age of 88, so did Cedric. Warner passed away in 2006, and his ashes repose among those of his friends on Midland's Dahlia Hill.

In 2020, less than a year after Cedric's passing, a catastrophic flood resulting from two upstream dam failures led to significant water ingress in the basement. The water finally began receding after it had reached just six inches below the first floor, but not without first causing one of the foundational walls to buckle. Since then, the home has changed hands and a substantial effort to restore the home back to its original condition is underway. Thankfully, the Currin Residence will survive, but many other homes affected by the flood—some also designed by Red Warner and his associates—have not been as fortunate.

Nevertheless, the design and architectural details of the Currin Residence have made it a significant part of Midland’s history and a textbook example of Red Warner's ability to design affordable yet captivating homes.

Check out @currinresidence on Instagram to follow along with the restoration.