Medusa Properties

Property Details

Mid-Century Modern Lofts & Flats! (Upper Kirby - Houston - TX)

I rescued this little gem from the chopping block in August of 2006. With all the tenants evicted, gas meters pulled & terminated, and the water shut off at the main--the wrecking ball was on its way... But I felt like she had a lot of life left in her. So I got out the pencil & pad and started sketching...

Before I bought the property the building had been owned by the same family since it was built in the 1940s. The entire street used to have many similar properties on it; all but this one had been torn down over the years. The 67 yr old woman who sold me the building lived there with her family when she was a child. Fortunately for me she had no interest in restoring the building. Getting on in years, she had been living off the rents & letting the property run down for the past few decades.

This property is just off Kirby, between 59 & Richmond--making it one of the shortest commutes to just about anywhere in the city. 10-15 minutes from every university and college in town; 5 minutes from the Medical Center; walking distance to River Oaks, Greenway Plaza, movie theaters, shopping, and many great restaurants. (Japon & Miyako are both across the street... mmm... sushi!) (Haven, a $5,000,000 new restaurant, is going in right next door.)

The property has six units total: four larger one bedrooms in the main building and two apartments over the garages.

The look is 50/50 vintage/modern--but definitely not "traditional", "contemporary", or cookie cutter in any way. I guarantee that you will not find ANY units at ANY property, in ANY price range that have the kinds of fixtures and finishes that I have in these units.

The two lower units in the main building (#1 & #2) have stained concrete floors & large private patios in the front. The two upper units are all hardwoods with a private deck off the back. Kitchens & baths are completely custom & high-end with all stainless steel appliances from Bosch (dishwashers), Siemens (dual fuel ranges), GE (microwaves fridges & washers & dryers) + natural stone counters, and built-in laundry. Very modern but with a shout out to the buildings 1940s heritage.

Medusa Properties is a very eco-friendly preservationist. We recycle everything we possibly can when restoring these old buildings--and use high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, sprayed-in foam insulation, insulated windows with low e coatings, etc. And we stick to the basics when building back: glass, steel, wood, concrete. That's about it. We like to keep it simple.

(Project Resources)
- M&M Lighting - fixtures & fans
- Thorntree - natural stone
- Detering Company - trim, moulding, doors, & windows
- Custom Precision Stainless - stainless sinks & shelves
- Montalbano Lumber - building materials
- DalTile - subway tile, etc.
- West End Roofing
- Ferguson Plumbing Supply
- Rivas HVAC
- Custom Cabinets & Trim - cabinets & trim carpentry
- Eddie Figueroa - flooring
- EnergyGuard - expanding spray foam insulation
- Renovation Innovation - interior design & project management

For more details about these units send an email to upperkirby1@medusaproperties.com .

Algerian Way
Houston, TX 77098
(map)

Unit ONE

vacant:

rent:

bedrooms:

bathrooms:

square feet:

$1145

700

Mid-century flat with very modern updates.

-Clean, modern, sleek interior.
-Stained concrete floors.
-Exposed brick wall in living room.
-Great light - lots of windows.
-Awesome location @ Kirby & 59.
-State of the art kitchen with high-end all-stainless appliances.
-New central air & heat, double glazed windows + expanding foam insulation for super energy efficiency and sound-proofing.

* In addition to the 670 square feet of heated space this unit comes with a 200 s.f., fully fenced, private brick patio (12x18).

This unit has everything built in--from the microwave to the washer & dryer. All designed in from the beginning. In the kitchen you’ve got all stainless, high-end appliances like...

-Siemens dual fuel range - with gas cooktop & convection oven. (I guarantee you will not find this range in any other apartment in town. Very rare, special order--and very expensive.)
-Bosch stainless "integrated" dishwasher. All stainless inside & out. Controls on top of the door for a clean look. Bosch makes the quietest (and most expensive) dishwashers on the market. (So quiet that sometimes I have to open mine to see if the damn thing is finished or not!)
-GE front-loading, under-counter washer & dryer. Super quiet & super efficient--European style--built right into the kitchen cabinets.
-GE Spacemaker undercounter microwave. Hangs from the cabinets so you don’t waste any counter space. Very clean, low profile, stainless design.
-GE top fridge / bottom freezer stainless unit. (They cost me $1500/each and I didn’t want to go there but after I spec-ed out the other appliances I just could skimp on the refrigeration...)

- Concrete floors. Super easy to maintain. They have a great patina from the original linoleum that was glued down in the 1940s which left kind of a light grid pattern on the floor that is very cool.

THIS UNIT IS NOW LEASED THROUGH JUNE 2010.

SEND EMAIL TO UPPERKIRBY@MEDUSAPROPERTIES.COM FOR MORE INFO ON SHOWINGS AND OTHER AVAILABILITY AT THIS PROPERTY.

Download Rental Application

Unit TWO

vacant:

rent:

bedrooms:

bathrooms:

square feet:

$1145

700

Mid-century Modern vintage with very modern updates.

-Clean, modern, sleek interior.
-Stained concrete floors.
-Exposed brick wall in living room.
-Great light - lots of windows.
-Awesome location @ Kirby & 59.
-State of the art kitchen with high-end all-stainless appliances.
-New central air & heat, double glazed windows, & expanding foam insulation for super energy efficiency and sound-proofing.

* In addition to the 670 square feet of heated space this unit comes with a 200 s.f., fully fenced, private brick patio (12x18).

This unit has everything built in--from the microwave to the washer & dryer. All designed in from the beginning. In the kitchen you’ve got all stainless, high-end appliances like...

-Siemens dual fuel range - with gas cooktop & convection oven. (I guarantee you will not find this range in any other apartment in town. Very rare, special order, and very expensive.)
-Bosch stainless "integrated" dishwasher. All stainless inside & out. Controls on top of the door for a clean look. Bosch makes the quietest (and most expensive) dishwashers on the market. (So quiet that sometimes I have to open mine to see if the darn thing is finished or not!)
-GE front-loading, under-counter washer & dryer. Super quiet & super efficient--European style--built right into the kitchen cabinets.
-GE Spacemaker undercounter microwave. Hangs from the cabinets so you don’t waste any counter space. Very clean, low profile, stainless design.
-GE top fridge / bottom freezer stainless unit. (They cost me $1500/each and I didn’t want to go there but after I spec-ed out the other appliances I just could skimp on the refrigeration...)

- Concrete floors. Super easy to maintain. They have a great patina from the original linoleum that was glued down in the 1940s which left kind of a light grid pattern on the floor that is very cool.

THIS UNIT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONTRACT THROUGH JULY 2010.

SEND EMAIL TO UPPERKIRBY@MEDUSAPROPERTIES.COM FOR MORE INFO ON SHOWINGS AND OTHER AVAILABILITY AT THIS LOCATION.

Download Rental Application

Unit THREE

vacant:

rent:

bedrooms:

bathrooms:

square feet:

$1145

700

Sweet upstairs loft in 1940s vintage building.

Featuring:

-New 13 SEER central air & heat
-Hardwood floors
-Vaulted ceilings
-Exposed brick walls
-Exposed steel I-beams
-Retro/Modern look
-High-end, stainless steel appliances
-Bosch d/w
-Siemens dual fuel range
-Washer/dryer in the unit
-Large deck off the kitchen
-Off-street, covered, assigned parking

There is nothing else like this anywhere in town--at any price. These units are one of a kind, hand-built, money-is-no-object restorations.

Killer Upper Kirby location. Only six units total at this site. All young professional tenants.

*** UPDATE *** THIS UNIT IS NOW LEASED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2009.

Download Rental Application

Unit FOUR

vacant:

rent:

bedrooms:

bathrooms:

square feet:

$1145

700

Download Rental Application

Unit GAR APT 5

vacant:

rent:

bedrooms:

bathrooms:

square feet:

Yes

$895

500

SWEET one bedroom garage apartment in Upper Kirby area.

Garage apartments tend to be the bastard stepchildren of the rental world... poorly designed, cheaply executed, habitually neglected. This apartment is none of those things. Better bath & kitchen than you'll find in just about any apartment in the city--in any price range. I spend more per foot on these units than I did on the large 1/1's in the main building (that rent for $1095/mo).

-Hardwood floors throughout.
-Great open floor plan.
-Eat-in kitchen with all the major appliances built in (including gas range, disposal & dishwasher).

- Awesome bathroom with deep soaking tub & rain shower w subway tile, & a big closet.

- Super nice kitchen with stainless & white appliances, quartz counters, gas range, and deep, stainless, commercial sink.

- Central A/C! 1.5 ton units are the smallest they make now that 13 SEER is the minimum efficiency rating (this square footage would really only need a 1 ton unit based on size). So this place will be nice & cool on even the hottest summer day.

- Windows--all new, operable, insulated, low-e windows. Great light but super energy efficient. (Also just insulated the entire building--including six to eight inches of expanding foam underneath the apartments.)

- Washer & dryer right below the unit in the garage. Free. Shared only with other garage apartment tenant.

- Nice little garden patch / patio behind the garage... Megan's got some huge 'maters growing back there...

*** WiFi. This property has a dedicated WiFi signal built right in for the tenants to share.

This space & location is the antithesis to the "big box" mega-complexes that are going up all over town. No neighbors above or below you... A simple, quiet place to call home in a phenomenal location.

Typically I do not allow dogs of any size or breed in upstairs units... but since there are no neighbors below (just parking spaces), I'll consider dogs on a case x case basis in this unit. However, since there is new carpet in the entry / stairway, the deposit would be $500 and $100 of that would be non-refundable.

*** THIS UNIT IS COMING AVAILABLE FOR A JANUARY 2010 MOVE IN. SEND EAMIL TO upperkirby1@medusaproperties.com FOR MORE DETAILS & INFO ABOUT SHOWING DATES & TIMES.

Download Rental Application

Unit GAR APT 6

vacant:

rent:

bedrooms:

bathrooms:

square feet:

$895

500

Unique one bedroom garage apartment in Upper Kirby area. Close to Rice & the Medical Center.

Hardwood floors throughout. Compact apartment with a great open floor plan.
Eat-in kitchen with all the major (stainless) appliances built in (including Siemens gas range, deep custom stainless sink with disposal, dishwasher, and sub-zero style fridge with freezer on the bottom).

Large, sunny bathroom with deep soaking tub & overhead rain shower, subway tile, & big closet.

Central A/C! 1.5 ton units are the smallest they make now that 13 SEER is the minimum efficiency rating (this square footage would really only need a 1 ton unit based on size). So this place will be nice & cool on even the hottest summer day. (This apartment also has all new double-pane windows + all new insulation in the walls, ceilings and floors... which helps keep the bills low & the planet cool.)

WiFi. This property has a dedicated WiFi signal built right in. (included in monthly utils gas & water @ $35/mo)

Laundry. The two garage apartments share a washer & dryer, which is in the garage. The laundry is free.

There's also a pretty big area between the garage apartments & the building behind us that I've set up for gardening or grilling... so if you've got a green thumb or like to get your grill on, there's a place for you to do that at this property.

This space & location is the antithesis to the "big box" mega-complexes that are springing up all over the place. No neighbors above or below you... A simple, quiet place to call home in a phenomenal location.

*** THIS UNIT IS NOW LEASED THROUGH JANUARY 2011!

Download Rental Application