Modesto 'Time Capsule'

Modesto may not be a hotbed for California mid-century modern, but every so often we get pleasantly surprised by one of its diamond-in-disguise modern residences loaded with possibilities.

Like the Bare house, which recently went up for sale there.

What's more, it's a rarity to find a home on today's market that hasn't been diminished to some degree through insensitive remodeling. Too often an architect's original design intention gets marred by a hasty sledgehammer, or by a can of white paint gone wild.

But not at the Bare house, an impressive, well-preserved, and perhaps underrated single-family home from 1968 that still retains its period essence. And even without the advantages of MCM staging as eye candy, its beauty, in a very natural way, shines through.

Located at 2502 Dorrington Court, a cul-de-sac in Modesto's quiet Northgate neighborhood, the Bare house is expected to entice California modernism fans with its 'affordable' $615,000 price tag.

Designed by Oregon-born architect Raymond Abst, who was recognized an AIA design fellow in 1981, the home is "a super-meticulous build for its time," says listing agent Shari Arakelian of PMZ Real Estate.

Stepping inside the home, she says, "is like walking into a 1968 time capsule. Nothing's been touched except for some of the carpeting, and even the original electric curtains are still functional."

The home's Northgate region, says Arakelian, is a highly desirable, well-established "neighborly neighborhood," known for its excellent schools, parks, walkways, and bikeways, and the Hughson Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

The home was built by Dr. Grant and Colleen Bare. "Only the Bare family, now spelled 'Behr,' have lived in this property," Arakelian says, adding that "the original floor plans have been preserved for the new owners."