Our Favorite Homes: Art Moderne Masterpiece
Pristine Art Moderne design that helped bring the neighborhood back to life. Tony Valainis
Nearly every house in Meridian-Kessler causes whiplash, but there is only one example of Art Moderne, and it has been lovingly cared for since architect Don Altemeyer, a co-founder of BSA LifeStructures, and his wife, Teresa, bought it in 1977. The home is the 1938 work of Edward Pierre, one of the city’s seminal architects, and his designs are still prevalent throughout Midtown. But the Altemeyer house stands above them all with its monumental presence and lavish stone curves.
Inside Story
It’s a time capsule—the oval dining room has recessed lighting and the original table and buffet Pierre designed for the home. The focal point of the living room is an etching of Orion and Perseus in a limestone wall. Glass pocket doors separate the formal areas from the eat-in kitchen. There’s more light than you’d imagine based on the exterior because each room has windows on at least two sides. Don believes photos of the house speak for itself, while the real story is the role the prominent home played in pioneering Meridian-Kessler’s renaissance over the last 30 years. Back then, no one was interested in putting on a $1 million addition. “There are 32 kids on this block now,” Don says.
