The seller of a modernist mansion in Ohio pulled inspiration from an architectural great and his favorite resorts to piece together a 16,325-square-foot abode, making updates and expansions over time.
It’s helped the 1985-built home, listed for $6.25 million, look like it could have been built in the modern day.
“It was very forward-thinking when it was built … This has really stood the test of time and been a timeless piece,” said listing agent David Ayers of The Agency Cleveland Northcoast.
The home has a white exterior with varied shapes of windows, angled rooflines and rounded porches, plus a glass atrium. The seller, the deceased founder and CEO of a major steel company, according to public records, cited Richard Meier’s work as an inspiration for the home, said Ayers.
Meier, a renowned modernist architect, is known for his use of white in spaces, filling them with light, creating clean interiors and using geometric silhouettes. In addition to several notable residences, Meier designed museums across the globe using his notable white exteriors, like The Getty Center campus in Los Angeles, the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art and the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome.
The home at 70 Basswood Lane was, however, designed by local architect John Wilson, said Ayers, but maintains many of those Meier-style traits. The owner reworked the property over their nearly 40 years of ownership.
“They added on as the years went on, and crafted it and shaped it for himself and family,” said Ayers.
The property has five bedrooms and nine bathrooms, an indoor basketball court and an outdoor pool that showcases resort inspiration.
The pool has a water fountain feature and a circular hot tub in the middle, surrounded by a pool deck that’s accessible from the walk-out lower level. The lower level houses the basketball court, sauna, meditation room, gym, game room, bar and “massive” steam shower.
There are some remnants of 1980s flair: shiny metal details and glass block accents.
The primary suite spans three floors, and Ayers said it’s “the most incredible owner suites” he’s seen.
Moreland Hills, where this home is located, is a suburb of Cleveland, located about 24 miles outside the city. Its median single-family sale price is $1.07 million, according to Homes.com. At $6.25 million, 70 Basswood is not the priciest home in the area, though.
A five-bedroom, eight-bathroom home with 13,656 square feet, built in 2013, is asking $6.5 million in nearby Chagrin Falls. In another neighboring town of Hunting Valley, an estate of 61 acres is on the market for nearly $18 million.
Ayers said that more East and West Coast residents are relocating to northeast Ohio, and the property could check boxes for those out-of-staters used to contemporary homes.
“It’s unbelievable what you can get. This exact same house in Miami or L.A. would be $40, $50 million … We’re starting to get a lot of people who don’t want the lifestyle of the city anymore, coming out and wanting a little bit more space and a lot higher quality of life," said Ayers.