Inside a 1970s gem by Atlanta’s Frank Lloyd Wright disciple, Robert Green

As of this week, midcentury modern enthusiasts Simon and Anna Tabke are the latest owners of what they consider a stylistic survivor of decades past—and an invaluable asset for Atlanta’s architectural history.

After tracking MCM-era home sales in the Atlanta market for a while, the couple closed Wednesday on a 1972 property designed by the late Robert Green, a revered—if unsung—local architect who was among Frank Lloyd Wright’s last disciples at Taliesin West in the late 1950s.

Green’s distinctive projects still dot Atlanta’s landscape, from Buckhead to Roswell and beyond. The Tabke’s recent purchase near the Chattahoochee River in Sandy Springs reflects Green’s affinity for stonework, rounded walls, impressive room proportions, and sunken stone bars—and the organicism emphasized by his iconic instructor.

“We’re excited to own this piece of history,” wrote Anna Tabke in an email to Curbed Atlanta.

Slotted on a hillside to face sunsets and the Chattahoochee, the house was built of redwood and stone near a waterfall. It marked the second Green commission for Henry Schlachter and his wife, and later owners brought Green back in 1993 to build out the basement in a similar style, lending the property a fourth bedroom and bathroom.

Originally oiled redwood panelling, the exterior was painted gray back in the late 1970s, but other aspects from the rich interior woods, cantilevered patio, and impressive central fireplace closely mirror Green’s vision.

“The well-maintained and mostly unchanged situation is probably pure luck,” said Simon Tabke, in an email. “It seems like the last owners were simply impressed with the style of the house and didn’t see much need to alter it, but to preserve the original style.”

It counts just shy of 3,400 square feet, plus a 790-square-foot in-law suite in the basement. At some point, the kitchen and bathrooms appear to have been at least partly renovated, with new fixtures, a steam shower, and jacuzzi bathtub among the additions.

Overall, it’s a testament to diligent stewardship.

“We think the house was lucky to survive the crucial first decades unchanged, and the owners afterwards appreciated the original style—thus surviving a period where the general interest in MCMs declined,” said Simon Tabke.

Modus Modern has archived photos of the property, in its previous blue-carpeting state.

Records indicate the home last traded for $677,000 in 2013 and closed this week at $735,000.

Hats off to a true original.

Courtesy of Anna Tabke