House Hunting: Two-story Dow house at 1400 W. Sugnet Road

This Alden B. Dow house at 1400 W. Sugnet is not the typical ranch the Midland architect is best known for. This house is a two-story structure built in the early 1940s for Phillip T. Rich, former publisher of the Midland Daily News. But as with any Dow house, the outside blends perfectly into the inside, with lots of natural light through large windows, edge grain fir trim on flooring and windows, and large closets and oversized wood doors. The house has most of its original pine flooring.

The house sits on a large city lot across from the Midland Country Club. The deep front yard has been landscaped with gently rolling mounds to mimic the golf course across the road. Looking out any of the many front windows, the road disappears and the landscape rolls uninterrupted from the house to the golf course. What brilliant idea!

The living room is L-shaped and has a wall of large windows that affords that view. The kitchen, also L-shaped and off the living room, includes its own cozy seating area, directly under a skylight and brightened with corner windows that look out onto the in-ground pool. Yes, an in-ground pool, fenced, and sparkling turquoise on this sunny day.

The backyard and pool area are accessed through a tall iron front gate that leads to a covered porch and then the backyard. Lots of room for water fun as well as plenty of manicured lawn. Gorgeous!

Back in the kitchen, the gray cabinets complement black granite countertops and a large peninsula island with sink and sitting stools. Original glass blocks are above the countertop stovetop. A large eat-in dining table is in the kitchen. A prep sink is among plenty of pantry cabinets.

Upstairs are four bedrooms. The master bedroom has its own bathroom, lots of closet space and a view of that rolling front yard.