AN INTERVIEW WITH MID-CENTURY MODERN PRESERVATIONIST, CHUCK LOHRE
In February 1960, the vibrant kitchen that was custom-designed for J. Ralp and Patricia Corbett leapt off the pages of House Beautiful magazine as the Modernist centerpiece of their "Pace Setter" home designed by Taliesin apprentice, John deKoven Hill.
Filled with cutting-edge materials and top-of-the-line appliances, this paragon of post-war American Organic Design was colorful, efficient and thoughtfully integrated into the rest of the home's environment. Trumpeted in the magazine's feature article, “This kitchen has every convenience built in right at hand, so you are free to concentrate on creative cooking, unhampered by the usual clutter.”
However, after Mrs. Corbett passed away in 2008, the once-futuristic kitchen did not resonate with the home's newest owners. As is often the case when a home changes hands, this 50-year old kitchen was in danger of being stripped out and unceremoniously carted off to the dump.
Luckily, Cincinnati Modern preservationists, Chuck Lohre and his wife, Janet Groeber, were aware of how important this kitchen was and were able to work with the Corbett House's owners to safely remove the design's various pieces and store it away to await its next home. After years of sitting in storage and trying to locate a new steward, the kitchen is currently scheduled to be auctioned-off as a fundraiser for the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati in June 2012. We interviewed Chuck to learn more about the efforts to save this Modern kitchen and what might be in store for its future.
