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Firant family residence, 1621 Breton SE, East Grand Rapids, Michigan

Firant family residence, 1621 Breton SE, East Grand Rapids, Michigan

Sunday, August 28, 3-5:30 West Michigan Modern Pop-up Tour.  See the family home of Edgar R. Firant AIA at 1621 Breton SE, East Grand Rapids before it goes on the market.  RSVP kindly requested at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/firant-house-tour-tickets-27121979571

This is your opportunity to see the family home of mid-century architect Edgar Robert Firant before it hits the market.  RSVP kindly requested here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/firant-house-tour-tickets-27121979571

Firant, who died at the peak of his career in 1972, was greatly influenced by his studies with Mies van der Rohe at the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago (now Illinois Institute of Technology).  Firant designed many churches, modern executive homes and small commercial buildings in West Michigan.  Read more about Firant's principal works http://modernwm.org/new-index/#august-28-tour-home-of-architect-edgar-r-firant-aia

This mid-century home on Breton Road was designed by Firant for his family in 1956.  It was the beloved home for the close family of three and included a small apartment in the front of the home for Firant's mother-in-law.  Firant's wife, talented painter Gerda Elisabeth Firant, lived there until she died at age 99 in 2015. The home is still owned by daughter Laurel Firant, a composer and journalist, who has been getting the home ready to sell.    It has the original 1956 mid-century design features such as oak parquet floors, built-in storage and shelving units, Swedish Dux chairs, small Japanese garden viewed from the foyer windows combined with a lovely expansive lot and Firant's walk-out level studio where he launched his solo practice in 1959.  Laurel is hoping that, when the home goes on the market at the end of the summer, just the right appreciative owner will step forward to make this interesting house their own.  

On display at the August 28 tour, will be s0me original Firant architectural presentation boards, and Gerda's wonderful paintings.  Gerda exhibited her work all over the country and created beautiful stained glass windows for many churches designed by Firant.  http://modernwm.org/new-index/#new-page-17