Mushroom House

The Mushroom House or Pod House is a contemporary residence in the town of Perinton, New York which has been featured in television programs (notably HGTV's Offbeat America series) and books due to its whimsical appearance. Patterned after umbels of Queen's Anne's Lace, its brown color is more suggestive of mushrooms.  The house was constructed for attorney-artist couple Robert and Marguerite Antell between 1969 and 1972 and was designated a town landmark in 1989. The structure is sited in a moderately-wooded ravine adjacent to Powder Mills Park. The house itself comprises four 80 ton pods which rest on reinforced concrete stems of 14 to 20 feet in height. These fan out from three feet in diameter where they connect to the pods to five feet at the base. The sides of each pod's "cap" are completely windowed. One pod serves as the living and dining area, one as the kitchen/family room, and two as sleeping areas. An additional "half pod" provides an open deck area. The exterior is concrete with it side walls and unique meringue tops for four of the pods!  Due to this, the house is a very quiet home inside.  The new addition has concrete walls, however, it is built into the side of a hill, making it very energy efficient!  Open living at its best!