Mexican War Streets House & Garden Tour features a home that's a work of art itself
There’s a home on Resaca Place that is a work of art, beginning with an exterior wall. A display depicts Roman ruins in a triptych — three panels, typically connected side by side. A garage door invites people walking by to share a message via rearranging magnetic words.
The owners call it “Art in the Alley.”
“I can hear when people move the magnets around,” said Glenn Olcerst, a retired attorney who owns the home with his wife, Barbara Talerico. “And they giggle. Because there are so many people in the alley, there is always someone moving the words around. That is pretty cool.”
The artistic elements continue inside. Guests are invited to visit the first level of the residence, one of 10 houses and two gardens being featured in the 52nd Annual Mexican War Streets House & Garden Tour on Sept. 15. The house was last on the tour in 2017.
Furnished with artwork from the couple’s travels all over the world, the house is full of unique architectural elements, including stonework hearths, tables, floors, walls and sculptures and stained-glass windows designed, created and installed by Olcerst. A self-taught photographer, he displays framed images of his work in the home. He also has a passion for glass and stone work, which he calls “stone art.”
The couple’s eye for design is evident the minute you walk through the front door. They said their vision represents a mix of vintage and modern.
The living room has stained- and leaded-glass windows and a marble fireplace hearth with a stained-glass fire screen. The chandelier in the formal dining room was imported from Paris, as was the furniture. Beveled glass windows complement the space.
The dining room design is art nouveau, a style from the late 19th century. The fireplace was featured on the HGTV show “Look What I Did.” The home was also featured on Hearst’s “Maker Nation.”
The couple has done five remodels to the home, built in 1888. A 2008 renovation included a project to convert a two-car garage and small courtyard into a larger, modern kitchen and a great room, extending the living space to 90 feet in length. They also added a full bathroom.
The bathroom, kitchen and bar furnishings were brought from Italy. A stone mosaic of a female dancer created by Olcerst is on the wall in the kitchen. She appears to be looking at a piece of art of a snow leopard across the room.
“Barb and Glenn’s home is a beautiful combination of traditional and eclectic styles, filled with luxurious finishes, unique decor and custom artwork by Glenn,” said Leslie Vincen, chair for the Mexican War Streets House & Garden Tour.
A native of the Bronx in New York City, Olcerst purchased the home in 1984. Talerico grew up in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. They met on a bicycle tour at Slippery Rock College in 1984 and married in 1997.
Olcerst’s images and some of the smaller stone art pieces will be for sale during the tour.
Olcerst and Talerico will be home on the day of the tour to answer questions and greet guests.
Talerico said being part of the tour is an opportunity to showcase why they love this historic neighborhood so much. It is also a wonderful source of new neighbors — some guests who have attended the tour returned to buy houses in the Mexican War Streets.
“It’s a very popular neighborhood. You can stroll down the street all you want or drive by, but this is a great opportunity to see the inside,” Talerico said. “The homes here may look the same on the outside to some degree but on the inside, they’re all very different.”
The Mexican War Streets House & Garden Tour is Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $30 and sold online only. No tickets are sold on the day of the tour.
Details: mexicanwarstreets.org
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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