The Modernist House from “Knives Out” Is on the Market in Massachusetts

As a real estate editor, Massachusetts native, and murder mystery lover, I was eager to see “Knives Out“, the whimsical Agatha Christie-like whodunnit movie that came out in December. Much of it was filmed inside beautiful houses in my home state, making it my idea of a perfect movie.

One such home that made my eyes turn into cartoon hearts was the modern place belonging to Chris Evans’ character, Ransom. The mid-century gem, tucked in the woods of the Bay State, offered a stark contrast to the Gothic Revival mansion most of the film took place in. Now, that impressive modern hideaway is for sale, and well, I wish it was mine.

The house is located in Lincoln, Mass., a leafy Boston suburb filled with modernist homes. Back in the mid-1900s, modernist architects flocked to Lincoln to build out their stone-and-glass fantasies. The architect of the “Knives Out” house, Walter Pierce, built a modernist neighborhood called Peacock Farm in the ’50s. But this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with International style flair was an aberration from his norm: The house for sale takes cues from the Bauhaus and what listing agent Bill Janovitz calls “West Coast-via-Japan” principles. He explains the place is reminiscent of Bauhaus artist Marcel Breuer’s residence, which is also located in Lincoln. 

Pierce’s 1957 creation in Lincoln’s Brown’s Wood neighborhood flaunts walls of glass, letting light in from all angles. An open-concept floor plan is anchored by a brick fireplace, while beyond it, a floating staircase leads to the second-level master suite, complete with a dressing room.

A renovated kitchen offers double ovens and a countertop gas range, and outside, the home’s original decks have been rebuilt. The 3,190-square-foot property also comes with membership for swimming and boating in nearby Valley Pond.

All this—plus some Hollywood cred—comes with a price tag of $1.4 million. The home is listed by Janovitz and John Tse of ModernMass.