As a child, Don Gruber knew his St. Paul house was special. Although built in the 1930s, the high-style architectural design boasted inventive use of materials and new technology.
The all-steel structure was clad in metal panels, and a gold-leaf finish covered the foyer hallway. "People always wanted to touch the walls," recalled Gruber.
The home's first owner, Emmett Butler, was an iron ore businessman. He hired the Steel Projects Construction Co. to build the unique two-story residence in the Mac-Groveland neighborhood.
It was a model for the "Home of Tomorrow," designed to showcase the latest in windows, kitchen and bathroom design. In 1946, Don's father, Francis Gruber, bought the home where Don and his sister grew up. A year after Francis died in 1985, Don and his wife, Rosemary, moved in and raised their two daughters inside the four-bedroom residence, which sits on a third of an acre.
"After the closing, my mother handed me the keys," said Don. "She said 'Now redecorate the place.' "
Over the past 30 years, Don and Rosemary have made the home their own, with cosmetic updates including fresh paint and wallpaper, and adding a gas fireplace to the living room.
Unlike wood-framed homes, the steel walls are as square as the day the home was built, said Don.
"Our wallpaper guy is the happiest man in the world," added Rosemary.
