Back to the future

The Space House is being auctioned Saturday, and the owner is banking on an intergalactic bidding war to gain the best price for a landmark Chattanooga house.

“I think it’ll bring a little profit,” said owner Bob Carmical. “I’d like to see it get into the right people’s hands to make it shine.”

The Dalton, Ga., native said he bought the property about five months ago to make it shine and resell — home decorating is one of his business ventures — but now is the time to sell, he said. Mr. Carmical owns a truck liner business in Cleveland, Tenn., which is growing and taking more of his time, he said.

“I’ve had new doors open in my business,” he said. “I hadn’t planned to sell it this quick.”

A recent visit to the Space House proved an experience like none other on the planet. Part of the entryway was lined with wallpaper, ending at a traditional residential door. An amber-colored light panel illuminated the doorway.

The first thing one saw inside was a bar with mirrors lining the curved wall. Up another flight of stairs is the main living area. The living room is open to the kitchen which has a black-and-white checkerboard floor. A sliding glass door opens onto a small deck overlooking Signal Mountain Boulevard. Two bedrooms and a bathroom also occupy the main level.

The master suite is perhaps the most prominent interior feature. The round room is raised on a platform in the center of the main living area. But the master bedroom comfortably fits a bed and features a bathroom with Roman-style tub.

The auction will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, at the Space House, 1408 Palisades Road, on the side of Signal Mountain.

Terry Posey with Crye-Leike Realtors’ Cleveland office is running the auction. The auction will be absolute, Mr. Posey said, with no minimum bid and the highest bid winning.

The Space House has about 2,000 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and open bar/entertainment area, according to the listing.

The previous owner was Ken Bell, broker-owner of Diversified Inc. Realtors in Signal Mountain. Mr. Bell said last year that he bought the Space House in 2006 for his daughter to live in and renovate, but that plan fell through and he put the property up for sale, asking $184,900.

Mr. Carmical declined to say how much he paid, saying it could affect the bidding.

The Space House has mesmerized people and fired imaginations since it was built in 1970. It has been featured in national media, including a piece last year by HGTV. A newspaper story in 1973 estimated between 20,000 to 30,000 people had toured the property.

Mr. Carmical said he would like to have remodeled the dwelling in a 1970s style mixed with 1950s art deco.

“I always wanted to see the inside,” he said. “I fell in love with it. But if you’re a businessman, things come and go and you change your outlook.”

IF YOU GO

* What: Auction of the Space House

* When: 1 p.m. Saturday

* Where: Space House, 1408 Palisades Road

* Contact: Terry Posey, Crye-Leike Realtors, 593-3224