Midcentury Home Design Photos
The Brooklyn StudioThis residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine.
Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home.
The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living.
This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut.
Photography by Kevin Kunstadt
Acorn Deck House CompanyWith a grand total of 1,247 square feet of living space, the Lincoln Deck House was designed to efficiently utilize every bit of its floor plan. This home features two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two-car detached garage and boasts an impressive great room, whose soaring ceilings and walls of glass welcome the outside in to make the space feel one with nature.
Charles Petersheim, BuilderExterior of this modern country ranch home in the forests of the Catskill mountains. Black clapboard siding and huge picture windows.
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The Artisans Group, Inc.Winner of the 2018 Tour of Homes Best Remodel, this whole house re-design of a 1963 Bennet & Johnson mid-century raised ranch home is a beautiful example of the magic we can weave through the application of more sustainable modern design principles to existing spaces.
We worked closely with our client on extensive updates to create a modernized MCM gem.
Extensive alterations include:
- a completely redesigned floor plan to promote a more intuitive flow throughout
- vaulted the ceilings over the great room to create an amazing entrance and feeling of inspired openness
- redesigned entry and driveway to be more inviting and welcoming as well as to experientially set the mid-century modern stage
- the removal of a visually disruptive load bearing central wall and chimney system that formerly partitioned the homes’ entry, dining, kitchen and living rooms from each other
- added clerestory windows above the new kitchen to accentuate the new vaulted ceiling line and create a greater visual continuation of indoor to outdoor space
- drastically increased the access to natural light by increasing window sizes and opening up the floor plan
- placed natural wood elements throughout to provide a calming palette and cohesive Pacific Northwest feel
- incorporated Universal Design principles to make the home Aging In Place ready with wide hallways and accessible spaces, including single-floor living if needed
- moved and completely redesigned the stairway to work for the home’s occupants and be a part of the cohesive design aesthetic
- mixed custom tile layouts with more traditional tiling to create fun and playful visual experiences
- custom designed and sourced MCM specific elements such as the entry screen, cabinetry and lighting
- development of the downstairs for potential future use by an assisted living caretaker
- energy efficiency upgrades seamlessly woven in with much improved insulation, ductless mini splits and solar gain
KraftMaster RenovationsWe took the wall down that originally divided these two rooms, combining them to make one beautiful dining/kitchen area.
Photos by Chris Veith.
Eco Outdoor USAArchitecture & Interiors: Studio Esteta
Photography: Sean Fennessy
Located in an enviable position within arm’s reach of a beach pier, the refurbishment of Coastal Beach House references the home’s coastal context and pays homage to it’s mid-century bones. “Our client’s brief sought to rejuvenate the double storey residence, whilst maintaining the existing building footprint”, explains Sarah Cosentino, director of Studio Esteta.
As the orientation of the original dwelling already maximized the coastal aspect, the client engaged Studio Esteta to tailor the spatial arrangement to better accommodate their love for entertaining with minor modifications.
“In response, our design seeks to be in synergy with the mid-century character that presented, emphasizing its stylistic significance to create a light-filled, serene and relaxed interior that feels wholly connected to the adjacent bay”, Sarah explains.
The client’s deep appreciation of the mid-century design aesthetic also called for original details to be preserved or used as reference points in the refurbishment. Items such as the unique wall hooks were repurposed and a light, tactile palette of natural materials was adopted. The neutral backdrop allowed space for the client’s extensive collection of art and ceramics and avoided distracting from the coastal views.
Simply Stunning SpacesWe love how this Mid-Century Modern project in La Jolla turned out! This 2019 remodel has an open floorplan with mid-century design accents and subtle pops of color. We love creating spaces that are simultaneously on-trend and timeless. If you're looking for a mid-century modern upgrade for your home, give us a call!
Klopf ArchitectureKlopf Architecture and Outer space Landscape Architects designed a new warm, modern, open, indoor-outdoor home in Los Altos, California. Inspired by mid-century modern homes but looking for something completely new and custom, the owners, a couple with two children, bought an older ranch style home with the intention of replacing it.
Created on a grid, the house is designed to be at rest with differentiated spaces for activities; living, playing, cooking, dining and a piano space. The low-sloping gable roof over the great room brings a grand feeling to the space. The clerestory windows at the high sloping roof make the grand space light and airy.
Upon entering the house, an open atrium entry in the middle of the house provides light and nature to the great room. The Heath tile wall at the back of the atrium blocks direct view of the rear yard from the entry door for privacy.
The bedrooms, bathrooms, play room and the sitting room are under flat wing-like roofs that balance on either side of the low sloping gable roof of the main space. Large sliding glass panels and pocketing glass doors foster openness to the front and back yards. In the front there is a fenced-in play space connected to the play room, creating an indoor-outdoor play space that could change in use over the years. The play room can also be closed off from the great room with a large pocketing door. In the rear, everything opens up to a deck overlooking a pool where the family can come together outdoors.
Wood siding travels from exterior to interior, accentuating the indoor-outdoor nature of the house. Where the exterior siding doesn’t come inside, a palette of white oak floors, white walls, walnut cabinetry, and dark window frames ties all the spaces together to create a uniform feeling and flow throughout the house. The custom cabinetry matches the minimal joinery of the rest of the house, a trim-less, minimal appearance. Wood siding was mitered in the corners, including where siding meets the interior drywall. Wall materials were held up off the floor with a minimal reveal. This tight detailing gives a sense of cleanliness to the house.
The garage door of the house is completely flush and of the same material as the garage wall, de-emphasizing the garage door and making the street presentation of the house kinder to the neighborhood.
The house is akin to a custom, modern-day Eichler home in many ways. Inspired by mid-century modern homes with today’s materials, approaches, standards, and technologies. The goals were to create an indoor-outdoor home that was energy-efficient, light and flexible for young children to grow. This 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom new house is located in Los Altos in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, and Chuang-Ming Liu
Landscape Architect: Outer space Landscape Architects
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers
Staging: Da Lusso Design
Photography ©2018 Mariko Reed
Location: Los Altos, CA
Year completed: 2017
Tutto InteriorsWhat was once a very outdated single pedestal master bathroom is now a totally reconfigured master bathroom with a full wet room, custom floating His and Her's vanities with integrated cement countertops. I choose the textured tiles on the surrounding wall to give an impression of running water.
Midcentury Home Design Photos
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