Houzz Tour: Mid-century Modern on Cape Cod

What worked for 1948 society does not necessarily lend itself well to modern life, so when architect Mark Hammer was hired to add on to this International Style home, he had some serious rearranging to do. "The home had a very formal arrangement with absolutely no connection to modern family living," he says. His intervention needed to provide a new heart for the sprawling home and gathering spaces for an active family, with more private areas spinning from this center.

Hammer also wanted to honor the architecture of the home, located on property that was originally an extended part of architect Nathaniel Saltonstall's design for The Colony. The Colony has a star-studded and literati-laden history; it became a very private spot for creative types and celebrities to retreat and relax in peace, while mingling with one another.

It was originally developed by Saltonstall and his partner Oliver Morton as a private club for contemporary art collectors in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. This town and the larger area around it on the tip of Cape Cod (also known as "the outer Cape") have a long tradition of regional mid-century modernism. Hammer has studied this style, honored it when working on projects, fought to preserve it, brought it to the public via an annual house tour, and shared it via an exhibition he curated (running now through September 11, 2011). This project is an excellent example of how to preserve the original architecture, make it work for a modern family, and add to it in a way that not only respects its history, but enhances it.