Well, I hate everything about the interior, I wouldn't have liked it even in 1993. However a renovation this extensive begs the question of what condition this house was in, in 1993.

I would feel very different if the house was a wreck and ended up at this point vs. a fairly intact house that ended up this way.

Why, oh why couldn't the homeowners have just juxtaposed modernist furnishings with what were probably beautiful period details? Instead, they ripped the soul out of this house, in my very personal opinion.

For some reason, it makes me think of the Novogratzes (Sixx Design) who did a show on Bravo last year about their renos. Not that it should matter to me, but I hope that the house was falling apart and unable to be salvaged, and gutting it was the only solution.

When I first opened the thread, I thought "I didn't know they had buildings like that in Reno!"

Back to reality. Is it just me, or does some of the work done seem more 1983 than 1993? I think it looks like a children's hands-on museum of some kind. If I were five, I would love to play with model dinosaurs on that strange inlaid terrazzo flooring in the woodpile room.

We can presume the National Trust for Historic Preservation did not award them any prizes in the category of Sympathetic Additions.

I only have three words: What the hell??

If the building was distressed,and the neighborhood was dicey. I think there may be an excuse for doing a (then) contemporary rehab. It's much more expensive to preserve and work around than blow out and start from scratch. There are some odd and interesting rehabs that were done in houses that were bought for 4 figures in bad neighborhoods that now look like strange anomalies, in their now nice again neighborhoods.

I think post-Modernism is a stylistic tightrope, and even done well, it's not my favorite. Even Venturi, Scott-Brown, Associates have done a few post-Modernist houses I don't care for at all, and they were one of the innovators of the style.

On top of this, I don't think this style is old enough yet that we can look at it within a historical context.

I don't particularly like anything about this interior, but there may be some reasons why it exists as such. Unfortunately, I find it an imperfectly executed example of a style that is a bit hard to take to begin with.

sad. sad. sad.

I totally LOVE it! I'm not set on any one decorating style and modernism is a favorite of mine. The outside of the home is also beautiful!

I'll say it again, why would anyone buy a home from one era when they obviously like something modern? This is what has been called remuddled and it certainly fits!

What were they thinking? Have to agree with the likening to a hands-on children's museum of sorts. I don't have boys, but even if I did, a quasi Bob the Builder bath executed so poorly? There is nothing extraordinary in a home that is so deserving. Not even very marginally creative if you ask me. However, I would be willing to wager that there will be a nouveau riche buyer who finds this reno to be a "work of art".

Yes it is sad.

I know I keep chiming in, but, even though I don't particularly like it...at least they tried to do *something*.

So often, in my area, the house will be a beautiful early 19th c. house on the exterior, a bland series of drywall boxes on the inside with bathrooms and kitchens in varying unrelated styles, and off-the-shelf mixed details that don't relate to each other let alone the exterior.

At least this remodel had a consistent vision.

Yrs back I went to my employer's hse for a party - he and wife liked contemporary style and the decor was au courant of the early 90's, w/carved patterned area rugs in mauve seafoam green,cranberry, lacquered cabinets & DR furniture w/no sharp edges.
BTW, the lacquered coffee table mimicked the scroll in the carved rug

Somebody who didn't go, but knows my taste and out boss', wanted to dish and asked me what I thought of how his hse was decorated - waiting for my dissing.

I said it wasn't my taste, but it was very well done for
the style--and it was.
It was that style done to $$$$ perfection and nothing about it was tacky, etc.

BTW - he lived in a center hall colonial hse.

The place in the OP is well done and consistent for the style.

Back in the day I would purchase the compilation Showcase of Interior Design(regional edition) books.

These pics are from the 1993 Midwest edition.
I knew my boss used an ID and we thought it was this person--as they were both from the same burb...it wasn't, but the look fits his house to a tee back then.

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OUCH that just hurts my eyes, my everything

WOW! Gorgeous! and yes $$$$ very expensive!!!!! Lots of details, great flow & great use of textures....:0)

Here is one of my favorite VSBA houses.

The inside and the post-neo-classical elevation are the most Post-Modern elements of this one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ship's wheel house

Here is another VSBA house. I am not as enamored of this one. The interior though, is a prime example of this period of Post-Modernism.

I think you can see the impure expression of this in the renovated house that is dealing with existing structure vs. a more pure expression in this house, a newly built one.

Here is a link that might be useful: VSBA house in Pgh.

Pal.....I googled VSBA..... WOW! Gorgeous and expensive! That's decorating talent and an unlimited budget! Soooooooooooooo cool!

Somebody likes to karate chop pillows.

auntjen - LOL
the realtors on million dollar listing love karate chopping pillows!

I'm just hoping that this was the alternative to bulldozing it:/

gotta say, the 'wood pile' room's floor is interesting!!

AND, whatever that is hanging over the bed in the above pic DEFINITELY looks like it belongs in the Please Touch Museum!!!

Fascinating -- every time you think you've seen the ugliest thing ever, someone tops it. Can people go to jail for that kind of thing?

Lynxe, you got that right. I've seen some contemporary interiors on old houses that are very tastefully done and look wonderful. This is not one of them.
Diane

Forgot to post this one of boy's room.

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To be fair, we are seeing it empty--it may have looked a bit more cohesive or something, furnished.

I always feel that the generic or low end piece of furniture always looks less forlorn or less ugly than the custom upholstered piece when seen out of context. The high concept space often looks more bleak empty, too.

I live in a neighborhood with a medical school and there is plenty of high end furniture in the style of 30 years ago that ends up on the sidewalk or at the local thrift store--after having been through the life cycle of affluent parents' living room, to basement, to kid's apartment for grad school-- and in my opinion 'generic IKEA sofa' still looks like that outside its environment, but Henredon peach linen with brass plinth looks totally lost. It probably looked awesome with the peach lacquer coffee table.

But on the sidewalk it reminds me of the Hans Christian Andersen story of the little christmas tree. (I think that's it...)

I think there are elements that are savable and some have to go. That last pic of the boys' bedroom is cool.
Change the light fixtures and you have fixed half the battle to me.

Love the karate chop pillow reference. I will be shamelessly quoting that the next time I see pillows like that!