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Houzz Tour: Opening Up a Midcentury Modern Time Capsule
A 1957 home gets a sensitive update that lets in the light and honors its awesome retro style — pink bathroom and all
After a two-year search in a cutthroat real estate market, a Minnesota couple finally landed their dream home: a remarkably untouched, architect-designed house custom-built in 1957. Their next step was to enlist builder Dorian Thompson of Thompson Construction to update it for their young family. But as fans of midcentury modern design, their idea of an update was returning the home to its original “mid-mod” glory, with a few high-impact changes to improve its functionality and brighten its dark interior. Now it’s like a brand-new house, even though it’s hard to tell what’s original and what just looks that way.
The wow factor is saved for the back of the home, which is largely floor-to-ceiling glass — another signature of California modern architecture. The home is built on a slope, so it has a garden level and a basement as well.
The couple purchased the house from the family of the original owners, making them only the second family to live in the house. A remarkably untouched time capsule, it even came with the original blueprints.
Scroll to the bottom to see the new floor plans.
The couple purchased the house from the family of the original owners, making them only the second family to live in the house. A remarkably untouched time capsule, it even came with the original blueprints.
Scroll to the bottom to see the new floor plans.
Before Photo
Before: When they first entered the house, the new owners were greeted with a verdant view out the living room windows (albeit partially obscured by a wall) — and this dark carpet.
After: We’ll get to that wall in a minute. But first, admire the light, bright living and dining room’s new look, which features a custom floor of 3-by-3-foot terrazzo concrete tiles.
Terrazzo reached peak popularity in the 1950s, so it’s an appropriate choice for the home — and it just so happens to be trending now too.
Tile: Venice collection in Alabaster lmc + lyc, Concrete Collaborative
Terrazzo reached peak popularity in the 1950s, so it’s an appropriate choice for the home — and it just so happens to be trending now too.
Tile: Venice collection in Alabaster lmc + lyc, Concrete Collaborative
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One signature feature of the home that didn’t require restoration was its original brick fireplace. The continuation of the brick on either side of the glazing enhances the home’s connection to the outdoors.
The homeowner (the founder of Novella Design House) selected all of the finishes and furnishings, using Houzz for inspiration.
Houzz Tour: Texas Pro’s Green Home Channels Palm Springs
The homeowner (the founder of Novella Design House) selected all of the finishes and furnishings, using Houzz for inspiration.
Houzz Tour: Texas Pro’s Green Home Channels Palm Springs
Often, the windows in midcentury modern homes like this are single-pane and best replaced — a pricey proposition. Not so here, fortunately. “Believe it or not the original windows in this home were state-of-the-art and were double-paned,” builder Thompson says. He notes that when they opened up any exterior walls, they did add a vapor barrier and insulation to further improve efficiency.
The window to the right of the fireplace was once a solid door, which Thompson recommended replacing with glass. The change, which was relatively inexpensive, dramatically brightened the room.
Your Guide to Midcentury Style
The window to the right of the fireplace was once a solid door, which Thompson recommended replacing with glass. The change, which was relatively inexpensive, dramatically brightened the room.
Your Guide to Midcentury Style
Before Photo
Before: The original owners had barely changed a thing in the house since 1957, including the kitchen. “The veneers on the doors were peeling off,” Thompson says, and the cabinets were odd sizes.
The new homeowners weighed whether to restore the kitchen or replace it to increase its size and functionality.
The new homeowners weighed whether to restore the kitchen or replace it to increase its size and functionality.
After: Ultimately, they opted for the latter but paid homage to the original style. They had custom cabinets made to match the old ones and the other built-ins throughout the house and added slim, modern-style brushed brass pulls.
Remember the wall that obscured the clear view from the front door through the living room windows? It’s gone. Instead of being boxed in, the kitchen is now open to the living and dining room, with a new 13-foot waterfall island between them.
“It is not that huge of a space, but it feels big to your senses because of the massive windows,” Thompson says.
Countertops: MSI quartz in Arctic White; trim and wall paint: Kestrel White, Sherwin-Williams
Remember the wall that obscured the clear view from the front door through the living room windows? It’s gone. Instead of being boxed in, the kitchen is now open to the living and dining room, with a new 13-foot waterfall island between them.
“It is not that huge of a space, but it feels big to your senses because of the massive windows,” Thompson says.
Countertops: MSI quartz in Arctic White; trim and wall paint: Kestrel White, Sherwin-Williams
You can see the full effect here.
Another extensive upgrade that’s less apparent is the home’s new electrical system.
“The whole house had original low-voltage wiring, which was absolutely cutting-edge for its day,” Thompson says. “But many of the switches were no longer operating correctly, and light fixtures and wall receptacles were almost nonexistent. We ended up running new underground power and installing a new 200-amp panel because the home was underrated for amperage. The entire electrical system had to be rewired from the ground up.”
Another extensive upgrade that’s less apparent is the home’s new electrical system.
“The whole house had original low-voltage wiring, which was absolutely cutting-edge for its day,” Thompson says. “But many of the switches were no longer operating correctly, and light fixtures and wall receptacles were almost nonexistent. We ended up running new underground power and installing a new 200-amp panel because the home was underrated for amperage. The entire electrical system had to be rewired from the ground up.”
Here’s a view past the island and out to the front yard.
In these midcentury modern homes with flat roofs and tongue-and-groove wood ceilings, there’s no room for ductwork or electrical wiring. So Thompson and his team had to conceal the new wiring behind the ceiling surface and down the new posts on either side of the island, which they custom-built to match the home’s other posts.
In these midcentury modern homes with flat roofs and tongue-and-groove wood ceilings, there’s no room for ductwork or electrical wiring. So Thompson and his team had to conceal the new wiring behind the ceiling surface and down the new posts on either side of the island, which they custom-built to match the home’s other posts.
You can just barely see the recessed lighting they installed above the island; midcentury-modern-style globe lights and track lighting illuminate the rest of the house. Note the range hood that’s artfully camouflaged among the ceiling beams.
At the far end of the kitchen is a glass door that opens to a breezeway connected to the garage and a covered deck.
Kitchen of the Week: Mad for Mod Makeover
At the far end of the kitchen is a glass door that opens to a breezeway connected to the garage and a covered deck.
Kitchen of the Week: Mad for Mod Makeover
The deck area is perfect for entertaining on warm evenings. Scroll back to the second photo to see how the property’s elevation change lets it look out into the tree canopy and over the large backyard.
At the other side of the great room, just inside the entry, are triangular stairs that are also original to the house. They were carefully restored and re-covered with new carpeting, which replicates the existing carpeting (in a lighter color) and continues on the other levels.
Look closely and you can make out a protective triangle of glass closing off the space below the stairs.
Look closely and you can make out a protective triangle of glass closing off the space below the stairs.
At the top of the stairs is a light-filled open office packed with fun finds, including a vintage radio on a console brought from the new owners’ previous home and a desk they moved up from the basement.
Zoom in on the painting hanging above the radio. “It was left with the house and was done by the original owners when the home was built,” Thompson says.
Zoom in on the painting hanging above the radio. “It was left with the house and was done by the original owners when the home was built,” Thompson says.
The primary bedroom is also on this level and required little other than the new carpet and paint, new lighting and accent wallpaper selected by the homeowner.
The bedroom’s built-ins are original, including the vanity area and the cool, corner-turning storage headboard pictured in the previous photo.
Sandwiched between the office and the primary bedroom is a primary bathroom that was high-tech for its day.
“There was hot water in-floor heat,” Thompson says. “That was pretty advanced for 1957.”
Unfortunately, it required extensive updates, largely because of a significant amount of rot around the shower. But the homeowners were committed to preserving the spirit of a colorful 1950s bathroom.
“There was hot water in-floor heat,” Thompson says. “That was pretty advanced for 1957.”
Unfortunately, it required extensive updates, largely because of a significant amount of rot around the shower. But the homeowners were committed to preserving the spirit of a colorful 1950s bathroom.
They restored the original built-in cabinetry and added a colorful terrazzo countertop and second sink.
Countertop: Venice in Alabaster l mixed c, Concrete Collaborative
Countertop: Venice in Alabaster l mixed c, Concrete Collaborative
In the shower, they installed a perky pink subway tile in a vertical stacked pattern and used the same terrazzo for shelves and to top the threshold.
The original black floor tile was loose, so they replaced it with a close match.
Shop from a curated collection of bathroom vanities
The original black floor tile was loose, so they replaced it with a close match.
Shop from a curated collection of bathroom vanities
Below the primary bedroom and office is the garden level, which has two kids’ bedrooms with new, larger egress windows.
In this image of the stairwell, you can see 1950s-style green vinyl composite tile (VCT) flooring that the homeowners selected for all of the previously unfinished areas of the house. The color perfectly matches the color of the original painted ceiling beams.
In this image of the stairwell, you can see 1950s-style green vinyl composite tile (VCT) flooring that the homeowners selected for all of the previously unfinished areas of the house. The color perfectly matches the color of the original painted ceiling beams.
Down those stairs, in the basement, the Thompson crew removed a center wall to build this large family room, where the family can hang out and watch television by the warmth of the original wood stove.
Recently, the project was featured in a statewide homes tour, during which some of Thompson’s work barely went noticed. Ironically, that gave him great pleasure.
“Many seasoned mid-mod homeowners [told] me that they could not tell where the new work started and the original work ended,” he says. That was music to the skilled craftsperson’s ears.
“Many seasoned mid-mod homeowners [told] me that they could not tell where the new work started and the original work ended,” he says. That was music to the skilled craftsperson’s ears.
The garden-and-basement-level floor plan
The main-level floor plan
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two kids, ages 6 and 11
Location: Wayzata, Minnesota
Size: 2,578 finished square feet (240 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architect-builder: Thompson Construction
Designer: Novella Design House
The redwood-clad home sits on 1.9 acres — expansive enough to once have featured a par-three golf hole. Designed in a California modern, Eichler-like style, it has post-and-beam construction, a largely flat roof, a minimalist street-facing facade with few windows and an attached garage.
The couple removed a tall redwood fence and overgrown plantings that obscured the front door.
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