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Midcentury Modern Remodel Preserves Mountain Views
A designer uses Houzz to give a Boulder, Colorado, family a more functional layout and updated features and finishes
This modern home built in 1967 in the hilly Chautauqua area of Boulder, Colorado, has sweeping views of the surrounding mountains. But inside, it needed work to make it more functional for the current homeowners, a couple with two children. They turned to architects at Dodd-Studio to reconfigure the layout with materials and finishes consistent with the home’s midcentury design. They enlisted designer Kate Van Sluyter to update the interior.
Van Sluyter says the homeowners provided general design guidelines and “the feel they wanted to project” throughout their home. Van Sluyter set up a Houzz ideabook for her clients in which they commented on images they liked.
Van Sluyter says the homeowners provided general design guidelines and “the feel they wanted to project” throughout their home. Van Sluyter set up a Houzz ideabook for her clients in which they commented on images they liked.
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Outside, the home’s classic midcentury modern elements were left intact. These include the steeply sloping overhanging roof, tall vertical windows and brick exterior.
“They did have to touch up paint, and glazing was replaced, but all the exterior brick and the roofline were kept original, along with the window and door locations,” Van Sluyter says.
“They did have to touch up paint, and glazing was replaced, but all the exterior brick and the roofline were kept original, along with the window and door locations,” Van Sluyter says.
Dramatic roof angles allow the kitchen to be oriented toward sweeping views of Boulder, and on clear days, all the way to Denver.
The builders took the kitchen down to the studs. A wall separating the kitchen from the living area was removed to accommodate the clear ideas the homeowners had for their new space.
“With the kitchen, they specifically wanted gloss acrylic, and they were specific about cabinet finishes,” Van Sluyter says. “They were receptive to my flooring suggestions, tile, countertops and the wood we wrapped the beams in.”
In the photo above, the tall cabinet on the left is a refrigerator with a shiny front panel that integrates into the adjacent cabinetry. The matte finish of the walnut floors plays off the glossy acrylic cabinets to add visual interest.
For the kitchen counters, Van Sluyter chose an engineered ultra compact slab surface similar to quartz and porcelain and is considered very durable. “I love that it’s a manmade material, so it doesn’t have the upkeep of marble or granite. It has beautiful natural veining and comes in a matte finish instead of gloss. So with all the light coming in, it doesn’t have the glare,” she says.
“With the kitchen, they specifically wanted gloss acrylic, and they were specific about cabinet finishes,” Van Sluyter says. “They were receptive to my flooring suggestions, tile, countertops and the wood we wrapped the beams in.”
In the photo above, the tall cabinet on the left is a refrigerator with a shiny front panel that integrates into the adjacent cabinetry. The matte finish of the walnut floors plays off the glossy acrylic cabinets to add visual interest.
For the kitchen counters, Van Sluyter chose an engineered ultra compact slab surface similar to quartz and porcelain and is considered very durable. “I love that it’s a manmade material, so it doesn’t have the upkeep of marble or granite. It has beautiful natural veining and comes in a matte finish instead of gloss. So with all the light coming in, it doesn’t have the glare,” she says.
Before: The kitchen was cramped and dated before the renovation. The island and hood above it were removed. The refrigerator and cabinet were also removed and new versions were put in on the wall on the left side of the photo.
The renovation created a bright new space with a mix of finishes and a soaring vaulted ceiling. The black walnut flooring and wooden ceiling beams wrapped in hemlock warm the glossy gray cabinets and white countertops.
“The dramatic angles were so unique that we wanted to find a way to accentuate that and carry the beams throughout the house,” Van Sluyter says. “They’re also in the master bedroom and a hint of them in the bath. They express the existing structure of the house.”
Paint: Walls, Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White; baseboards and trim, Sherwin-Williams Pure White
“The dramatic angles were so unique that we wanted to find a way to accentuate that and carry the beams throughout the house,” Van Sluyter says. “They’re also in the master bedroom and a hint of them in the bath. They express the existing structure of the house.”
Paint: Walls, Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White; baseboards and trim, Sherwin-Williams Pure White
The black post on the island adds an industrial element and is a structural feature. It had to be added when a wall that supported the roof was removed. “That’s kind of what drove the shape of the island. There’s storage that faces the pantry, which is convenient and creates a walkway to the dining and living space.”
The sliding barn-style doors were custom manufactured with frosted glass and black-steel framing that mimics the island’s black-steel post. Behind the door, there’s a 27-inch-deep pantry on the right side and a separate closet with a hanging rod, cubbies above, and a bench to sit on with space for shoes underneath. The gray chair on the right of the photo is in the dining area.
The sliding barn-style doors were custom manufactured with frosted glass and black-steel framing that mimics the island’s black-steel post. Behind the door, there’s a 27-inch-deep pantry on the right side and a separate closet with a hanging rod, cubbies above, and a bench to sit on with space for shoes underneath. The gray chair on the right of the photo is in the dining area.
Here’s a look at the new kitchen’s floor plan.
The countertop material was extended up to the ceiling behind the range hood, which was custom-made from the same type of metal as the sliding barn door.
After: The shape of the powder room is a result of its location in the stairwell. Van Sluyter chose the sink, countertop, faucet, fixtures and wallpaper, using a gray-and-brass color scheme to give it modern appeal.
Before: This view from inside the old living room shows brick-wrapped columns.
Before: Here’s a view of the old loft above the living room.
After: The architects at Dodd-Studio decided to remove the loft to create a light-filled great room with a soaring ceiling. “It was a very dark living area with a loft above it,” Van Sluyter says. “They didn’t think they had any use for the loft, and by opening it up it created this light, bright modern space.” Behind the wall with the modern art, the builders created a walk-in closet for the master suite.
Dodd calls the removal of the loft “the big aha moment” in the home’s redesign, by unifying the space and dramatically increasing natural light. “One big thing we did for livability was to create a great room. In the process we got rid of the loft, so the whole volume of that space became one,” he says. “By taking the loft out, you got a path of sun throughout the day through the clerestory windows. This was the biggest transition architecturally.”
Dodd calls the removal of the loft “the big aha moment” in the home’s redesign, by unifying the space and dramatically increasing natural light. “One big thing we did for livability was to create a great room. In the process we got rid of the loft, so the whole volume of that space became one,” he says. “By taking the loft out, you got a path of sun throughout the day through the clerestory windows. This was the biggest transition architecturally.”
Before: The previous master bathroom was the epitome of poor lighting and dated finishes and fixtures.
After: A custom sliding door that matches the one downstairs reveals the bright new master bath.
The remodeled master bath features a shower with a sliding glass door. There’s a step up to the shower, where the floor slopes to a linear drain. The floor is terrazzo tile, and the shower wall is lined with black porcelain tile that looks like marble. Once the layout was in place, Van Sluyter picked the design of the sink, cabinet, plumbing fixtures and tile.
The homeowners requested a white gloss vanity in the same acrylic material as the kitchen cabinets. The tub is large enough for two. The original windows look toward the front of the house and are high enough for privacy.
The large-format terrazzo tile extends up the wall in the shower, with an integrated niche for shower supplies.
This corner of the master bedroom features a hint of beams on the ceiling and a bench next to a long custom built-in dresser that features glossy white acrylic cabinetry and a walnut counter.
This hall in the master suite takes advantage of the natural light provided by the frosted-glass sliding doors. Behind the door on the left, the builders created a small linen closet. The door on the right leads to the master bath, and straight ahead is the walk-in closet.
Before: Here’s the old walkout basement.
After: The basement family room features glossy gray acrylic cabinetry, which contrasts with a recessed white built-in bookcase. There’s a bathroom nearby, and the area can be closed off to make it a guest space. This level also contains the daughters’ bedrooms and bathroom.
The space previously had two bedrooms and one bathroom for both of them. It was made more functional by adding a second en suite, Dodd says.
The space previously had two bedrooms and one bathroom for both of them. It was made more functional by adding a second en suite, Dodd says.
Van Sluyter continued the home’s modern design in the daughters’ bathroom, with glossy gray acrylic cabinetry, a white quartz countertop for the vanity and mod penny tiles on the floor.
What she liked most about the brick house project was modernizing the midcentury design and working with such interesting architecture. “I got to be creative with the spaces. I love the midcentury modern style, and I also like the warmth of natural finishes,” she says.
What she liked most about the brick house project was modernizing the midcentury design and working with such interesting architecture. “I got to be creative with the spaces. I love the midcentury modern style, and I also like the warmth of natural finishes,” she says.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Size: 4,300 square feet (399 square meters); three bedrooms, five bathrooms
Designers: Kate Van Sluyter of Kimball Modern Design + Interiors (interior design) and Dodd-Studio (architecture)
Builder: Rob Luckett Builders
Architect Steve Dodd says the home was made more livable by opening up undersized rooms, enlarging the master bath and removing a fireplace in the master bedroom to create more space. “The rooms were undersized compared to what we do today, so we were doing what we could to connect the spaces,” Dodd says.
Van Sluyter says, “Their goal was to preserve the architecture but also make it more functional for their daily lifestyle and two children, with updates to modernize it. We kept the language of midcentury modern but not outright. The finishes are more current.”