Houzz Tour: Major Renovations Aid a Usonian Home
Its classic lines got to stay, but this 1950s home's outdated spaces, lack of privacy and structural problems got the boot
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
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“The flow and the lines of this house were great, but it needed to be brought up to date, and it needed a lot of structural repairs," says architect Ken Dahlin of Genesis Architects. Noted Wisconsin architect John Randal McDonald designed the house in 1952, influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian architecture.
When a modern-day buyer who appreciated the classic modern lines came along, she saw past the leaking roof, sagging cantilever and outdated kitchens and baths. She hired Dahlin to make the house meet contemporary needs while keeping its original spirit and intent intact. From the basement up to the roof, the renovations touched every space in the house in some way. Dahlin did such a good job of preserving the original feeling of the home that it was featured on the Wright & Like Home Tour in 2010.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A mother and her daughter
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Size: about 5,000 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms
Year built: 1952; remodel completed in 2009
That's interesting: The original architect, John Randal McDonald, became popular with celebrities, designing houses for Björn Borg, Mickey Mantle, Perry Como, Jimmy Connors and James Garner.
When a modern-day buyer who appreciated the classic modern lines came along, she saw past the leaking roof, sagging cantilever and outdated kitchens and baths. She hired Dahlin to make the house meet contemporary needs while keeping its original spirit and intent intact. From the basement up to the roof, the renovations touched every space in the house in some way. Dahlin did such a good job of preserving the original feeling of the home that it was featured on the Wright & Like Home Tour in 2010.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A mother and her daughter
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Size: about 5,000 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms
Year built: 1952; remodel completed in 2009
That's interesting: The original architect, John Randal McDonald, became popular with celebrities, designing houses for Björn Borg, Mickey Mantle, Perry Como, Jimmy Connors and James Garner.
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| The renovations were extensive, but Dahlin kept the original roofline intact. While the client loved the large windows, she wanted privacy from the street, so Dahlin added this cedar fence along the front. "We weren't sure if we should stain the fence or not, so I advised the client to live with it for a while," he says. "It's always easier to stain it later than to stain it first and undo it later." The natural patina of the cedar works well with the colors of the stone on the exterior. |
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| The new fence created a narrow courtyard space, which now contains a garden in the Japanese style, an aesthetic that influenced Frank Lloyd Wright. |
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| Interior designer Christine Phillips of Viola! mixed contemporary and iconic midcentury modern pieces throughout the home. A Noguchi coffee table occupies the center of the room; a large area rug is a nod to the nature-inspired touches that were common in Usonian architecture. |
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| A new staircase surround leading to the basement includes a nature-inspired etched glass gate. Stone walls, wood beams and large windows celebrate the textures of nature. |
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| "This cantilevered end of the living room was an odd area; the client liked the idea of transforming it into a Zen tea area," Dahlin says. Lamp: Akari Noguchi Floor Lamp 10A |
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| This cantilever contains the Zen area. It was sagging when the client bought the property; repairing it was part of the renovations. |
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BEFORE: "The kitchen was full of plastic laminate and needed a major overhaul," Dahlin says. "Today the kitchen is the heart of the home, while back in the '50s, it was more of a cramped service area."
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| Dahlin opened up the kitchen; the area where the range is had been a small mudroom. The steel-wrapped post is structural. The beams are original, and painting them to look like wood was much easier than stripping and staining them. Modern-day Plyboo bamboo used in the kitchen complements the other woods used throughout the house. The counters are quartz, and the backsplash is a ceramic mosaic tile that plays off the interior stone walls. |
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| The renovation's only expansion happened in this sunroom off the kitchen. The vertical post on the stone wall used to mark the line between inside and outside. Dahlin placed a built-in bookcase where an exterior door to the garage once was. Eames molded plywood chairs add another midcentury touch. |
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| The ceiling beams and newly stained concrete floors create continuity from sunroom to dining area. |
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| Unlike many Usonian homes, this one has a walk-out basement. The smaller cantilevers you see to the right once contained the main floor's closets. |
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| Dahlin replaced the master bedroom's less-than-adequate closet space with this custom storage and display unit that also contains a new gas fireplace. |
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| The master bedroom was already quite generous for a Usonian home. In fact, Dahlin borrowed a few feet from it for the new master bathroom. |
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| BEFORE: The bathrooms were small and outdated. |
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"In the master bath, we were going for an Asian spa-like feeling, where one thing flows into another," says Dahlin. Case in point: The stained concrete tub surround also serves as a shower bench, blurring the line between the bathtub and shower areas.
A new teak floor and teak ceiling slats create continuity, while clerestory windows let natural light stream in.
A new teak floor and teak ceiling slats create continuity, while clerestory windows let natural light stream in.
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| The bathroom repeats the Plyboo and quartz from the kitchen. Glass vessel sinks and wall-mounted faucets leave the counter feeling open and spa-like. Do you live in an amazing midcentury home? We'd love to see it. |
Ideabook updated on Jan. 14, 2013.
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Regarding the cost of renovations: It's always a good idea to get a variety of contractors in to look at your "job" and give estimates and ideas. In the exchange of ideas, you are more in touch with what you really want and what you can afford. Then, you can prioritize your needs and wants according to your budget and a reasonable time frame.
cstrickland - I'll check with Ken about the roof material - I know that is one place where technology has helped. We talked about how a lot of flat roofs from this era tend to fail eventually and I know it was completely re-done with materials that will stand up to the climate in Wisconsin - I'll be back when I have the answer or see if he cares to chime in!
http://www.thefranklloydwrighttour.com/apps/blog/show/11373419-john-christian-house-samara-frank-lloyd-wright-1954
http://www.zillow.com/blog/2012-12-21/frank-lloyd-wrights-staircase-home-in-phoenix-saved-by-anonymous-buyer/#
This spectacular rug was one of 3 selections interior designer Christine Phillips submitted to the homeowner for approval from Tufenkian Carpets; her go-to for the best is contemporary rug design. Check out www.tufenkiancarpets.com
Here is the interior designer's contact info:
Christine Phillips
Viola!~ PR and Design LLC
920-254-5563
www.violapranddesign.com
From the sidewalk it looks like a sleeping mask on a face and from the inside they were left with a miserable patch of garden worth of a somber back yard in the middle of a city block in some unfortunate sunless inner apartment.
What a pity! what a sad mistake!
I hope they can see this error and solve it immediately by removing this Berlin Wall that looks so aggressive towards the entire neighborhood.
They can protect themselves with so many devises: Sheer curtains inside, one side glass, etc.
And on the sidewalk line they could place whatever kind of visual protection they desire: Greens, any kind of fence, etc. But NEVER glued to the front of the house!!!
McDonald did a number of projects in our part of Florida, but, sadly, many of them have not survived.