summilux Even though midcentury is not my favorite vernacular, this is a great example of respecting a style and maintaining the integrity of a home while bringing it up to date.

kennedytarheel Holy Cow! From the 2 before photos, it's evident that this is a wonderfully crafted renovation. I'd love to see lots more before photos!

midmodfan Beautiful!

kellystevens Beautiful. I know they never put budgets on this site, but it would actually be incredibly helpful if you did include some sort of price range. Most of us looking on this site are looking for ideas for our own remodeling projects and budget is the first part of planning.

Becky Harris kennedytarheel, here are the other BEFORE images Ken Dahlin sent me -

Becky Harris and a few more BEFORE shots...

Mission Millworks Great job in keeping the aesthetics of the original design. This is a project you should be proud of for years to come. Both for the homeowner and all the tradesmen involved.

Becky Harris @kellystevens, I am totally with you on getting a good idea about budgets, point well taken. Often it is a privacy issue for the homeowners. Do keep in mind that most pros who are bidding for your job will give the estimate for free, and you can ask for different price options, for instance, an estimate on a basement renovation with a full bath, or just stubbed for one to add when you have more money at a later date, etc.

midmodfan I can say from our own experience: a remodeling project like this is so expensive, nobody really wants to know the numbers, not even the homeowners. *lol*

Becky Harris midmodfan, too true, too true!

Dana Veach This is beautifully done.

Bud Dietrich, AIA What an absolutely beautiful home. And the value they've created far exceeds the actual dollars spent.

Urban Abode In the immortal words of Liz Lemon from 30 Rock - " I want to go to there."

kennedytarheel Becky, Thanks very much for posting more before photos. I've tried to match the before with the after photos just to marvel at the transformation in its totality. Simply awesome!
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.

tdivita what was used to paint the beams to look like wood instead of stripping and staining them? They look lovely.

vee22 I would assume they don' t give you an idea about the budgets is because you would probably faint at the cost of these renos. They are obviously not for the "average" homeowner who has little monies left over to afford a few extra luxuries much less a million dollar reno which they seem to feature more often than not. Come on Houzz highlight some renos that aren't obviously for the 1% only and give us peons who have to scrape for a living today, a chance to see what a limited budget can do, not just high end the sky's the limit type renos. It's tedious to see million dollar renos when most folks today are just barely managing to scrape by to put food on the table.

cstrickland03 Becky, What type of roofing material was used on this home during the remodel? This home looks a lot like my grandparents home in south Georgia. My grandfather was a building contractor in the 50's and 60's, he built a whole neighborhood of homes in this style.

normpo I can't think of any words that would highlight the beautiful job done on that beautiful house other than, "Can I move in with you two, I don't take up much space!"

patricia beharry Well done. I know from experience how a renovation can blow a budget. What started as a modest reno for me tripled by the time I got done. Actually, I never got done. ran out of cash.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel There are many things to appreciate here. The warmth provided by the wood tones and stained concrete, the natural light from all the clerestory windows, that the dining room is near without actually looking into to kitchen. The small wall is a great solution, but I'd still feel like I am living in a fishbowl. But overall, this is one of the nicest midcentury homes I've seen.

stevehorn Gorgeous!

quercusdesign Beautiful interior renovation and restoration! That kitchen comes to life, and the flow from one space to the next is smooth and organic. I can imagine, reading the previous comments, and seeing the quality of the interior work, that this was a costly project, and with that, wonder if, even as the client requested privacy, the front fence is a temporary solution, until a landscape architect/designer (and perhaps budget) can be found to emulate the interior's flow on (and visually to) the outside. Photos would indicate that there is space available in the front to remove the blacktop and re-establish the entry experience with paths, planted screening to the road, and arrival court. As well, removing the fence would expose the strong Wright/MacDonald anchor to the earth, and allow those front panels to really breathe.

Norma Sassone Stunning reno! You can be sure this was seriously expensive!

Becky Harris tdivita, I don't know the exact paint material, but it was done by an expert professional faux painter.

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!

Stone & Land, LLC I was able to tour a FLW Usonian house in West Lafayette IN called Samara, very similar to this home. I was lucky enough to be invited while attending Purdue. I'm a fan of FLW style and projects. I wonder if anyone who would call this renovation beautiful would HATE to see a FLW house renovated. There were so many details throughout, but I think if someone were to suggest a refresh, they'd probably be picketers lined up out front. Don't touch the Masterwork. I think this project shows how something really good can turn bad and then be resurrected. Great update, like night and day with the kitchen.

Stone & Land, LLC sorry here's an image I pulled quickly from a blog to illustrate the point
http://www.thefranklloydwrighttour.com/apps/blog/show/11373419-john-christian-house-samara-frank-lloyd-wright-1954

kimmylouwho1 wow! what a beautiful job! the before pictures are just ghastly! it took a lot of faith to buy that house and undertake a complete remodel!

rpminc12 Beautiful....A work of art for sure !!

Robyn I have a house similar to this but smaller in Texas. I love it, but I am the 4th owner and while the first two owners were extremely respectful of the original design, the third owner removed many original details and all of the original (and fabulous!) Lightolier light fixtures and ripped out the original cork floors. I can't afford a major remodel, but I may replace the cork floors and maybe put in a couple of skylights or change the covered patio a bit to let some light in. I was going to change the pink bathroom, see houzz calls ( "pink mid-century bathroom") but almost everyone I knew said not to touch it. I love the new kitchen in this house and the ceiling beams are amazing!!

Becky Harris Stone and Land, your point brings me to another point. Many homes by Frank Lloyd Wright actually have been torn down completely! It's so nice to see someone giving a classic mid-century modern home a refresh. The alternate is, more often than not, tearing it down. I'm so glad there are people out there who appreciate how great they are and invest in saving them and restoring them.

joymat Where can I purchase the beautiful living room rug?

Genesis Architecture, LLC. Just a couple of comments to some replies made above: yes, quality remodeling is not cheap, but comments about a million dollar remodeling are WAY over the the actual cost here. Out of respect for the client, and the fact that I don't have final number details, that's as much as I will say about that point. In regards to the roof, yes there were repairs needing to be made on this flat roof house. We had to replace a custom long and narrow skylight on the roof as well. The EPDM single-ply rubber roofs are the solution for homes like this. Most commercial buildings have flat roofs and use similar technology (compared to the older 3-ply built-up roofs).

Ginkgo Leaf Studio This is a great example of a modern renovation that stays true to the original spirit of the home. Nice article Becky (as usual) and beautifully done Ken!

globaltracker wow beautiful re-model.....it would be great to get supplier for the birch tree area rug....I see someone else likes it to!!

kimmylouwho1 there is a FLW house that has been saved in Phoenix. "The Staircase House" was built for David Wright, the son of FLW. the heirs sold it in 2009 and then was resold to developers that planned to tear it down!! There was a big battle between the developer and the City of Phoenix. Luckily the developer agreed to sell it to someone that wants it restored! Look at the photos on Zillow.
http://www.zillow.com/blog/2012-12-21/frank-lloyd-wrights-staircase-home-in-phoenix-saved-by-anonymous-buyer/#

Genesis Architecture, LLC. regarding questions on the living room rug selection:
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

1stladydawn Wow - out of the dark ages and into the light

eCustomFinishes Love it. Quite Possibly one of the most dynamic before and after K&B transformations i have seen yet.

Robyn Slightly off topic, but this is really what I want to do for a living, so architects, would this be an interior architecture degree that I should pursue? I really don't have a big interest in new buildings, but love seeing older homes and buildings re-purposed and re-used.

haley_cott Where is the rug from?

omore Very lovely. I would like to know qwhere the master bedroom furniture came from. just what I am looking for!

David FLW would approve!

Debbie @ omore---looks like IKEA furniture.

davidese I truly love this house, outside and inside, but something impossible for me to digest is that Great Wall of China in front of it.

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!!!

fontanerooo Beautiful job. Love the colors of the wood and stone - really complements the outdoor setting. Thanks for sharing and saving such a diamond in the rough instead of tearing it down to build yet one more "Tuscan McMansion."

joymat I asked Tufenkian carpets about the white birch tree living room rug they told me it is not one of their rugs. Designer Christine Phillips do you know where I could purchase this rug?

8957woodsj I had the great privilege of touring this beautiful home during one of the Wright and Like tours a few years ago. Great job on the updates Dahlin! I would love to see what updates you could make to my Hans Geyer mid century modern home in Racine so I can be part of the tour someday. Surprisingly, Racine WI was full of many brilliant architects during this era. Thanks for the article and all the before and after pictures!

sbodiker This article brought back so many happy memories. I lived in a Usonian house in Baltimore and it was a wonderful experience. Although it was very small (one bedroom, a large living area, a small but ergonomic kitchen and two tiny bathrooms), it gave the impression of something much larger. On one end of the house, the french doors opened up and the corner disappeared. Magic! Architecture students and FLW fans were always dropping by to take a tour or simply to pay homage so before I could rent it, the owners had to audition my furniture to make sure it worked in the space. It was a privilege to live there.

Jerri Holan & Associates, AIA Absolutely gorgeous remodel, very sensitive to the period. Thanks for the photos!

jayvee1 Stunning! I love it.

cami56 I have a huge fondness for anything FLW-ish, and think this is a wonderful and respectful reworking of this house. Like a previous commenter, am a little disappointed with the cedar fence in the front, but perhaps it is a budgetary concession that could be rectified in the future.

Щербачев Михаил kmklml

amsamsams source for vanity mirror?

lindajacq Beautiful renovation, although those bathroom sinks are really impractical. Pretty, but impractical.

Showplace Kitchens I am in love with this house! Mid century and Frank are my favorites and this is a great example of up to date singing with the classic style and architecture.

naimstar Awesome!!! love it very much

drememon Beautifully thought out, and expertly executed. So glad to see the original design updated to serve current owner.
McDonald did a number of projects in our part of Florida, but, sadly, many of them have not survived.

davismon beautifully done... great home...

Mona Amazing post, one of my favorites actually,,,funny I loved that rug too! This home is so beautifully renovated. Thank you for sharing. I have added quite a few photos to my favorites.

Genesis Architecture, LLC. I guess I will say a little about that cedar fence in the front of the house. It was requested by the owner for some privacy from the street so cars driving by wouldn't be part of the kitchen/family room experience. The cedar siding of the fence was designed to match the siding of the house itself and the horizontal disposition of this fence was a purposeful addition to the composition to the front, which those familiar with McDonald's homes (house on Freres ave for example) will see adds to the horizontality for which he strongly worked to achieve in his compositions. The fact that it creates a small japanese-like garden between the fence and house is not a negative but adds to the variety of spatial effects throughout the house. The living room has the unimpeded expansive views out the back, but here a more intimate setting is proper. You can see such intimate plays of space at Taliesin North for example where more introverted spaces complement more expansive ones. Also, during the Wright & Like Tour where hundreds of people walked through this home, I don't recall any negative comments about that aspect...

Genesis Architecture, LLC. Also the living room rug (since a lot of people have asked about this): It is a Tufenkian rug and the name of this rug is Dragnet Seaweed. Find out more about this rug here: http://tufenkianoutlet.com/p-2618-dragnet-seaweed.aspx"

Rebekah Zaveloff Stunning home!! What a terrific house tour!

juniperjo @robyn, I think what you might want to study is historic preservation + architecture, period. Not interior architecture, which is mostly targeted toward designing the interiors of office spaces, etc. (Interior architecture isn't a terrible choice; I just think you will be disappointed, as it isn't what you think it is. There is *no* emphasis in interior architecture on preservation.)

Aaron's Building Services This is an inspirational home with its, clear walls of abundant light, warm earth tones, open plan and organic concept make it a timeless gem. Great work with the remodel . The kitchen with the back wall of tile adds texture and complexity, while the island counter continues the horizontal character to the homes lineal elements. Nice job.

brynnmarie23 absolutely my dream. too bad we live in a tudor infested area....and in a tudor. lol. this is my dream and if i find a mid cent. home....i'll hire dahlia