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    Olson Kundig and Erica Colpitts renovate mid-century house in North Vancouver

    US architecture firm Olson Kundig and Canadian designer Erica Colpitts have renovated a mid-century house near Vancouver, warming the modernist structure with natural materials and neutral colours.

    The residence is surrounded by tall cedar trees on a quiet plot in Edgemont, a village-like neighbourhood of North Vancouver, across the water from the Canadian metropolis.
    Wood lines the ceiling and floors of the renovated home, contrasting the blackened steel structural elementsIts new owners are a family of four who relocated to the West Coast from New York City, looking for a community to put down roots.
    Olson Kundig, which has an office in nearby Seattle, was asked to update and slightly expand the building to meet the owners’ needs while respecting the original design.
    The living spaces are all connected along the back of the house, in its single-storey portionLocally based Erica Colpitts was brought on to complete the interiors with a softer, warmer feeling than typical mid-century designs.

    “The pure challenge of this home completely appealed to me,” said Colpitts. “My task was to meld Olson Kundig’s overall design for the home with an ever so slightly soft and romantic interior.”
    Dark tones in the kitchen, including the steel hood and shelving, match the building’s beams and columnsLike many homes from the period, the building has a low-slung form, a shallow roof pitch and large expanses of glass across its facades.
    Blackened steel structural elements were highlighted throughout the interior, and their dark colour is repeated across several other elements.
    The kitchen connects to the patio via a bar counter and sliding windowThese range from the guardrails and supports for the staircase unit, which connects the home’s multiple split levels, to a custom hood and shelving in the kitchen.
    The staircase is separated from the lounge by a huge bookcase that is original to the house, along with a red-brick fireplace on the other side.
    An original bookcase separates the lounge from the entry hallway and staircaseAll of the primary living spaces run along the back of the home, in the single-storey portion, facing the landscaped garden and a plunge pool through huge windows.
    Wide-plank flooring and a wood-covered ceiling connect the open-plan areas, which culminate at the dark-stained kitchen.
    Bedrooms in the two-storey side of the house follow the same design aestheticThe hues and materials chosen for the these spaces are warm and inviting, such as cream surfaces and heathered oatmeal textiles paired with cognac-coloured leather, dark flax, and deep grey.
    “This home has a decidedly neutral colour palette to go with the natural materials selected; however, it is warmly neutral and texturally layered,” said Colpitts.

    Eight renovated mid-century homes that marry period and contemporary details

    “Where colour was used, we wanted those colours and their textures to be reminiscent of a gentleman’s library,” she added.
    The bedrooms, bathrooms, and additional living areas are organised within the two-storey side of the house, where the same design aesthetic continues.
    The home’s large expanses of glass connect it to the surrounding landscape, designed by Amelia SullivanOn the exterior, weathered ebony siding and a Corten steel front door were added in keeping with the building’s modern-industrial appearance.
    “This home is a juxtaposition of all good things,” Colpitts said. “Dramatic and serene. Rustic and refined. Industrial and romantic. Exquisite and comfortable.”
    Olson Kundig aimed to respected the building’s original design while slightly expanding its footprintThe mid-century architecture style remains incredibly popular with homebuyers across the US and Canada, which has led to many renovations that align these residences with contemporary living.
    Recent examples include a Hamptons home that owner Timothy Godbold transformed to resemble a lair from a James Bond movie, and the former seaside home of modernist architect Henry Hill respectfully overhauled by Studio Schicketanz.
    The photography is by Ema Peter.
    Project credits:
    Architect: Olson KundigInterior design: Erica Colpitts Interior DesignContractor: Brent Braybrook / Braybrook ProjectsMillwork: Robin Woronko / Intempo InteriorsLandscape architect: Amelia SullivanMetalwork: Drabek Technologies

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    Familien Kvistad brings colour to 1950s house in Oslo

    Vibrantly coloured tiles and textiles feature in this house renovation in Oslo, Norway, designed by locally based duo Familien Kvistad.

    The Yellow House in the Apple Garden is a 1950s house in Oslo’s Voldsløkka area, home to a family of four and their cat, “the rambunctious Caspian”.
    Familien Kvistad has renovated a Oslo homeFamilien Kvistad founders, married couple Astrid and Ziemowit Kvistad, have completely remodelled the interior using a palette that also includes solid ash joinery and lightly speckled terrazzo surfaces.
    “When they bought the house, the family envisioned painting some walls, moving the kitchen and building two new bathrooms,” the pair told Dezeen. “Over time, things naturally escalated, resulting in a complete change of layout, roof windows, new insulation, siding… absolutely everything was replaced.”
    The kitchen features solid ash cabinetsThe three-storey house has an enviable setting in a large garden filled with fruit trees. It was this that primarily attracted the owners, rather than the building itself.

    “The house was relatively old, not architecturally distinctive and outdated inside on all levels,” said the designers.
    The house was originally built in the 1950sHowever, shortly after they bought the property, the council enforced new conservation zone restrictions that made it impossible to alter the building’s exterior in any way.
    The task for Astrid and Ziemowit was to modernise the house without changing or extending its structure.

    Mid-century Zero House in London imbued with “Kubrick feel”

    “This is obviously a costly project; it would have been cheaper to build a new house,” they explained.
    “However, the outer structure had to remain.”
    A terrazzo floor and ochre sofa are installed in the conservatoryThe renovation removed many of the old internal partitions, creating a more open layout. This gives the ground floor a broken-plan feel, made up of various separate but connected living and dining spaces.
    The old loft was also removed and replaced with small mezzanines, revealing the sloping roof beams and increasing the ceiling height in the first-floor bedrooms and bathroom to up to four metres.
    Wooden ceiling joists are exposed throughoutThe colour scheme was based on “earthy shades” of the owners’ favourite colours.
    On the ground floor, this resulted in a feature fireplace clad in mustard-yellow Kaufmann tiles, a lounge sofa upholstered in a plum-coloured Kvadrat textile and a storage bench topped by forest-green cushions.
    A storage bench topped with green cushions lines the main living spaceAn abundance of wood brings balance to this bold palette, with Douglas fir flooring from Dinesen and solid ash kitchen cabinets matching the exposed ceiling joists.
    This level also includes a sunken conservatory featuring large plants, a terrazzo floor, an ochre-toned sofa and electric-blue cushions. On the wall, an expressive painting displays similar colours.
    Custom-designed wall carpets adorn the primary bedroom”During the renovation, the family sold most of what they already owned,” said Astrid and Ziemowit. “This meant that all the furniture was purchased new.”
    “However, they did have some art from before,” they added. “Much to our delight, they fit perfectly into both the colour palette and the style.”
    In one of the children’s rooms, a staircase doubles as a shelving unitUpstairs, the primary bedroom features a pair of tufted wall carpets designed and made by Familien Kvistad, depicting abstract landscapes.
    One of the two children’s bedrooms features a playful storage unit that doubles as a staircase, while the other has a ladder to provide access to the mezzanine loft above.
    The family bathroom combines green tones with terrazzoThe bathroom has a more mellow character, combining terrazzo sanitaryware with calming green tones. The basement floor mainly serves as a utility area, although it does include an extra bathroom and a living room that doubles as a guest bedroom.
    Other recently completed homes in Norway include a “house of offcuts” by Kolman Boye Architects and a villa on piloti by Saunders Architecture.
    The photography is by Magnus Berger Nordstrand.

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    Mid-century Zero House in London imbued with “Kubrick feel”

    Timber ceilings and a fireplace clad in mahogany tiles feature in this London house, which its owners have renovated to honour the dwelling’s mid-century roots and nod to the colour palette of Stanley Kubrick films.

    Located in north London’s Stanmore, Zero House belongs to recording artists Ben Garrett and Rae Morris, whose former home in Primrose Hill is the Dezeen Award-winning Canyon House designed by Studio Hagen Hall.
    Zero House in Stanmore was built between 1959 and 1961Unlike their previous dwelling, Garrett and Morris updated Zero House themselves but adopted the same mid-century palette when creating its interiors.
    “The house was built between 1959 and 1961 by a Hungarian architect,” said Garrett, who explained that the original design was informed by Californian Case Study Houses such as Charles and Ray Eames’s 1949 home and design studio.
    The two-storey dwelling was renovated by its owners”It’s a great example of a number of imaginative mid-century domestic houses dotted around metro-land,” he told Dezeen. “Our main aim was to freshen it up relatively in keeping with the time but not to feel like we were living in a total time capsule.”

    The pair maintained the matchbox timber ceilings that run throughout the two-storey home, which were stained with a dark reddish tone alongside stained wooden doors.
    Slim mahogany tiles clad the floor-to-ceiling fireplaceSlim mahogany tiles clad the floor-to-ceiling fireplace in the living room, which features the same micro-cement flooring found at Canyon House and opens out onto a lush garden.
    Garrett and Morris also maintained the home’s many exposed brick walls and inserted geometric timber shelving that displays eclectic ornaments including amorphous vases and a colourful set of nesting dolls.
    The kitchen was panelled in light-hued timberReeded 1970s-style glass was used to form various windows including a rectilinear opening in the kitchen that illuminates minimal timber cabinetry topped with grainy surfaces.
    The pair transferred the tubular Marcel Breuer chairs and Tulip dining table by Eero Saarinen from their former home, as well as the same “heinous digital artwork” that decorated their previous living space.
    Darker tones create a “horror film” feel upstairsUpstairs, a moody mahogany carpet darkens the main bedroom, which features the same timber wall and ceiling panels as the communal areas.
    “There’s a lot of dark reds and browns in the house,” said Garrett.
    “We leaned into the horror film slash Kubrick feel of the upstairs and made a few more austere choices this time,” he added, referencing the late filmmaker, whose credits include the 1980 supernatural horror movie The Shining.

    PW Architecture Office brings “a little excitement” back into mid-century Australian home

    Coffee-hued cork was chosen to clad the exterior of the bathtub and the surrounding walls while another walk-in shower interrupts the dark wooden theme with bright orange tiles and deep white basins.
    Zero House also holds a timber-panelled recording studio, which is located in a separate low-slung volume at the end of the garden and can be reached via a few stepping stones.
    Bright orange tiles were chosen for a walk-in showerGarrett and Morris left the structure of the property largely untouched. Instead, the duo chose to focus on dressing its mid-century interior.
    “We didn’t have to be clever with this house as the space is abundant and the flow and design were incredibly well thought out in the early 60s,” he said. “So it was more of a cosmetic thing.”
    There is a standalone recording studio in a shed at the back of the gardenOther recent mid-century renovation projects saw Design Theory update a coastal home in Perth from the 1960s while Woods + Dangaran added a koi pond among other elements to a Los Angeles dwelling built by architect Craig Ellwood during the same decade.
    The photography is by Mariell Lind Hansen.

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    PW Architecture Office brings “a little excitement” back into mid-century Australian home

    Australian firm PW Architecture Office has revived the fortunes of this mid-century house in Orange, New South Wales, with a sensitive renovation that respects the original building while taking design cues from its material palette.

    Park Lane house was originally designed by noted Australian architect Neville Gruzman for the 1962 Carlingford Home Fair before being built in 1964 by construction company Kell & Rigby – known for its work on Sydney’s landmark Grace Building.
    PW Architecture Office has renovated a 1960s house by Neville GruzmanWhen Paddy Williams, founder of PW Architecture Office, discovered that the house was on the market in 2022, the team went to take a look out of architectural curiosity.
    The studio was immediately seduced by the sense of flow between the indoor and outdoor spaces of the 1964 house and the quality of the design, construction and materials, despite the fact that it had been through several unsympathetic renovations.
    Pergolas frame the entrance to the house”We loved the sense of arrival created by the pergolas and colonnade that lead you past the garden and pond into the entrance hall,” Williams said.

    “Pavilion-style wings separate the shared spaces from the private and we loved the way the pergolas wrap around the house and terraces, framing different spaces in the garden.”
    The home’s original Oregon timber beams were exposedThe practice ended up buying and renovating the house as a short-term rental for other modernist architecture lovers.
    “We felt a real sense of responsibility to do the project justice and retain the elements of the plan and materials as they were intended,” Williams said.
    “We wanted to bring a little excitement back into this mid-century marvel, as it would have had when it was first built.”
    A double-sided fireplace divides the living and dining areasFeeling that the floorplan still worked successfully, PW Architecture Office (PWAO) left it unchanged and set out to revive and celebrate the house’s original character while bringing it up to 21st-century living standards.
    “We’ve designed it to be a modern take on the mid-century aesthetic, with an immediate sense of relaxation and peace through a refined palette and connection between house and gardens,” Williams told Dezeen.
    Textural wood wool panels clad the walls in the living roomRemoving the worn-out carpets revealed the home’s original Australian cypress floorboards, which were sanded and polished to freshen them up.
    Elsewhere, PWAO replaced vinyl flooring with “durable and low-maintenance” micro-cement in the smaller living room, kitchen and some bathrooms.

    Eight renovated mid-century homes that marry period and contemporary details

    In the main living room, false ceilings were taken out to expose the original Oregon timber beams, now infilled with hardwood timber and tiled bulkheads.
    “When we pulled down the badly damaged plasterboard, the beams were in such great condition and had a beautiful texture so we decided to keep them on show,” Williams said.
    “This also allowed us to increase the height of the ceiling and play with the scale and rhythm of the beams.”
    Micro-cement was used to finish some of the floorsIn the panelled entrance hall, the original native blackbean timber needed only a little care to restore its rich varied tones, also seen on the doors throughout the house.
    Elsewhere PWAO used acacia as a feature timber for panelling and detailing across headboards, stair treads and integrated shelving.
    “We’ve used these acacia elements in a playful pattern,” the studio said. “They’re in an ongoing conversation with the original blackbean timber used around the house.”
    Terracotta tiles nod to the home’s original material paletteIn the larger living space, a double-sided fireplace helps to zone the living and dining areas, while the walls were clad in textural wood wool panels – a composite made from recycled timber fibres.
    “It is actually a thermal and acoustic panel, typically used for ceilings,” Williams said. “We thought it was a fabulous opportunity to provide texture on the walls.”
    Similar warm terracotta tones also feature in the bedroomThroughout the house, terracotta tiles add to the sense of warm earthiness established through the material palette.
    “The mosaic tiles were influenced by the original terracotta tiles in the entrance foyer,” the architect explained. “The smaller grids we’ve used are in contrast to the larger original terrace tiles, as well as the grid of the house itself, creating a play on scale.”
    When the wiring was replaced, PWAO also had the opportunity to integrate the house with smart home technology, allowing the lights, heating, fans and irrigation to be controlled via an app, balancing modernist aesthetics with modern convenience.
    The bathroom was designed to matchDezeen recently rounded up eight other mid-century home renovations that marry period and contemporary details.
    Among them was another 1960s Australian house with interiors updated by local studio Design Theory for a young client and her dog.
    The photography is by Monique Lovick.

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    Eight renovated mid-century homes that marry period and contemporary details

    From a modernist villa in Beverly Hills to a flat in one of Brasília’s iconic Superquadra apartment blocks, the mid-century renovations in this lookbook are a masterclass in updating a period home while retaining its distinctive character.

    Originally constructed in the post-war period between 1945 and 1969, mid-century homes have proved enduringly popular due to their prescient emphasis on natural light, clean lines, open floor plans and humble materials such as wood, stone and concrete.
    The renovations below see many of these original features retained and restored, supplemented with contemporary additions such as double-height ceilings and furniture by the likes of Tadao Ando and Mario Bellini.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring art deco homes, sunny yellow interiors and serene bedrooms with striking natural views.
    Photo by Jack LovelCity Beach Residence, Australia, by Design Theory

    Australian studio Design Theory looked to preserve the “considerable mid-century charm” of this home on the coast of Perth during its renovation (top and above), remaining true to the rich palette of natural materials found in the original design.
    Contemporary furniture and lighting with gently curving forms were chosen to soften the rigorous lines of the original architecture and prevent the interiors from feeling like a period pastiche.
    Find out more about City Beach Residence ›
    Photo by An PhamBrandaw Residence, US, by 180 Degrees Design + Build and CBTWO Architects
    A new double-height living room with a pitched roof and full-height glazing was added to modernise this 1960s home in Phoenix, creating sightlines up and out towards nearby Camelback Mountain.
    Modernist touches remain on the interior in the form of plentiful wood panelling alongside finishes and furnishings in muted primary colours ranging from teal to mustard-yellow.
    Find out more about Brandaw Residence ›
    Photo by James O DaviesHampstead House, UK, by Coppin Dockray
    This house in Hampstead was originally designed by British architect Trevor Dannatt in 1960 as London’s answer to the post-war Case Study Houses built by the likes of Richard Neutra and the Eameses in California.
    When renovating and extending the property for a growing family, local studio Coppin Dockray contrasted vintage and contemporary furniture for a “domestic, lived-in” feel, with pieces ranging from a Togo chair to Mia Hamborg’s Shuffle table for &Tradition.
    Find out more about Hampstead House ›
    Photo by Gerhard HeuschBeverly Hills villa, US, by Heusch
    Historical images helped architecture firm Heusch to restore this Beverly Hills villa to its former glory and reverse some of its “unfortunate transformations” over the years.
    Existing terrazzo floors on the ground floor were restored and complemented with fluted glass details and dark timber furnishings, both new and old, including Ando’s cantilevered Dream Chairs and a bookshelf by Italian architect Augusto Romano from the 1950s.
    Find out more about Beverly Hills villa ›
    Photo by Justin ChungPalermo house, US, by OWIU
    California studio OWIU retained several original elements during the renovation of this 1955 home in LA’s San Rafael Hills, among them the glass-block walls and wooden ceiling beams, which were exposed from under false ceilings and sanded down to reveal their natural colour.
    These were contrasted with more neutral contemporary elements such as pale oak flooring and walls coated in Venetian plaster, with assorted lights by Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson – one of the founding fathers of American modernism.
    Find out more about Palermo house ›
    Photo by Joana FranceBrasília apartment, Brazil, by Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura
    This apartment is located inside Brasília’s historic Superquadra 308 Sul, the first “superblock” apartment complex constructed as part of architect Lucio Costa’s 1957 master plan for the new Brazilian capital.
    Local studio Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura cut open the building’s exposed concrete walls, opening up its layout to meet the needs of a modern family while preserving period details such as the building’s distinctive white breeze-block screens and its granilite flooring.
    Find out more about Brasília apartment ›
    Photo by Ingalls PhotographyMalibu Surf Shack, US, by Kelly Wearstler
    When interior designer Kelly Wearstler turned this 1950s beachfront cottage in Malibu into a bohemian retreat for herself and her family, she retained the original wood-panelled walls and selected finishes that were “hand-crafted, rustic and raw” to match the existing material palette.
    The interiors feature abundant planting, alongside an eclectic mix of period-agnostic furnishings including a 1980s green marble table by Bellini, paired with a plaster-covered Caféstuhl chair by contemporary Austrian designer Lukas Gschwandtner.
    Find out more about Malibu Surf Shack ›
    Photo by Rafael SoldiGolden House, US, by SHED
    Seattle architecture firm SHED had to make several aggressive interventions when renovating this 1950s building in nearby Shoreline, which was originally constructed as a family home but had previously been divided up to serve as a retirement home.
    Working around the existing post-and-beam structure, the studio updated the interior to maximise views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound while enlarging the kitchen and reorganising it around a central island.
    Find out more about Golden House ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring art deco homes, sunny yellow interiors and serene bedrooms with striking natural views.

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    Design Theory updates mid-century coastal home in Perth

    In the City Beach suburb of Perth in Western Australia, interiors studio Design Theory has updated a tired house from the 1960s while remaining true to the rich palette of natural materials in the original design.

    The young client wanted a home where she could entertain friends and live with her dogs in a durable, easy-to-clean, pet-proof home with a reworked plan making space for three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
    Design Theory has renovated a 1960s house in Perth”The brief was, on the surface, simple: to update the home while keeping its considerable mid-century charm,” said Design Theory.
    “While its strengths lay in its architectural form and south-facing windows, our innovative approach to the project was essential in bringing contemporary functionality and sustainability to the fore,” the studio added.
    “By specifying with our client’s lifestyle in mind and considering every detail, she feels relaxed to use the house the way she wants to.”

    Carpet tiles bring tactility into the sunken loungeOnce the project was underway, Design Theory quickly discovered that the structure was largely rotten and had suffered significant termite damage, so extensive restoration work was required.
    “We established an early rationale to restore base-building elements in keeping with the original architecture and interior elements,” the studio said.
    “Joinery, finishes and furniture would be new, informed by mid-century design. This allowed the home to evolve yet respect the heritage of this special building.”
    Yellow mosaic tiles feature across the kitchen counterOtherwise, the house only needed sensitive restoration and a light touch to bring it up to date, according to the studio, due to its prescient emphasis on natural light, fresh air and modern, unpretentious living.
    “Our design cues were taken from the era of the house’s original design, a time of humbler, honest materials and restrained detailing,” said Design Theory co-founder Lisa Reeves.
    “Where cabinetry needed restoration, it was updated in respectful ways, always with a nod to what may have come before us.”
    Design Theory introduced Blackbutt timber details to the interiorThe material palette celebrates warm, earthy materials: exposed brick in terracotta tones, native Blackbutt timber and a cork-like Forbo Marmoleum on the floors.
    In the sunken lounge area, carpet tiles bring an added element of comfort and a distinctive gridded visual effect.
    The heavy use of richly toned timber and brick is balanced by the white of the painted wall sections, the grid-like window frames and low-hanging pendant lighting.

    Ten timeless mid-century modern interiors

    For the kitchen counters and the bathrooms, simple mosaic tiles continue the textural theme, while referencing the home’s early-60s origins.
    “We embraced a quintessentially West Australia landscape-inspired palette of Eucalyptus greens, warm timbers and sunset oranges,” the studio said.
    Forbo Marmoleum flooring was added for textural interestIn the kitchen, subtle detailing on the cabinetry such as the full-width handles adds visual interest without grabbing undue attention, while an orange range cooker adds a retro touch.
    The client acquired several pieces of vintage furniture along with the house, which Design Theory was keen to retain and restore.
    Mint green tiles feature throughout one of the two bathroomsAs a counterpoint to these mid-century elements, contemporary furniture in gently curving forms softens the rigorous lines of the original architecture and prevents the interiors from feeling like a period pastiche.
    Key pieces of hardware such as original door furniture and pendant lighting were also refurbished and reinstated, “lending an authenticity to the home’s new life”, according to the studio.
    The built-in bathtub is also made from multicoloured mosaic tilesOther residential projects in Perth that have been featured on Dezeen include a family home formed from arched panels of precast concrete and a wood-and-brick extension for a couple of empty nesters.
    The photography is by Jack Lovel.

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    Woods + Dangaran brings warmth and light to mid-century modern home in Los Angeles

    Teak wood, travertine stone and expansive glazing all feature in Woods + Dangaran’s renovation of a mid-century modern house that once belonged to singer Bing Crosby’s manager.

    Los Angeles-based Woods + Dangaran has both upgraded the architecture and designed the interiors for Clear Oak Residence, which is located on a hillside above LA’s San Fernando Valley.
    Clear Oak Residence is located on a hillside above LA’s San Fernando ValleyThe design aims to enhance the building’s relationship with its setting while also bringing an increased sense of warmth and comfort to the living spaces.
    Doorways and windows were adjusted and enlarged to enable wraparound views of the landscape, while skylights were added to highlight key moments within the interior.
    A new swimming pool cantilevers out towards the viewTravertine creates a continuous floor surface that extends out from the living spaces to a sunset terrace, while teak provides wall panelling and in-built joinery throughout.

    “The architectural finish palette was intentionally limited to four materials: clear anodised aluminium, plaster, travertine, and teak for the wall panelling,” said Woods + Dangaran.
    “This visual restraint manifests in a serene ambiance that permeates all aspects of the residence.”
    Travertine flooring extends both inside and outClear Oak Residence is shortlisted for Dezeen Awards 2022 in the house interior category, where it will compete with four other projects – including another one by Woods + Dangaran – for the title.
    Woods + Dangaran designed this project for client Robert Galishoff, whose brief to the architects was to embrace the building’s mid-century heritage but ensure the result exudes a sense of “effortless luxury”.
    Teak provides wall panelling and custom joineryLandscaping played a big role in the transformation. By relocating the swimming pool so that it cantilevers over the hill and adjusting the topography, more terrace and deck space could be created.
    Sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors allow the main bedroom, the living room and the dining area to open out to this terrace.

    Woods + Dangaran updates 1960s California home by Craig Ellwood

    “Enlarged doorways and windows inside the house, including floor-to-ceiling glass doors, integrate the interior spaces with the landscape and foreground views by eliminating barriers,” said the architects.
    “Glazed openings inserted along corridors create memorable spatial experiences from new axes and vantage points.”
    Skylights create framed views of the skyThe interior furnishings include both new and retro pieces in natural materials and warm colours, which sit alongside Galishoff’s collection of objets d’art.
    The living room features a copper silk shag rug from Mehraban, a Minotti sectional reupholstered in a retro-patterned textile and a pair of the Arthur Casas-designed Amorfa coffee tables.
    “Inspired by mid-century pieces but adjusted for scale, function, and material, these pieces give the home a unique voice that mixes old and new, retro with contemporary vibes,” said Woods + Dangaran.
    The design respect’s the building’s mid-century heritageLed by architects Brett Woods and Joe Dangaran, Woods + Dangaran has developed a reputation for modernising mid-century homes but also designs new-builds with a similar character.
    Other recent projects include an upgrade of a 1960s Craig Ellwood house and a brass-clad home in Palm Springs.
    The photography is by Joe Fletcher.

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    Studio Terpeluk renovates Albert Lanier-designed Noe Valley home

    San Francisco-based Studio Terpeluk has renovated and expanded Redwood House in Noe Valley with redwood interiors and terraces.

    The three-storey Redwood House was originally designed by American architect Albert Lanier – husband to sculptor Ruth Asawa – in a hilly  San Francisco neighbourhood characterised by Victorian and Edwardian houses.
    Studio Terpeluk renovated an interior in Noe ValleyStudio Terpeluk was selected to expand the 1976 house from 2,260 square feet (210 square metres) to 3,218 square feet (299 square metres) with a new guest room suite, home office, wet bar and media room.
    The renovation “surgically modified the house in an architecturally non-aggressive manner,” the studio said.
    Western red cedar was used for the walls and ceilingWrapped with irregular western red cedar planks, the narrow house cascades down the hillside with exterior courtyards that mitigate the grade change.

    One enters the house through an intimate courtyard off the street into an open-plan upper level with a sloping ceiling and dark-knotted Douglas fir flooring made from local reclaimed pier pilings.
    Many of the walls and ceilings were updated with vintage rough-sawn redwood veneered plywood maintained from the original build.
    “Redwood surfaces and structural elements complete the warm interior landscape: from the sloping roof beams to partition walls and built-in shelves,” the studio said.
    The renovation expanded the homeTo the left of the entrance is the kitchen with custom-gloss cabinets and a Carrara marble backsplash. It opens to a dining room that features a Saarinen table and Hans Wegner wishbone chairs.
    To the right is the library where sunlight from the large window brightens the dark panelling and sculptural furniture.
    Bright panelling contrasts the rich wood tonesThe living room is oriented around a pink sculpture by American artist Wanxin Zhang.
    Padded seating wraps the corner under a large window looking out to the San Francisco skyline.
    The living room has wrap-around seating and views of San FranciscoThe house is centred around a staircase illuminated by a skylight.
    “The sculptural blackened steel stair with vintage rough-sawn redwood plywood walls anchors the house, weaving together the three floors and their diverse spatial character,” the studio continued.
    The home is oriented around a central staircaseThe middle level features guest suites with direct access to the entry courtyard.
    The primary suite is softened by light pink terrazzo tile and a micro mosaic of Indian red recycled plastic tiles.
    The home’s colour complements the art collection of the owners”Color was a recurring theme in the exquisite and eclectic art collection of the owners,” studio founder Brett Terpeluk said.
    “This went perfectly hand in hand with my interest in mid-century Italian design and its bold use of color.”
    A series of terraces connect the home with the sloping site”We collaborated with our friend and designer Beatrice Santiccioli to enrich the project with a dedicated and bespoke color language,” he continued.
    At the lowest level, a media room, home office and kitchenette open to an abundantly landscaped garden.

    Jeff Svitak builds blackened Redwood House with private studio for himself in Southern California

    The outdoor areas were designed by Terpeluk’s wife and longtime consultant, Italian landscape designer Monica Viarengo.
    The terraces shift from curated gardens to wild vegetation as one moves through the property, while the plantings reference California coastal landscapes with yellow roses, espaliered fruit trees and a variety of thymes.
    A guest suite connects to the central courtyardStudio Terpeluk was founded in 2008 by Brett Terpeluk, after he finished a tenure working with Italian architect Renzo Piano.
    Other Noe Valley renovations include the Gable House by Edmonds + Lee, a renovated Victorian townhouse by Fougeron Architecture and an industrial home for a tech entrepreneur by Levy Art and Architecture and Síol Studios.
    Photography is by Joe Fletcher.
    Project credits
    Project team: Brett Terpeluk, Huy NguyenLandscape design: Monica ViarengoColor consultant: Beatrice SanticcioliContractor: Saturn ConstructionStructural engineering: Strandberg EngineeringFurniture: Santiccioli ArredamentiOrama sliding window systems: CooritaliaWindows: BonelliWood reclaimed wood flooring: ArboricaMetal fabrication: Upper Story DesignDrapery/upholstery: Malatesta & CoArt: Catharine Clark Gallery

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