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      Anacapa Architecture converts historic building into Drift Santa Barbara hotel

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      US studio Anacapa Architecture has transformed an early 1900s, stucco-clad building that was formerly closed off to the public into a welcoming hotel filled with compact rooms and handcrafted decor.

      Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara in central California, the 45-key hotel is the second outpost from Drift, with the first located in San José del Cabo, Mexico.
      Anacapa Architecture has renovated an early 1900s building to create the Drift HotelThe hotel occupies a three-storey, Italian Mediterranean-style building that totals 15,617 square feet (1,451 square metres).
      Guest rooms are spread across all three levels, and a penthouse suite is found on the top floor. The ground level contains a coffee shop and a bar.
      It is located in a three-storey, Italian Mediterranean-style buildingWhile the building’s original architect is unknown, the firm Soule, Murphy & Hastings performed a renovation following a 1925 earthquake. The building has served various uses over time.

      “One of the only downtown survivors of the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, the building has stood for well over 100 years and has had many lives,” said local firm Anacapa Architecture.
      Guestrooms and a penthouse occupy the top floors, while a coffee shop and bar are located on the ground levelA hotel operated in the building from 1901 to the 1980s. More recently, it served as a home for the Church of Scientology, which took over in the 1990s and kept the building closed off from the community.
      Making the building more welcoming and honouring its original character were key concerns for the design team. The project was envisioned as a “modern reincarnation” of the hotel that once operated on the site.
      The building’s original arched windows, stucco walls and terracotta roof were kept intact”As part of a restoration, the challenge was to work within the historic context while creating experiences that are appealing to the modern traveler,” the team said.
      The exterior facades, featuring white stucco and arched windows, were kept largely intact. The building’s terracotta tile roof was retained, as well.
      The hallways are darkly clad and feature wooden crossbeamsOn the ground level, the team added folding glass doors on the front wall, which faces a pedestrian promenade. Behind the doors are the coffeeshop and a bar, called Dawn and Dusk, respectively.
      The large openings draw in passersby and help reconnect the building to the neighbourhood.

      Anacapa Architecture creates minimalist residence for entrepreneur in Santa Barbara

      “Space for both locals and travelers is accommodated, returning the building to its roots as a true hospitality venue,” the team said.
      While the exterior has a historic look, the interior is much more modern.
      Local goods from California and Mexican makers were used throughout the designThe team incorporated materials such as concrete and wood. The hotel brand’s Mexican property inspired much of the contemporary furnishings and decor.
      “The hotel is dressed with goods from Californian and Mexican makers, paying homage to the brand’s Baja roots while celebrating its coastal Californian locale,” the team said.
      Soft beige and greys were used throughout the projectThe guest rooms, which range from 145 to 165 square feet (13 to 15 square metres), are compact in comparison to average hotel rooms in the area. Creative solutions, such as under-bed storage, help maximize space.
      Overall, the project has revitalized a building that has long been a fixture in downtown Santa Barbara.
      The building was once closed to the public”The team brought modern life to a building inaccessible to most of the community for so long, bringing a breath of fresh air to downtown, and catering to all,” the team said.
      Anacapa Architecture has offices in Santa Barbara and Portland, Oregon. Additional work by the studio includes a minimalist residence for a California entrepreneur and a glamping resort in Sonoma County that features customised tents and Airstream trailers.
      The photography is by Erin Feinblatt.
      Project credits:
      Architecture and interior Design: ANACAPA ArchitectureContractor: Parton + Edwards ConstructionCivil and structural engineering: Ashley VanceMEP engineering: Consulting WestKitchen, bar, and coffee shop consultant: New School

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      Pascali Semerdjian creates Aurora Apartment to hold “two universes” in Brazil

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      Gut-renovating this São Paulo apartment has allowed Brazilian studio Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos to incorporate the personalities of it occupants, particularly in the bedrooms of the family’s two children.

      The Aurora Apartment is home to a family of four, and sits on a private street in the Alto de Pinheiros neighbourhood to the west of the city.
      Renovating the Aurora Apartment involved opening up the living spacesA total overhaul of the residence was needed to open up its spaces, bring in more light, and incorporate new materials and decor that reflect the owners’ tastes.
      Without complete structural plans of the apartment or building, the demolition process revealed multiple hidden elements.
      The dining room is sometimes used for business meetings and dinnersOnly when the apartment had been fully stripped back to its bare bones was Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos able to design the floor plan to work around the structure.

      “When we saw the remaining columns and slabs, we were able to continue sketching the client’s necessities as well as our ideas onto paper,” said the studio.
      A wall panel opens to reveal a hidden home barOnce the layout was “settled”, the architects began to examine the walls and space volumetrically to discover ways to add interesting design moments that would reveal more about the family.
      “One of the most important things about this project is how every single space, both social and private, has the family personality, with a unique design that results in harmony with the whole,” said Pascali Semerdjian Architects.
      Close to the entrance, a gridded cabinet houses a coat closetThe apartment is divided into a large, open social space that’s occasionally used for hosting business meeting and dinners, and a private area that contains the bedrooms and bathrooms.
      “We wanted to create two universes in the same apartment: an intimate and cozy one, and another minimalist and social,” the studio said.
      Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos has played with volumes and materials throughout the apartmentDark wood panelling lines the entryway, concealing a storage area for keys and shoes, and the same floor-to-ceiling wood panels are used in the corner of the dining room. Here, a hidden door swings open to reveal a bar, and a brass container built into a plastered counter serves as a cooler for bottles.
      Stone flooring in the living area is laid in thin planks to match the pattern of the wooden boards that run through the private spaces.
      Designed during the pandemic, the apartment contains several multifunctional spacesSeveral classic midcentury designs were chosen for the living space, including Jean Prouvé dining chairs and a pair of salmon-coloured Ondine armchairs by Jorge Zalszupin.
      These are mixed in with contemporary furnishings like the Thin Black side tables by Nendo and a leather chaise by Studiopepe.

      Pascali Semerdjian exposes concrete ceiling for São Paulo apartment overhaul

      A variety of furniture and lighting pieces custom-designed by Pascali Semerdjian also feature in the apartment, such as the main sofa, the office chairs, and the bar sconces.
      There’s also a coat closet housed within a gridded cabinet, which is affixed to a mirror and features a cluster of square lights in its top right corner.
      In the home’s private section, the primary bedroom is minimally decoratedIn the private quarters, the primary suite is minimally finished in white and wood surfaces, while the children’s rooms are much more expressive.
      For example, the younger son’s room is designed to resemble a small house, formed from wood panelling that covers the walls and is pitched on the ceiling.
      Natural light floods the primary bedroom when its sliding wooden doors are openedHis bed and a sofa are raised to create space for a “hide-and-seek” tunnel underneath, while the older daughter’s room includes arched white closets.
      “We seek to bring originality to all rooms, with special attention to the children’s room, where we’ve pursued solutions that are close to playful, without exaggeration,” Pascali Semerdjian said.
      The bedroom of the family’s younger son is designed like a houseThe renovation work began during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, so special attention was paid to creating multifunctional spaces.
      “The project seeks to balance and bring fluidity between the different possible uses of a house, allowing residents to experience moments together as well as the possibility of having privacy, including the couple,” said the architects.
      The son’s bed and a sofa are raised to accommodate a hide-and-seek tunnel underneathPascali Semerdjian Arquitetos was founded by Domingos Pascali and Sarkis Semerdjian in 2010, and the studio has renovated many apartments across São Paulo.
      They include a residence imbued with a “deeply Brazilian and vividly cosmopolitan” flavour and a home organised around a semi-circular wooden library.
      The photography is by Fran Parente.
      Project credits:
      Project and interiors: Pascali Semerdjian ArchitectsTeam: Sarkis Semerdjian, Domingos Pascali, Ana Luisa Cunha, Fernando SpnolaProduction: VC ArtworkExecution: S Macedo Engenharia

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      Home Studios utilises reclaimed timber for Montauk restaurant renovation

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      Brooklyn-based Home Studios has renovated a bar and restaurant in Montauk, using materials like white-washed plaster, glazed tiles and reclaimed timber for a “deliberately minimal approach”.

      Formerly known as Bird on the Roof, the establishment reopened as The Bird earlier this year with refreshed interiors by Home Studios.
      The bar and restaurant areas at The Bird are connected through a cased openingThe space is run by the team behind the Daunt’s Albatross motel, located across the street, which Home Studios overhauled the previous year. The menu was created by chef Marcos Martinez Perez and a beverage programme by Sophia Depasquale.
      “[The clients’] intent was to celebrate the legacy of a 40-year-old adored Montauk establishment, imbuing a familial sense of warmth and hospitality threaded throughout the experience and the design,” said the team.
      Reclaimed timber clads the back bar, while white tiles cover the front of the counter”The aim of the space is to capture the spirit of old Montauk, providing a welcoming home-away-from-home for both visitors and locals to gather at any hour and any season.”

      Located in the town centre, the A-frame building that houses the restaurant has a white bird painted on the side of its roof – hence the original name.
      Red brick flooring is laid in a basketweave bond in the barThe interior is divided in two, with the bar area on one side and the restaurant on the other, connected through a cased opening.
      A muted colour palette across the spaces echoes that used at Daunt’s Albatross and is based on the natural coastal surroundings.
      A similar muted palette continues into the dining roomHome Studios describes it as “a spectrum of whites, warm grays, browns, faded yellows, rusts and ocean blues”.
      In the bar area, red bricks are laid in a basketweave pattern across the floor, and the russet hue is continued by the leather that covers the built-in seating and stool tops.
      Blue tapestries hang above wooden tables and chairsFlooring shifts to reclaimed timber in the dining area, where banquette cushions are upholstered in yellow fabric and the accompanying vintage chairs are all slightly different designs.
      “The restaurant includes a deliberately minimal approach to furniture, lighting and decor, which allows the materiality to shine on its own,” said Home Studios.
      Blue-grey glazed ceramic tiles surround the window and door framesBlue-grey glazed ceramic tiles surround the window and door frames, while thin white tiles wrap the front of the bar counter.
      The same white tiling is found in the bathroom, accessed via a powder-blue door, but with red grouting for a more contemporary twist.

      Home Studios refreshes Daunt’s Albatross motel in Montauk

      Both The Bird and Daunt’s Albatross are run by third-generation proprietor Leo Daunt and his sister Zoe, who grew up in the town and wanted to return both properties to their former glory while retaining their neighbourhood feel.
      “Open year round and transforming with the seasons, [The Bird] will proudly continue its legacy as a community staple – and true Montauk landmark,” said the team.
      Wooden dining chairs that accompany the two-top tables are all slightly different designsSituated at the eastern tip of Long Island, Montauk is a popular summer getaway for New Yorkers that offers a more affordable alternative to the Hamptons nearby.
      However, it’s not without its fair share of expansive beach houses, with a grey wood-clad home by Desciencelab and a residence topped with a swimming pool by Bates Masi as examples.
      Accessed via a powder-blue door, the bathroom features white tiles and red groutingHome Studios was founded by Oliver Haslegrave in 2009 and has since completed a variety of hospitality projects across the US.
      Most recently, it has carried out a revamp of a Nantucket bar and restaurant using maritime references and an Italian restaurant close to Harvard University filled with plush booths and banquettes.
      The photography is by Brian W Ferry.

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      Light and Air opens up Z House in Brooklyn to the outdoors

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      Local studio Light and Air has introduced a light-filled void at the centre of a Brooklyn townhouse as part of a major reconfiguration and extension project.

      The home in the leafy Clinton Hill neighbourhood was bought by a family of four with roots in India and required a complete gut renovation to open up the spaces to the outside.
      The overhaul of Z House involved a significant rear extension, comprising cube volumes clad in pale brick”They wanted a house that exhibited a strong connection to nature, featuring a more seamless integration between inside and out,” said Light and Air.
      The project involved extending the building one level vertically, bringing its total number of storeys to four, as well as pushing it out significantly at the back.
      The brick continues into the kitchen and dining area on the lower floorWhile the historic front facade was carefully restored, the rear elevation now presents as a contemporary stack of pale-brick cube volumes.

      The interior was completely reorganized to allow sightlines between the original spaces, the new extensions and the outdoors.
      Oak millwork in the kitchen continues through the minimal interiorsThe most dramatic change involved swapping the stacked staircase with a switchback configuration – a similar approach taken by the studio at another Brooklyn townhouse in 2018.
      This arrangement allows for improved visual connections between the levels and gave the project its name, Z House.
      Reconfiguring the house involved swapping the stacked staircase for a switchback arrangement from the parlour level to the top floorIn addition, an angled skylight was added above the staircase void, bringing in light all the way down to the parlour 40 feet (12 metres) below.
      “Filled by light and air, the stair’s drama is heightened by the placement of large windows punctuating the rear facade, allowing the vertical space to open to the exterior,” said the studio.
      A skylight over the staircase void brings light down into the homeOf the home’s four storeys, the lower levels are occupied by the public spaces including the kitchen, dining, living and media rooms.
      The top two levels are reserved for the children’s rooms and the primary suite respectively. The uppermost floor also accommodates a home office and provides access to a roof terrace created by the rear extension.

      Light and Air Architecture transforms Brooklyn row house with “switchback” staircase

      “This private, elevated, exterior space offers a unique domestic experience not typically found in most Brooklyn rowhouses,” Light and Air said.
      Interiors throughout are clean and minimal, with white walls and custom oak millwork, built-ins and furniture.
      The primary bedroom on the top floor features a custom oak bed and built-insThe pale brick of the rear facade is also expressed inside the double-height kitchen and dining area, which is open to the back patio.
      “Located above the garden level addition is a green roof that buffers sightlines from the parlor floor, creating the effect of a floating garden beyond,” said Light and Air.
      The historic street facade of the Clinton Hill townhouse was also restored as part of the renovationFounded by Anne Diebel in 2018, the studio has completed many staging and interior design projects across New York City.
      These include a Brooklyn apartment retrofitted with ample custom cabinetry and a spiral staircase and a Financial District loft where partitions were removed to create an open, inviting space.
      The photography is by Kevin Kunstadt.

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      Ludwig Godefroy prioritises garden for “timeless” family home in Mexico

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      Mexico-based architect Ludwig Godefroy has completed the renovation of a”simple” house and studio in Mexico for himself and his family that is integrated with an adjacent garden.

      Godefroy and his partner renovated a former residence, focusing on the home’s orientation towards the site’s pre-existing greenspace.
      Ludwig Godefroy has completed a house and studio for himself and his family in Mexico”Casa SanJe is a very simple project,” said Godefroy. “The main idea behind the project was to reconnect the house with its garden, opening large windows everywhere on the ground floor. In and out are always connected in this house.”
      Almost half of the square site is dedicated to the garden, while the other half contains the architect’s residence.
      It is organized around the site’s substantial garden”Casa SanJe was an ordinary Mexican house from the ’80s, without any style, a simple house with tiles on the floor and texturized plaster finishing on the walls,” said Godefroy.

      The architect replaced the former materials with concrete, wood and tezontle – a red volcanic stone – to “calm down the atmosphere of the house”.
      Godefroy renovated a house originally built in the 80sThe ground level of the home contains two entrances protected by iron doors.
      A car park sits adjacent to the building’s first entrance, which is accessed through a patio populated with stone, planting beds and a concrete and brick sculpture.
      The ground floor contains large windows and doors that open directly into the gardenA second entrance is located further into the garden and leads to a vestibule space at the centre of the ground-level plan.
      The interior program circulates around the vestibule, with the kitchen, dining area and living room located opposite the architect’s studio and library.
      It is made of concrete with wood and stone elementsThe kitchen and studio spaces were pushed along the back wall of the house, with slim windows placed periodically among cabinets and shelves.
      On the side opposite, Godefroy installed large doors and windows that open the living room directly into the garden.
      Furniture like a dining table and shelving was also made of concreteMuch of the interior furniture was made of caste concrete, like the living room sofa, the dining table, side tables, kitchen shelving and an island. And some are built directly into the floor.
      Godefroy’s studio also contains concrete shelving and a concrete desk that runs along the wall.
      A wall clad in volcanic stone rungs along the back of the houseIn the same space, a wall was clad in warm wood panels, while a vaulted ceiling sits above the architect’s desk. A chimney sits adjacent.
      Like some of Godefroy’s previous projects, geometric openings were cut into interior walls.

      Ludwig Godefroy creates “habitable gardens” using massive skylights in Mexico

      An exposed wall made of red volcanic stone runs along the back wall of the house.
      Located between the kitchen and living room, a wooden staircase leads to the second floor, which contains bedrooms and a primary bath.
      The architect’s studio opens onto the entrance patioThe primary bath contains a sunken, circular cutout in the floor, with multiple shower heads for bathing.
      In one corner, a spigot drops water onto a stepped feature.
      An upstairs bathroom features a circular, sunken floorConcrete was used for the ceiling, walls and floor.
      Native plants were placed throughout the house, with a large semi-circle planter made of concrete placed above the house’s entrance.
      “We wanted the space to become timeless, out of any trend or decoration, just made out of simple material, able to get old instead of getting damaged under the action of time,” said the architect.
      Godefroy recently completed a number of projects in and around Mexico City, including a brutalist cube-shaped home and a hotel that recalls the design of an Oaxacan temple.
      The photography is by Edmund Sumner.

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

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      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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      Japanese patchwork technique informs interior of Sando burger bar in Geneva

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      Sapid Studio aimed to keep as much of the original fit-out as possible during this renovation project, which saw the Swiss design firm turn one burger restaurant in Geneva, Switzerland, into the home of another.

      The new burger joint, named Sando after the Japanese word for sandwich, is located near the waterfront in Rive Gauche and serves burgers infused with Japanese flavours such as teriyaki tamago and miso bacon.
      Sapid Studio designed the interiors of the Sando burger joint in GenevaSince the space was originally designed for a similar establishment, Sapid Studio made no changes to the layout.
      Instead, founders Cecile-Diama Samb and Michael Piderit took a retrofit-first approach inspired by the Japanese craft of boro, which involves repeatedly mending and stitching together textiles to create a multi-layered patchwork.
      The studio retained the existing tiled flooring and the barIn this spirit, the studio retained the interior’s original bar – simply re-finishing it in brushed and corrugated stainless steel – and patched up the existing tiled flooring.

      The millwork of the previous restaurant was dismantled and repurposed to form wainscoting and a table-height counter running along the window front, designed to resemble those found in Japanese ramen shops.
      The original millwork was repurposed into window counters and wall panels”All efforts were made to make the most impactful change to the space while minimising the amount of wasted material,” Sapid Studio co-founders Cecile-Diama Samb and Michael Piderit told Dezeen.
      “It is the re-working of an existing element, stitched together with surgical demolition, alterations and additions, that creates the unique patchwork that is Sando.”

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      Most literally, the boro technique is reflected in the tapestries that hang in rows from the walls and ceilings, made from reclaimed textiles by local upcycling workshop Lundi Piscine.
      Stitched onto a translucent open-weave tarlatan backing, these feature fragments of bright yellow letters that spell out Sando in both English and Japanese.
      Translucent tapestries by Lundi Piscine decorate the walls and ceilingsBirchwood is featured liberally throughout the interior and was finished in three different stains for contrast, as seen in the bar stools that line up along the steel-clad counter to form a subtle gradient.
      The two lighter stains were also used to create a colour-block effect across the wall panelling and the window counter. Here, diners can sit on aluminium stools by Danish brand Frama that were chosen to match the brushed metal counter.
      Recycled plastic stools provide more seating in the backAnother seating area at the back of the space sees simple off-white metal tables paired with speckled stools made from recycled plastic by Normann Copenhagen.
      Apart from the tapestries, the only other wall decoration is provided by several bespoke prints from Swiss illustrator Kristell Silva Tancun, depicting classic Japanese art motifs remixed with burgers, fries and fast food items.
      The restaurant serves burgers infused with Japanese flavoursOther well-designed burger joints include PNY Citadium in Paris, which has a sunset-hued interior informed by the roadside diners of America’s West Coast, and Noma’s burger spinoff POPL in Copenhagen.
      The photography is by Alicia Dubuis.

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

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      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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