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

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      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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      Spacon & X adds kombucha brewery to 1930s functionalist building in Copenhagen

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      Danish studio Spacon & X preserved “different layers of unique history” when designing the Folk Kombucha brewery, which is set within a listed building in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District.

      The factory belongs to fermented-tea brand Folk Kombucha and features a production area for kombucha brewing overlooked by a mezzanine level used for workshops and other social events.
      Spacon & X designed a brewery for Folk Kombucha in CopenhagenLocal firm Spacon & X aimed to balance the history of the 1930s functionalist building with its contemporary needs when designing the interior, which is led by cobalt blue, orange and pink accents.
      “The buildings in the Meatpacking District are from the 1930s and have a strong character,” said architect Malene Hvidt.
      “Our design team aimed to preserve different layers of unique history,” she told Dezeen.

      Mustard-hued floor tiles were preserved in the renovationSpacon & X maintained the building’s “archetypal Meatpacking white-tile walls” as well as mustard-yellow and green marble floor tiles.
      Translucent iridescent panels were placed behind the various stainless steel fermentation tanks to delineate spaces within the brewery.
      The studio also maintained the building’s green marble flooringStainless steel was also used to form the extensive network of pipes connected to the tanks as well as custom tables and benches topped with bright blue rubber.
      This tangle of tubes was echoed with the addition of spaghetti-shaped wire lighting.
      “The buildings in the area are all known for their white facades with windows and panels painted in a strong cobalt blue colour,” explained Hvidt. “Cobalt blue was chosen to pay tribute to the area itself.”
      A mezzanine overlooks the main production areaSpacon & X created lounge tables by recycling plastic packaging salvaged from fish and other food waste, which was industrially produced at the site before it became the Folk Kombucha brewery.
      “Instead of throwing out this long-lasting hygienic material, we transformed it into unique custom-made tables,” Hvidt said.
      Hand-hammered steel lamps also feature on the interiorArtwork made of scoby — a culture of yeast and bacteria that kickstarts the kombucha fermentation process — was used to decorate the interior alongside bespoke hand-hammered steel lamps.
      Other spaces within the multipurpose building include offices, a separate lounge, a laboratory and various storage areas.

      Pihlmann Architects creates sleek brewery in former Copenhagen slaughterhouse

      “The brewery’s spatial design was created in a way that resembled and preserved the listed building’s long history and strong character,” said Hvidt.
      “The design also incorporates subtle, organic and innovative spatial solutions with functionality and uses the building’s industrial nature as a guiding principle.”
      Cobalt blue, orange and pink accents define the breweryElsewhere in Copenhagen, Spacon & X previously created the interior for a burger restaurant filled with natural materials and plants.
      The studio has also completed an Ace & Tate glasses store in the city, taking cues from colourful artists’ studios.
      The photography is by Hedda Rysstad.

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      Otherworlds transforms Goan villa into restaurant that “celebrates chance encounters”

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      Local design studio Otherworlds drew on the traditional Goan balcão when converting a 1980s villa in Panjim, India, into the Terttulia restaurant and bar.

      Housed in a Portuguese-style villa, Terttulia Goa is defined by a central island bar informed by the balcão – an outdoor porch with built-in seats that serves as the entrance to a typical Goan home.
      The restaurant takes its name from the Spanish word tertulia, meaning a social gathering with literary or artistic associations.
      Intimate two-seater booths flank the bar”The balcão is a crucial part of a Goan home as this is where one spends most of their time,” Otherworlds founder Arko told Dezeen.
      “At a time of rampant urbanisation, all houses tend to become very self-contained, private and detached, separated away from the city or the neighbourhood,” he continued.

      “The balcão becomes all the more important at such a time as it is built with the idea of reinforcing the kinship between the house and the neighbourhood.”
      Terttulia Goa is defined by a central bar informed by the balcãoMultidisciplinary studio Otherworlds overhauled the villa, which it describes as a “formerly enclosed shell”, by removing some of the external walls and extending the dining area into an outdoor porch.
      This area is sheltered by a large bamboo canopy with elliptical openings that diffuse the natural light, transforming the space throughout the day.
      The canopy is intended to mitigate the region’s extreme weather conditions; sheltering customers from the rain during monsoon season and providing a semi-open space with plenty of air circulation during the hot summer months.
      Low-hung lamps add a sense of “whimsy”Otherworlds designed the bar so that customers face each other, rather than facing the wall, in a bid to “encourage chance encounters”.
      “The intention was to create an immersive atmospheric experience that inspires a feeling of being in a tropical, lush outdoor space under an overgrown natural canopy,” said Arko.
      A metal and fluted glass structure hung from the building’s external walls floats above the white marble bartop and holds the arc-shaped lamps that light the intimate two-seater booths flanking the bar.
      A bamboo canopy was inserted to mitigate the region’s extreme weather conditionsAt night, the restaurant is lit by low-hung sinuous lamps informed by sweeping stems that are intended to add a sense of “whimsy” to the interior.
      Adhering to Terttulia’s signature green and white colour scheme, the studio opted for a palette of locally sourced materials, including the green-pigmented hand-cast concrete that it used to create the restaurant’s flooring.
      “The green pigmented hand-cast concrete floor, largely termed as IPS [Indian Patent stone], is found in most places in the country and is also used to finish the balcão in all Goan homes,” Arko explained.
      Terttulia Goa is housed in a revamped 1980s villaOtherworlds worked with local workshop Jyamiti & Sea to create ovoid terrazzo accents that are scattered in various places across the floor and walls.
      The studio achieved what it terms “the perfect green” using a mixture of white and grey cement and green oxide pigment.
      Otherworlds opted for a palette of locally sourced materials”The tricky bit with coloured concrete is achieving the exact shade [because] once the cement sets and is polished, the result is quite different from the initial wet mix,” said Arko.
      “The process required numerous iterations and experiments to get the right mixture of materials that would yield the correct shade.”
      The green cement is offset by dark wood derived from the matti, Goa’s state tree.
      “We imagined the restaurant to be an extension of the house and while being part of it, [we also wanted it to] feel like a part of the city.”
      Other projects that take a contemporary approach to Indian design traditions include a rammed-earth family home in Rajasthan designed by Sketch Design Studio and a Rain Studio-designed “native yet contemporary” home in Chennai.
      The photography is by Suryan and Dang. 

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      Viruta Lab blankets former fisherman’s house in Valencia with chequerboard tiles

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      Spanish interiors studio Viruta Lab has renovated a compact house in El Cabanyal, Valencia’s traditional fishing neighbourhood, using geometric blue-and-white tiling for an understated nautical aesthetic.

      Built in 1946, the humble two-storey building once belonged to the grandparents of the current owner but had been boarded up for many years.
      Viruta Lab has renovated a former fisherman’s house in ValenciaViruta Lab was brought on board to transform the small 85-square-metre home into a modern holiday residence while respecting its great sentimental value to the family.
      “Emotion was a very important starting point,” the studio told Dezeen.
      The interior is dominated by chequerboard tiles”The house is a family legacy and the image they have of it is very deep, so it was necessary for any intervention to be as respectful as possible and with a language that they understood and took as their own,” Viruta Lab continued.

      “We understood that the architecture already had a value, that we only had to beautify it, preserve it.”
      Green upholstery provides a contrast with the blue-and-white colour schemeViruta Lab uncovered the building’s original brick walls from under layers of peeling paint and carefully repaired the pre-existing mouldings “to give height and nostalgic value to the interior design”.
      Liberal chequerboard tiling provides a contrast to these traditional design details, featured throughout all the rooms from the kitchen to the sleeping quarters.
      Viruta Lab restored the home’s original mouldingsIn a suitably nautical palette of navy and off-white, the tiles reference the great variety of tiled facades found in the El Cabanyal neighbourhood.
      “The dominant colours on the facades of the Cabanyal are white, blue and green, which are associated with a lifestyle linked to the resources offered by the sea,” the studio said.

      Balzar Arquitectos nestles copper-toned home into Valencian olive grove

      “It was clear that we had to respect the local traditions, the architecture and the essence of the house and give it a maritime aesthetic, reinterpreting the Mediterranean style to adapt it to the tradition of the neighbourhood using its own materials.”
      Green shows up throughout the interior in the form of simple upholstered furniture – including a sofa, pouffe, benches and stools – all custom-designed by Viruta Lab for this compact space.
      European oak was used to form joinery detailsThe interior woodwork in European oak was stained to resemble Canaletto walnut, matching the tones of the two remaining original interior doors that were painstakingly restored and repurposed as sliding doors.
      “We wanted the woodwork to provide a quality counterpoint to the cold tones of the blues and greens, with an imprint and weight,” the studio said.
      The remaining interior doors were restored and repurposed as sliding doorsAnother key local material – esparto grass fibre – is less noticeable than the tiles but pops up throughout the house to add textural interest.
      Traditionally used to make ropes, baskets, mats and espadrille sandals, the flexible natural material was repurposed to form headboards and backrests, and even clad the suspended ceilings in the bathrooms.
      Esparto grass was used to from headboards and backrests”This material has been used because of its roots in the traditions and life in the Mediterranean area, especially in the Valencian community,” the studio said.
      “For Viruta Lab, the legacy comes from its use by men of the countryside and the sea, by the original residents of the Cabanyal, those men who used to wear espadrilles.”
      The house has a shaded outdoor dining area on the roofAs well as a clay-tiled roof terrace with a shaded outdoor dining area, the house also features a sensitively restored inner courtyard, complete with a stone water trough where the owner’s grandfather once dried his fishing nets at the end of a day’s work.
      Other projects that celebrate Valencia’s historic architecture include a 1920s penthouse that was renovated to celebrate its original mosaic floors and an octogenarian home in El Cabanyal that was updated using traditional construction techniques and local materials.
      The photography is by David Zarzoso.

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      Eclectic Warsaw apartment interior designed as “elaborate puzzle”

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      Walnut burl and terrazzo accents are combined with chunky statement furniture in this apartment in Warsaw, which Polish studio Mistovia has renovated for an art director and her pet dachshund.

      Located in the city’s Praga Północ neighbourhood, the 45-square-metre flat is set within a 1950s estate designed by Polish architects Jerzy Gieysztor and Jerzy Kumelowski.
      The Warsaw apartment was renovated by MistoviaMistovia devised an eclectic material and colour palette when updating the interior, which the studio describes as an “elaborate puzzle” of contrasting patterns.
      “The apartment is based on several dominant ‘cubes’,” said Mistovia founder Marcin Czopek. “Each of them has a different function, accentuated by various patterns through the use of veneer or colour.”
      Panels of swirly grey wood veneer feature in the living spaceThe living room is defined by a wall panelled in swirly grey wood veneer– originally designed by Memphis Group founder Ettore Sottsass for Alpi in the 1980s – while the bathroom is obscured behind a wall of glass blocks.

      The kitchen is now connected to the lounge to create one open-plan space, filled with statement pieces including a misshapen vase and the molten-looking Plopp stool by Polish designer Oskar Zieta, set against the backdrop of floor-to-ceiling walnut-burl cabinets.
      A tortoiseshell cabinet defines the bathroomTerrazzo was used to form chunky black-and-white legs for the kitchen’s window-side breakfast bar as well as an entire burnt-orange table in the dining area.
      “A muted base – bright, uniform micro cement flooring and walls with a delicate texture – allowed for the use of geometric forms, rich in interesting structures and bold patterns,” Czopek said.

      SSdH tucks Melbourne warehouse apartment into former chocolate factory

      Designed for an art director and her dog, the apartment features a similarly striking bathroom.
      Here, gridded monochrome tiles and glass-brick walls are paired with a statement standalone sink, featuring squat cobalt-blue legs that support a tortoiseshell cabinet crowned by a triptych mirror.
      The single bedroom includes purple and marble accentsA purple wardrobe complements the rectilinear marble headboard in the apartment’s singular bedroom, adding to the boxy geometry of the home.
      Also in Warsaw, Polish studio Projekt Praga incorporated mid-century elements and pops of colour into a dumpling restaurant while local firm Noke Architects referenced the high waters of Venice in a bar complete with sea-green floors and skirting tiles.
      The photography is by Oni Studio. 

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      Dorothée Meilichzon reimagines historic Biarritz hotel with nautical nods

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      French interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon has renovated a Belle Epoque-era hotel in Biarritz, France, blending maritime and art deco motifs to add contemporary flair to the historic building.

      The Regina Experimental sits on a clifftop overlooking the Bay of Biscay in the French seaside city, which was once a royal getaway and is now a popular surfing destination.
      Nautical designs decorate the corridorsConstructed in 1907 by architect and landscape designer Henry Martinet, the grand building features a 15-metre-high atrium, large bay windows, a glass roof, and hints of art deco throughout.
      The majority of its spaces were well preserved, so Meilichzon’s input involved modernising the furnishings and decor – adding colour and pattern to enliven the spaces while playing on the hotel’s coastal location.
      Totemic sculptures were used in the hotel’s atriumIn the light-filled atrium, dark red and green sofas were arranged to create intimate seating areas within the expansive room.

      Totemic wicker sculptures form a line down the centre of the room, and cylindrical paper lanterns by designers Ingo Maurer and Anthony Dickens hang from the columns on either side.
      Guest rooms feature geometric, art deco-influenced headboards and striped upholsteryGuests in this space are served cocktails from a bar top shaped like an ocean liner, designed as an homage to modernist architect Eileen Gray, while listening to live piano music.
      While the bar top nods to Gray’s designs, the sofas in the room play on the shapes of the Itsasoan footbridge in nearby Guétary.
      Mirrors wrapped in rope continue the maritime theme in the roomsCarpet patterns vary between the different areas of the hotel – in the corridors, they carry a nautical motif, while the markings are reminiscent of fish scales in the guest rooms.
      The hotel’s restaurant, Frenchie, offers Basque-inspired cuisine within a bright room that features more nautical references, such as rope-hung shelves and shell-shaped sconces.
      Shell-shaped sconces decorate the dining roomHighly patterned tiled floors and furniture contrast the restaurant’s neutral plaster walls and ceiling, which are punctuated by arched niches and curved plywood panels.
      The dining area spills onto an outdoor terrace, populated by red cafe tables and chairs lined up against pale blue banquettes, around the corner from a swimming pool.

      Ibiza’s first hotel gets bohemian refresh from Dorothée Meilichzon

      The hotel’s 72 guest rooms are accessible from corridors that wrap around the atrium, and face either the ocean or the Golf de Biarritz Le Phare golf course.
      Shades of blue and green dominate the art deco-influenced bedrooms, which feature glossy geometric headboards and marine-striped upholstery.
      A cool palette of greens and blues is used in the bathroomsSmall lamps extend from rope frames that wrap around the mirrors, and red accents on smaller furniture pieces pop against the cooler hues.
      “Bedrooms are awash with Japanese straw and rope combined with marine stripes and plaster frescoes with aquatic motifs,” said the hotel. “Evocative of an ocean liner, each bedroom incorporates curved forms and long horizontal lines.”
      Built in 1907, the hotel overlooks the Bay of Biscay from a clifftopMeilichzon, founder of Paris-based design agency Chzon, is a frequent collaborator of the Experimental Group, and has designed the interiors for several of its properties.
      Earlier this year, she gave a bohemian refresh to Ibiza’s first hotel, now called the Montesol Experimental, and previously completed the Hotel Il Palazzo Experimental in Venice.
      The photography is by Mr Tripper.

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      Giannone Petricone Associates rescues Ontario hotel from ruin

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      Toronto studio Giannone Petricone Associates has spent a decade restoring a dilapidated hotel in Ontario, linking the building’s past and present through regionally influenced design details.

      Located in Picton, a town in Prince Edward County (PEC) that lies close to the shores of Lake Ontario, The Royal Hotel was in bad shape when the Sorbara family purchased it in 2013.
      The Royal Hotel’s interiors draw upon a mix Victorian and contemporary influences, as seen in the reception area. Photo by Graydon HerriottThe new owners hired Giannone Petricone Associates (GPA) to save what they could of the existing building, which was first completed in 1879, and transform it into contemporary lodgings.
      “Its central staircase was lined with a lush carpet of green moss, and early in the planning phase, the roof caved in,” said the hotel team.
      One of four hotel bars is lined with tambour panelling”But the family vowed to restore the property and bring it back to life as a nexus for both locals and guests of PEC’s burgeoning food and wine region.”

      The architects were able to salvage three of the original brick walls, and within them created a cafe, three bars, a fine-dining restaurant; and a spa, gym and sauna.
      Playful design elements include ceiling rosettes that mimic water ripplesA landscaped terrace overlooks a fourth bar and a brick patio with lounge seating, while an outdoor swimming pool flanked by a row of cabana beds lies beyond.
      A total of 33 guest rooms are available: 28 in the main three-storey hotel building, and a further five suites in a rebuilt stable named The Royal Annex.
      Another cosy lounge area features dark tambour panels around its fireplaceFor the interiors, GPA played on tropes of Victorian railway hotels, mixing formal elements of British tradition with PEC’s more laid-back rural sensibility.
      “The Royal is designed to be a transporting experience while deeply rooted in the local context,” said GPA principal Pina Petricone. “The experience benefits from the charged contrast between ‘genteel’ and ‘real’ elements.”

      Ace Hotel Toronto by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects features a suspended lobby

      In the lobby, the reception desk is wrapped in a floral pattern and a wooden shelving system forms a boutique displaying items for sale.
      Tambour panelling lines the adjacent bar area, which flows into a lounge where softly undulated plasterwork frames a fireplace.
      The hotel offers 33 guest rooms, which feature details like cross-stitched headboardsA variety of checkered and tartan patterns are found across hallway carpets, mosaic bathroom tiles and cross-stitched headboards. Ceiling rosettes throughout the spaces are designed to mimic mushrooms and water ripples.
      “We wanted to have moments in the hotel that were a bit nonsensical,” Petricone said. “The Royal is about escapism, and our research into the hotel’s history demonstrated that it was always a pretty quirky place.”
      A variety of checkered patterns are found throughout the hotel, including in the mosaic bathroom tilesOther recently opened hotels in Canada include the Ace Toronto, which boasts a suspended lobby and rooftop bar.
      Last year, the 1 Hotel Toronto by Rockwell Group and The Drake Hotel Modern Wing by DesignAgency, also in the city, were longlisted in the Hotel and Short Stay Interiors category for the Dezeen Awards.
      The photography is by Doublespace, unless stated otherwise. Main image is by Jeff McNeill.

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      Design Theory updates mid-century coastal home in Perth

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      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.

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      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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