A Mid-Century Home Remodel That Stays True to the Original Concept
Interior designer Jessica Davis had bounced around from city to city, living in homes built in a variety of different styles, when she landed in Atlanta, where she chose a mid-century home that suited her taste perfectly. A problem developed, however: It turned out that it didn’t have all the space that she and her family needed.
The original post and beam structure appealed to Davis because its open design style made her feel connected to the outdoors. However, she says that during the pandemic, her husband had to move into her existing office space, which left them “bursting at the seams.” It was at that point she decided it was time to build an addition.
Of course, being an interior designer, she had a solid idea of the approach she wanted to take. In order to maintain the home’s original mid-century aesthetic, the addition would have to be stylistically compatible with it, an architectural technique called “massing.”
She knew that just plopping another story onto the existing horizontal structure would have spoiled that vision. Her solution was to add a two-story, compact rectangular space consistent with mid-century design, but placing it off to one side of the original construction so that it was not visible from the street.
All About the Glass
Davis opened up an existing brick wall and created a new light-washed interior space with the use of Andersen 100 Series picture, awning and casement windows throughout, including a corner window in a new corridor leading to the addition.
The new space consists of an entertainment area that includes a kitchenette, a guest room and bath, and a family room for entertaining and watching television. The family has dubbed it “The Snug,” since it has a den-like quality, but just like the rest of the home, it preserves the views to the outdoors, creating a cozy yet open space. The kitchenette also features a folding Andersen pass-through window which opens up to an outdoor pool and patio area that’s accessible by an Andersen 200 Series Narroline® gliding patio door.
Davis’s office is now on the upper floor of the addition, and she says she got the better part of the deal after the remodel. While her husband has remained in what was her previous office, her brand new one is what she calls a “glass box,” a bright room surrounded by large windows overlooking the green landscape below. She appreciates working in a serene, bright space where she can see the changing light throughout the day. Her office also lets out onto a new second-story outdoor patio where she maintains a garden.
Considering the Home’s Original Style
Davis’s experience as an interior designer informed her decisions about how to approach the project in order to create an optimally livable space crafted in the home’s “original design language.”
First, it was important to understand the style of the home in order to create a seamless remodel. Davis carefully considered the profile of the existing mid-century architecture in order to ensure the addition would be compatible with it. For example, to help tie the new structural elements to older, existing ones, Davis took some of the native magnolia paneling that had to be removed in order to add more windows, and rather than discard it, found appealing ways to incorporate it into the new kitchenette’s design.
Finally, she opted to take advantage of Atlanta’s temperate climate and abundant green spaces by incorporating lots of big windows, sliding doors and a pass-through window. This helped her connect the indoors to the outdoors with views that aren’t only aesthetically appealing, but inspiring to her creativity.
To learn more about Davis’s mid-century remodel, check out her home tour video.
