This project is located on a peninsula of land facing the Tred Avon River. The home is a high-quality example of late 1950’s era residential architecture that was in severe disrepair, destined to be demolished. The client’s vision to salvage the house and restore the existing architectural details guided the renovation. The original home features iconic roof geometry, exposed timber beams, and large expanses of glass that address the views. Strong datum lines emphasize the horizontality of the home’s massing and views of the low-lying landscape of the Eastern Shore beyond.

Our goal was to renovate this mid-century home in a manner that preserved its architectural character while creating a home that meet the needs of a 21st century family, is more energy efficient, and takes full advantage of its site. New elements were developed to be sympathetic to this era, but were not intended to be construed as original to the home.

Numerous prior remodeling projects diluted the original design intent. The renovation restored the scale and open planning of the main living area, as well as its intimate connection to the river. An enclosed interior swimming pool and a freestanding metal fireplace that subdivided the living area were removed. New walnut panels were installed to maintain the same door height datum and scale as the original, while permitting the introduction of insulated glazing in the transom windows.  The kitchen was expanded and incorporated the walnut panels into the design.

The west end of the home was converted to a private master suite, maintaining the exposed ceiling beams and clerestory windows and panels. All of the

existing secondary bedroom built-ins were reconstructed to maintain their original character. The exterior was restored, with a new roof and glazing panels.  The car port was reconstructed and the attached storage room was converted to a pool house.  An outside in-ground pool was added with a small equipment building to the west, which anchors the pool terrace.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in mid-20th century modern homes as missing links in the evolution towards our current residential architecture design. This classic mid-century modern home was spared from demolition and has been renewed for years to come.