Remember the old saying, Never judge a book by its cover? In 2003 a prospective buyer of this Midcentury Modern Ranch looked past the lack of curb appeal and the original pink brick facade. He discovered a private courtyard and a dramatic retreat he would call home for almost 20 years.
Now a very appealing dark gray facade leads to that sublime courtyard that allows for complete privacy from the street. Floor-to-ceiling windows line both sides of the home, offering an unimpeded view straight through the house to an incredible outdoor living space.
When the owner married, he and his wife had the proverbial happily-ever-after life until the roof of their Midcentury Modern Ranch began to leak. There was a general sentiment that remodeling would interfere with that happiness, but after schlepping out the buckets to deal with the leaks one too many times, they hired a roofing contractor. He’d always wanted a standing seam metal roof, and she wanted a color consultation. The roofer was married to architect Jamie Ali of Demense, so she came over to offer color advice. Clearly, this was one of those meant-to-be connections, and a renovation collaboration on this three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom home began.
“This house already had a fantastic relationship with the outdoors,” Ali said. “We replaced windows and doors and opened up the kitchen to a room that had been an office. We used walnut because it offers a warm feeling and hot rolled steel, a new material in 2014.”
That dramatic hot rolled steel can be found on the fireplace wall, kitchen island, vent hood, and garage doors. The ceiling was already vaulted, but the center beam was boxed in. Once that was removed, a solid piece of cedar was revealed. You’d be hard-pressed to find a length of cedar that size and that straight today.
There are some lovely personal touches in the Midcentury Modern Ranch.
My mother was Irish. We saw the Irish Hunger Memorial in New York with a blue Kilkenny limestone, and we knew we wanted it in the house. We went to great lengths to get this stone and used it in the wine closet. It was kind of a tribute to my mom and her love of her heritage.
Homeowner
One of the most dramatic parts of the transformation was the home’s rear exterior.
“The back of the property was just a fence, Ali said. “We added a concrete and rusted metal walls and a cantilevered covered pavilion with an outdoor kitchen, a fireplace, and a shower increasing the usable living space for the owners.”
“The house is 2,760 square feet, but you feel like you are living in 5,000 square feet with the courtyard being an extension of the living area,” Ali said. “I would design a house like that from scratch all over again.”
Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate agents Michael Mahon just listed this Midcentury Modern Ranch at 5355 Southern Ave. for $1.95 million.
