“The leak and also the lines of this house were good, but it had to be brought current, and it had a lot of structural repairs,” says architect Ken Dahlin of Genesis Architects. Noted Wisconsin architect John Randal McDonald designed the home in 1952, influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian design.
Every time a modern-day buyer who appreciated the traditional modern lines came together, she saw past the leaking roof, cracked cantilever and dated kitchens and baths. She hired Dahlin to make the home meet contemporary demands while keeping its original spirit and intent intact. In the basement up into the roofing, the renovations touched each space in the home in some way. Dahlin did such a good job of preserving the first feeling of the home which it was featured on the Wright & Like Home Tour in 2010.
at a Glance
Who lives here: A mother and her daughter
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Size: about 5,000 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms
Year constructed: 1952; remodel completed in 2009
That is interesting: The first architect, John Randal McDonald, became popular by stars, designing houses for Björn Borg, Mickey Mantle, Perry Como, Jimmy Connors and James Garner.
Genesis Architecture.
The renovations were extensive, but Dahlin maintained the first roofline intact. While the client loved the big windows, she desired privacy from the street, therefore Dahlin added this cedar fence across the front. “We weren’t certain when we should stain the weapon or not, therefore I advised the client to live with it for a little while,” he says. “It’s always easier to stain it afterwards than to stain it first and invert it afterwards.” The natural patina of the cedar works well with the colors of the stone on the exterior.
Genesis Architecture.
The new fence produced a narrow courtyard space, which now includes a garden in the Western fashion, a decorative that influenced Frank Lloyd Wright.
Genesis Architecture.
Interior designer Christine Phillips of Viola! Mixed contemporary and iconic midcentury modern pieces throughout the house. A Noguchi coffee table occupies the center of the space; a large area rug is a nod to the nature-inspired touches which were typical in Usonian structure.
Genesis Architecture.
A new staircase surround leading to the basement includes a nature-inspired etched glass gate. Stone walls, wood beams and massive windows observe the textures of nature.
Genesis Architecture.
“This cantilevered end of the living room was an odd area; the client liked the notion of transforming it into a Zen tea area,” Dahlin says.
Lamp: Akari Noguchi Floor Lamp 10A
Genesis Architecture.
The Zen region is contained by this cantilever. As soon as the client bought the property, it was sagging.
Before Photo
BEFORE: “The kitchen was filled with plastic laminate and had a significant overhaul,” Dahlin says. “Now the kitchen is the heart of the house, while back in the ’50s, it was more of a cramped service area.”
Genesis Architecture.
Dahlin opened the kitchen ; the area where the range is had been a little mudroom. The post is structural. The beams are first, and painting them to look like wood was much easier than stripping and staining them.
Modern-day Plyboo bamboo used in the kitchen complements the other woods used throughout the home. The counters are quartz, as well as the backsplash is a ceramic mosaic tile which plays off the inside stone walls.
Genesis Architecture.
The renovation’s merely expansion occurred within this sunroom off the kitchen. The vertical post on the stone wall used to mark the line between inside and out. In which an exterior doorway to the garage was Dahlin placed a built-in bookcase.
Eames molded plywood chairs add yet another midcentury touch.
Genesis Architecture, LLC.
The ceiling beams and newly stained concrete floors create continuity from sunroom to dining area.
Genesis Architecture, LLC.
Unlike many Usonian houses, this one has a cellar. The more compact cantilevers you see to the right contained the floor’s cabinets.
Genesis Architecture, LLC.
Dahlin replaced the master bedroom’s less-than-adequate cupboard space with this custom made storage and display unit which also includes a new gas fireplace.
Genesis Architecture, LLC.
The master bedroom was already quite generous for a Usonian house. Actually, Dahlin borrowed a few feet from it for the new master bathroom.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The bathrooms were small and obsolete.
Genesis Architecture.
“In the master bath, we were heading to get an Asian spa-like atmosphere, where something flows into another,” says Dahlin. Case in point: The stained concrete tub surround also functions as a shower bench, blurring the line between the bathtub and shower areas.
A new teak floor and walnut ceiling Cabinets make continuity, while clerestory windows let natural light stream in.
Genesis Architecture, LLC.
The toilet repeats the Plyboo and quartz in the kitchen. Glass vessel sinks and wall-mounted faucets leave the counter feeling spacious and spa-like.
Do you live in an amazing midcentury home? We’d love to see it.