A Spotlight on 10 Traditional Homes with Modern Interiors
Take a look at 10 homes that champion both traditional and modern design at the same time.
1. A Former 1850s Schoolhouse by Andrew Magnes and Koray Duman
Location: Milford, Pennsylvania
Both saw the school as such a fine example of the white clapboard structure that prevails in Milford that they resisted the idea of installing an anonymous contemporary interior. Instead, they sought to embrace both periods of the building’s history when making all design decisions. "The relative simplicity of the historic exterior needed to be mirrored by a comparable feeling in the inside," says Duman.
2. Writer's Coach House by Intervention Architecture
Location: Birmingham, England
3. 1880s Bungalow by Troppo Architects
Location: Adelaide, Australia
4. A Traditional Edwardian with a Twist by Drew Mandel
Location: Lake Ontario, Canada
5. An Old Furniture Workshop by Kirkwood McCarthy
Location: London, England
The kitchen is situated in a sunken basement, underneath the staircase’s walnuts steps. The same joiner who built the house’s timber elements built the white cabinetry which are finished in a 40% gloss lacquer. Silestone countertops and integrated appliances maintain the space’s simple lines. Additional storage is fitted under the staircase.
6. 1920s Bungalow by Tribe Studio
Location: Sydney, Australia
From the street, the house’s decorative facade reveals nothing of the dramatic contemporary extension at the back. But architect Hannah Tribe says its two faces have more in common than a first glance reveals. Its basic forms were delineated in sharp black paint that highlights their geometry. She calls the effect "suburban uncanny"—"clean, blunt modernism that is slightly odd and familiar at the same time."
7. Glass and Brick House by Cousins & Cousins Architects
Location: The London Borough of Hackney, England
8. A Sophisticated Townhouse by SHH Architects
Location: London, England
Behind a traditional facade, the house was stripped to the studs and rebuilt with a timber and steel frame and a rear extension. "We were working in a conservation district," says McLauchlan, "and there was a lot of back-and-forth with the community before the design got off the ground. We accommodated specific concerns about light pollution by adding a one-way film to the glass stair shaft."
9. The Historic Duplex by Blouin Tardif Architecture Environment
Location: Le Plateau Mont-Royal, Canada
10. A Victorian Gets a Modern Makeover by +tong tong
Location: Toronto, Canada
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