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The architect added a deck at the front of the house to extend the living room. "By keeping it uncovered, you’re allowed to encroach into the setback just a little bit," says Nwankpa Gillespie. "So, we were able to get quite a large porch. That was one way that allowed us to open up the doors to the front yard."

The architects removed the shutters and swapped in casement windows. Benjamin Moore Gray now coats the brick, and a metal roof protects the porch.

"When you are in the dining room, you have these amazing panoramic landscape views," Fong says. "The furniture is simple, which lets the landscape be the focal point."

“Wallpaper came into the picture, which was totally fun,” Ron says. The new powder room is gussied up with CW Stockwell Martinique wallpaper, a Scarabeo Ceramiche Teorema wash basin, and light fixtures and a mirror from West Elm.

Dimarmi Bianco porcelain tile extends from the primary bath’s floor into the shower.

To pay homage to the home’s era, the couple chose a midcentury-inspired Pacific Green Starburst III tile from the Cement Tile Shop to go behind the Moreno Bath MOB rosewood vanity. Hudson Valley Lighting fixtures and CB2 mirrors add some retro bling to the bath.

In the foyer, an accent wall covered in Farrow & Ball Helleborus wallpaper sets the tone for the home’s retro-meets-contemporary aesthetic.

The eaves are finished with cumaru, a Brazilian teak, and a new mahogany front door warms up the black-and-white facade. “It reminds us of places we’ve been on vacation,” Ron says of the wood. The design team swapped the soffit and porch lights with midcentury-inspired fixtures.

RIC Design Build paid homage to the midcentury era and architect Alan McCullough’s legacy while making the house work for today.

Removing the hallway created room for a cozy family room upstairs. The family is enjoying the nesting process since the remodel was completed in 2017. "We are raising our kid here, learning how to cook, and I even started to do a lot of working from home here even before the pandemic," says Martin. "We hop from one place to the other, making minor changes and making them our favorite for some time. We spent lots of nights here."

A painting by Mayumi Oda commands the wall over Ginger’s desk.

Richly colored koa wood is native to Hawaii and, increasingly rare, can only be harvested from dead trees on public lands.

Marble counters, custom white oak cabinetry, and terrazzo tile flooring from Ann Sacks brighten up the kitchen. "Their light tones were the right balance of Southern California modernism with the warmer, highly crafted wood carpentry that the Puget Sound region is known for," says Wittman.

In addition to adding a master bath where the covered balcony had been, JHID gave the master bedroom a moody green hue and a distinctive sense of style.

In the primary bedroom suite, a pale-blue ceiling offers a subtle pop of color. Glass doors open up to the covered back porch, which sits next to the sparkling pool.

The main staircase at the center of the house creates a gracious ascent from the open living room and kitchen at the parlor level to a library and bedrooms on the upper levels. The stained walnut handrail adds a traditional look, but boasts a clean, modern treatment. Wood paneling envelops a discreet door that leads to the cellar.

The kitchen features custom millwork with opal glass pulls, recycled glass terrazzo countertops and backsplash, copper plumbing, and a showstopping Lacanche range in Provence yellow.

The fireplace core, which is open on both sides to the living room and here in the kitchen, had been covered in sheetrock. The design team exposed the original brick adding character and period-appropriate authenticity to the rooms.

Now, an eight-foot sliding door brings light into the kitchen and enables fluid movement between inside and out. The wider steps can serve as seats during a party, and they make for a graceful transition to the yard.