When Liza Curtiss and Corey Kingston of design studio Le Whit first toured this 1958 home in a lovely Seattle neighborhood known for its fantastic views, they found a growing list of offenses: swirling, patterned carpet throughout the main floor; a fireplace of mottled, beige brick; yellow floral wallpaper in the main en suite; the bold, stone-like material in the hall bathroom.

The residence had only had one owner since being built, but “you could really see the many remodels that it had gone through during the last 60 years, from era to era,” says the studio.

Before: Living Room

The current owners were returning to Seattle from Los Angeles to be closer to family and loved the home’s spectacular views and strong midcentury bones.

“It was just a matter of stripping back the outdated finishes and opening up the living area to allow for the original midcentury vernacular to come through,” say the designers.

After: Living Room

The first challenge was the double-sided fireplace, which separated the living room and dining room. “We [went] back and forth on how to address the central fireplace, whether it should service both the dining and living room as it originally did, or be larger and more of a statement for the living room,” says the studio. In order to open up some tight hallways on the main floor, Le Whit exposed beams at the ceiling and replaced a section of solid wall with a fluted glass panel—an era-appropriate touch that brings airiness to the overall composition.

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After that, the fireplace treatment fell right into place. “Near the end of the design process, it hit us: This needs to be the monolithic nucleus of the living space and ground the new structure we had revealed,” says the firm. “Therefore, we applied plaster to cover the existing stone, which gave it additional mass. We then painted it white to contrast with the black structural elements.”

Before: Dining Room

After: Dining Room

Previously, a peninsula tightened the circulation in the kitchen, so the firm removed it and exposed the structural framework at the ceiling for consistency. Walnut cabinetry anchors the more spacious layout, while a Heath Ceramics backsplash is a nod to the owners’ previous life in California. “We really wanted to speak to their relationship to Southern California,” says Kingston.

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Other client must-haves included a luxurious main suite with a limestone-clad tub and steam room, which the team achieved by borrowing space from a too-large closet, as well as a media and entertainment room downstairs—perfect for cozy movie nights or game nights with friends.

“The client has an extensive Star Trek memorabilia collection, so we used those as accessories throughout,” says Le Whit. “This home was to become their ‘forever home,’ so it was important to create a timeless, but very durable, design. We were excited to take it into its next era.”

Before: Hall Bathroom

After: Hall Bathroom

Before: Main Suite

After: Main Suite

Before: Media Room

After: Media Room

More Before & After:

A Creative Couple Revive a 1950s Cabin in the Catskills

An Enlivened DC Residence Now Channels California Cool

Project Credits:

Builder: Thai Binh Construction

Structural Engineer: Harriott Valentine Engineers, Inc

Design: Le Whit / @le.whit

Cabinetry Design: Plum Projects / John Deitrich

Art Director: Lauren Gallow

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Before & After: A Seattle Midcentury Sloughs Off Its Unsightly Finishes