If I Were to Build

A breakfast booth that looks out to the street.

A huge Moroccan rug sourced from a dealer on Etsy anchors the living area. The Afra & Tobias Scarpa Soriana lounge chairs for Cassina were designed in 1969, but fully embody 1970s style. The Donald Judd Single Daybed 32 fits a twin mattress.

The kitchen and dining area is furnished with a salvaged timber table designed by Matt Eastvold, white Panton chairs, and a Glo Ball pendant lamp.

Shelly walks along the perimeter of the house, near the central living area. The design of the house, with its many rooms, nooks, and open family spaces, "was so ahead of its time," Shelly says, "that, to young people coming here, it still feels contemporary."

Always put contingencies aside. During any renovation, it is critical to set aside money for the "what if" or emergency scenarios. For example, there might be plumbing that you didn’t anticipate needing to replace. Conventional wisdom suggests adding 15 to 20 percent to your contractor’s renovation cost to safely consider these contingencies.

Ray sits at the central hearth on the north end of the comfortable sunken living area. From this perspective, you can see how the interior spaces flow into one another, passing one half-level up into the breakfast nook and kitchen and out from there onto the overgrown hillside. The various built-in furnishings have all been there since the house's construction.

Ray Kappe relaxes in the central living space, which offers views onto other shared family zones. Behind him is a view down into his office. Half a level up, Shelly Kappe stands at the entrance to the upper family room.

One of three separate seating areas.