Mid century

The primary bedroom has a woodburning stove, an en suite bathroom, and a private terrace with an outdoor shower.

The primary bathroom features industrial-chic double sinks and mirrors, alongside pendant lights by Pablo Design.

“At dusk, you look outside and you can see the glow of the mountains, and that’s what’s keeping you warm,” says Michael. “I love the solitude. When I’m having a difficult time dealing with the constant noise in the city, coming here is a great safety valve for my sanity.”

“Every single thing in this house I looked for with purpose, like the lamp above my floating kitchen table.... I searched and searched,” Leslie says. “I found one on Etsy from Denmark: It’s flowers, and it matches the wallpaper. So that was very intentional.” Like many of her neighbors, she’s spent years assembling the era-appropriate pieces, often sourcing from Facebook Marketplace and online auctions or estate sales. Designing the backyard was the most expensive part of her project, given that she put in a pool and added wrought iron fencing.

The pine boards continue on the ceiling in the stairwell. Green zellige tile forms a nook for the freestanding fireplace.

Callie and Nathan Angle worked with Seattle firm CAST Architecture to design their forever home in Edmonds, Washington, just north of the city.

The house opens to a protected meadow next to a forest. "Callie and I both grew up with a lot of open space around us, which was such an opportunity for freedom and self-discovery,

Floor plan of Edmonds Overlook by Cast Architecture

This eco-friendly escape is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine—and it even includes a full bath.

The renovation also reorganized the bedrooms and bathrooms for a more efficient layout.

Keeping the roofs flat in appearance was key to maintaining the character-defining feature of the home -- despite the fact that it got new insulation, new drainage, and new solar panels.

"Specific to Midcentury homes, we think it’s important first to embrace their modest size, and not try to make them bigger than they want to be: the sense of space achieved by interior flow and openness to the outdoors defines their character,

The house had great bones and a strong midcentury aesthetic. Tom Basset-Dilley Architects saw its potential: a unique house that could be transformed both aesthetically and functionally, while drastically reducing its energy use.

The H-shaped house allowed for indoor-outdoor living with large, nearly floor-length windows that opened up into the central "bar

The team eliminated the original front door, making the mudroom / side entry the main entry. This made better use of the small floor plan and allowed the kitchen to expand.

face east and west, making the garden room a solar clock, constantly reflecting the time of day.

Originally featured in Better Homes & Gardens as “The House You Asked For,” its colorful built-ins, modern wall treatments, and indoor-outdoor living were a direct response to reader input, and were inspired by California Case Study architecture.