midcentury

Jason and Laura Miller-Smith tapped Cover Architecture and EEK Studio to update their Buff and Hensman midcentury home with custom casework, ribbed glass, and a grand fireplace while staying true to the original plans.

Brian and Melissa's two young children spend hours playing in the yard. With Melissa's mother in a house on the same property, the kids have easy access to Grandma whenever she's in town. "It's such a unique experience having multiple generations together," Brian says. "If the kids get up early, they can just run over to Melissa's mom's and spend time with her."

425 Juniper Drive in Pasadena, California, is currently listed for $1,880,000 by Nate Cole of Modern California House.

Inside, the butterfly roof marks much of the interior as well, with ceilings clad in the same cedar siding. A fireplace originally divided what is now one large, open great room complete with expansive sliding glass doors that overlook a patio and pool.

Brooke and Kyle Hoff in their patio garden. The table and chairs are from the Hay Palissade collection, and the rocker is by Kingsley Bate.

Located at 1811 Bel Air Road, Case Study House #16 was designed by Craig Ellwood in 1953. The residence has been meticulously maintained over the years by its two owners, and today it’s the only surviving Case Study design by Ellwood.

Years of regrettable remodels had obscured the Guthrie House’s origins, but Marina and Avalon Rossi uncovered its roots and decided to restore the architect’s vision. After years of research, the Avi Ross Group initiated a 2019 renovation that would bring the house back to Frey’s original design intent and also instill standards of modern living. "We wanted it to look like a house dropped in the middle of the desert, which it was originally," says Avalon Rossi.

When Rob and Mary Lubera started pulling threads to uncover the origins of their new home—the lone midcentury house amid rows of Tudor Revivals in suburban Detroit—not even architecture scholars could have anticipated what they would find. Theirs is the last surviving residence by Alexander Girard (1907–1993), a modernist visionary who made his name in textiles but tried his hand at virtually everything, architecture included. The shoji-like laminate screens, seen in the entryway, are characteristic of his Japanese-influenced work.

A view of the main entrance, which appears nestled within the trees. The minimalist exterior is clad in wood and surrounded by stones, creating a Zen-like retreat.

The front façade received fresh white paint and new landscaping. The blue door was painted "Flaming Torch" from Behr, a vibrant orange.

A view from the new detached garage towards the renovated 3,600-square-foot Harrison House. The new addition comprises a large, cypress-clad volume atop a small concrete plinth that houses a studio space.

Klopf Architecture's modest 72-square-foot addition at the front of the home blends in with the original structure while giving the owners a greater sense of openness in the master and hall bathrooms. Inside, the re-imagined great room now features dining space.

The complex is an accumulation of the original Breuer structure and respectful additions that continue the original legacy and architectural character.