Sleepy Split-Level No More

The refreshed house has a 3,125-square-foot footprint. "The project suited the owner’s programmatic needs, but also was an intervention into an aging house for a young creative family looking to extend the existing midcentury typology with more openness and light," says designer Peter Liang.

The renovation also introduces an indoor-outdoor connection through a 19-foot sliding door from Fleetwood. The picnic-style table is from Crate & Barrel and the chairs were bought from an old church. An umbrella from Room & Board shades a seating area on the concrete patio.

The original red oak flooring was refinished. Custom roller blinds shade the house.

A custom walnut sliding panel door closes off the bathroom. The tub is lined with Heath tile.

With glass raillings, the stairs to the second level invite glimpses through to a double-height bookshelf, filled with books and collected artifacts. Every room in the house is designed with the children in mind, and contains a dedicated space for them—for instance, the craft table under the stairs.

The addition to the second floor accommodates a master suite as well as a family room and office space, which is used by Satoko. The filing cabinet was a Craigslist find.

All-Weather Windows made the custom corner window of the master bedroom. The mirror is from Room & Board and the side table is West Elm.