wall materials

“By opening up all those spaces and highlighting things with the light fixtures they chose, and the way the millwork is layered, you get this sense of the geometry of the house, the levels, the ways the lines intersect,” says Paul. “It’s like we’re inside the CAD drawing, or like in 'Tron,' how the lines go on forever.”

“I walked in and thought, this room wants to be low,” says Kirsten. Friends in Amsterdam had the same sofa. “The kids would jump all over it, and I love that kind of feeling. I wanted to bring that to our house.”

The primary bedroom was too sprawling and open, so SHED reconfigured its entrance to be a large walk-in closet. It shares a two-way fireplace with the living room.

BEFORE: The cedar panels had been painted aqua.

The kitchen has a cooktop, oven, and enough prep space for Koltuniak and her husband (plus their two sons when they visit).

Brooklyn-born painter Christopher Florentino sought a residence to house his collection of midcentury modern furniture that he’d started to amass as a teen. When he saw a Gene Leedy–designed 1963 ranch house on Instagram, he knew he’d found the perfect place. Nestled in Winter Haven, Florida, the Ellison Residence was teeming with all the elements of Florentino’s modern design fantasy including courtyards, local sandstone, glass walls, and a sense of indoor/outdoor living. He bought the house without even stepping inside. Now, it’s filled with the quintessential accents of the era including a George Nelson’s Saucer Bubble pendant, Eames furnishings including a LCW chair, Molded Fiberglass armchair, and Molded Plywood coffee table. He also maintained all original facets of the home from cabinets to door hardware down to the cork flooring; and even the palette plays to the era with primary colors and color blocking dominating the abode.

Artist Christopher Florentino says his respect for Gene Leedy drove his update of the architect’s 1963 Ellison Residence in central Florida: “Being original is important to me. I don’t want Gene Leedy to come here and be like, ‘Damn, you killed my vision.’” In the living room, George Nelson’s Saucer Bubble pendant hovers over Eames classics, like an LCW chair, a Molded Fiberglass armchair, and a Molded Plywood coffee table. Christopher found the lounge, an Eames replica, in a dumpster and couldn’t let it go to waste. A Warhol print hangs from the sandstone block wall; the Ekko mobile is by Matthew Richards.

Floor Plan of Sterling Townhouse by READ Architecture Design

The bathroom is a “compromise” for the couple, as Michelle didn’t want tile, and Augustin preferred the space to have a darker wall finish. They agreed to ensconce it in charcoal-colored plaster. The stools are by River Valadez.

Since this bathroom has no natural light and is somewhat separate from the rest of the plan, the architects and owners changed up the palette with more colorful finishes, including floors in Artistic Tile "Veronese

Clasen kept the layout as is, and refreshed the room with coats of white paint that brightened the space and unified the overhead wood accents. Midcentury-inspired furnishings coordinate with the history.

Designer Raili Clasen forged through a challenging loan process to salvage a rundown property—saving its bocce court in the process.

A nib wall tiled in textured Nagoya Mosaic-Tile Co ceramic tiles from Academy Tiles is a low-maintenance choice for a busy family while still packing a visual punch.

The staircase was welded on site and sprayed in situ. “It’s the backbone of the house, so we had to get it right,” Cameron says.

The original stone feature wall is made of solid stone rather than veneer; Cameron repointed the stonework by hand. He found the wood-burning stove on Facebook Marketplace and repainted it. The chair is by Jardan Furniture.

Though the ceiling looks spectacular, it’s really crafted from standard 2’x2’ boards from Home Depot. LED light strips enhance the impact. “When you explain the method to someone, they’re like, ‘that’s it?!’” Laughs Losada-Amor.

A perforated-metal staircase in Benjamin Moore’s Flame and built-in cabinetry in various shades of blue highlight Fougeron Architecture’s bold reinvention of a narrow row house in Noe Valley for a couple and their daughter.