Tarrytown Mid-Century Modern

Project Details

Project Description

The new owners of this mid-century modern home in Austin, Texas fell in love with its potential but were painfully aware of the work that lie ahead. The young family of three brought in our team to transform this run-down house into their dream home. Built in 1946, the neighborhood surrounding the property was well established with trees older than many of the homes. Overgrown tree branches and brush crawled across exterior walls, rust and buildup coated the once sharp and modern features of the homes’ exterior, dulling its underlying charm. Our goal was to address each of the many challenges within the home and prevent them from becoming issues for our clients in the future. Damage to the home was not limited to superficial wear, the interior was in even worse condition than the exterior. Gaping holes in the sheetrock, a closed-in floor plan, and dated fixtures were just a few of the projects challenges. Dilapidated walls, floors, and fireplaces plagued the house, leaving it virtually uninhabitable – but this home had great bones. The potential was there for a very modern interior matching the style and clean lines of the exterior. The style and location of the kitchen could not have been worse. A narrow galley kitchen along the front of the home hardly allowed any movement within the room if more than one person was present. Dated appliances which were hardly functional and cabinets and countertops from decades prior kept this kitchen feeling stuck in the past. To make things even more interesting, this home had a basement directly underneath the kitchen area – a very uncommon feature in Central Texas. With this basement below, came a huge moisture problem. To open up the kitchen, we utilized the formal dining room space and turned the kitchen to face the living area. New appliances with floating glass faces were added bringing a sharper and cleaner feel to the newly designed space. Behind the range, a marble backsplash was added to create a textured element in the sleek room. A Hanstone topped island increased available counter space and white ultra-modern barstools offered an inviting common space for our client’s family. Birch wood floors replaced the existing laminate and new fixtures made the transformation complete. To combat the moisture problem, we brought in a team of specialists with experience in this type of situation. An air gap was created between the existing cinderblock walls and the interior stucco finished walls and space was left in the subfloor all leading to a common drain which lead water out of the home. The utility closet was transformed into a large dehumidifier, zapping the remaining moisture from the room. Through extreme attention to detail, meticulous planning and constant communication with our clients, this project transitioned into a beautifully modern home that met and exceeded every party’s expectations. This project overcame some substantial hurdles to become the beautiful home it is today, and we think this amazing transformation is worthy of this prestigious award.