Midcentury Rambler to Modern Marvel | Katonah Real Estate

Photos by Anice Hoachlander

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple and their young daughter
Size: 2,040 square feet (189.5 square meters)
Location: Kensington, Maryland
Architect: Lou Balodemas

After living in an apartment in Washington, D.C., for many years, the homeowners were looking for a house that would reflect their love of midcentury modern design. After finding the 1951 rambler, pictured below, in a D.C. suburb, they enlisted architect Lou Balodemas to transform it into their dream midcentury-inspired home. The key was a new butterfly roof, which gives the home uplifting charm right from the get-go.

BEFORE: The house’s front exterior before the renovation was composed of white siding and brick.

AFTER: “The profile of the original modest rambler remains evident in this renovation,” Balodemas says. The new front porch is marked by a butterfly-shaped roof chosen for its welcoming character. The addition takes advantage of a side-lot line that flares toward the street, increasing the presence of the south-facing facade. The design of the facades is a study in balancing the existing brick structure with the addition, which is clad in rich, modern ATAS metal siding and cedar. V-shaped steel siding was used for texture on the majority of the new walls, creating varying vertical bands of light and shadow.

Balodemas and his team designed the screen wall in the foyer; it was fabricated by Abernethy Sticks. The screen maintains the home’s open feel but provides a brief pause for guests as they enter.

Tile flooring: Spa White, Stone Source; foyer wall paint: Minced Onion, Benjamin Moore

The new kitchen at the front of house has large windows overlooking the yard. “The homeowners had a lot to do with the design and paint colors,” Balodemas says. The upper cabinets, floating shelves and window trim are made of clear vertical-grain Douglas fir; the lower cabinets are painted gray.

Countertops: Marmara marble; pendant lights: Artemide

In the living room, on the other side of the foyer, the butterfly roof drives exterior views upward and captures plentiful daylight. A fireplace was removed, as the homeowners said they would never use it and wanted the wall space instead.

Wall unit: vintage Hans Wegner, homeowners’ own; large console: West Elm; coffee table and side tables: Blu Dot; flooring: red oak; rug and clock: homeowners’ own: accent wall paint: Normandy, Benjamin Moore

Two existing bedrooms were combined and turned into a master bedroom.

Bed, vanity and nightstand: Heywood-Wakefield; Eames rocker and Martz table lamps: vintage, homeowners’ own; wall paint: White Rain, Benjamin Moore

BEFORE: The back of the house did not have a door leading directly to the backyard.

AFTER: The remodeled exterior continues the material juxtaposition of existing brick (painted gray), steel and cedar. “The metal has a V-groove that makes the surfaces catch light at different angles,” Balodemas says.