Here's how to use natural materials, well—crafted
details, and open—plan spaces to make a minimalist house
inviting.
by Max Alexander
One might be forgiven for assuming that
a 1950 Modern house will be uninviting—all chilly steel,
concrete, and glass. But take a walk down the front steps of
George Mabry's newly renovated house, and those preconceptions
start to unravel. There, chocolate–colored redwood siding
and thin slices of rustic stacked stone surround an entryway
made even more welcoming by the soothing sound of a nearby fountain.
The effect is more serene forest than sterile structure, and
any visitor would be hard pressed to say the style holds no charms.
The allure of the house—the current TOH TV-show project—is
largely the work of Todd Tsiang, an architectural designer who
designated the materials, finishes, and details, working from
plans by architect Will Ruhl. Tsiang's choices may be 21st-century,
but the house still belongs in the class of high-style mid-20th-century
Modern, with its floating staircase, streamlined fixtures and
lighting, open-plan first floor, and a wall of glass along the
back that makes inside and outside a matter of opinion.
There's
an emphasis on informal living—key for George, who likes
to entertain—that hews to the philosophy of Modern design.
Combined with traditional, even antique materials, from recycled
wood to handmade tiles to farmhouse slate counters, the house
belies the notion that Modern homes are cold and soulless. That
opinion is best expressed in the words of one particularly reluctant
convert, TOH general contractor Tom Silva, who executed the transformation. “This
house gave me a new appreciation for Modern homes,” says
Tom. “I've worked on them for decades—going way back
with my dad—and I'd always thought them to be somewhat
sterile. But this one has real charm.”
Just
inside the front door is a showstopping staircase, floating before
a stacked stone wall that echoes the exterior chimney and foundation.
The 4–inch–thick stair treads, as well as the railings,
are made of reclaimed teak from 100–year–old pole buildings
in Southeast Asia. Curved bronze balusters, designed by Tsiang
to look like tree branches, add a metallic contrast without looking
industrial. (photo: Keller & Keller)
I don't understand stuffy living rooms that get used once a year,” says
George. His retained most of its original elements: a windowed
wall, a bluestone fireplace surround, and wood paneling—now
redwood reclaimed from old olive–curing tanks. The new plasma
TV can be hidden behind a redwood panel that disappears into the
floor. (photo: Keller & Keller)
"I want my house to be flexible. Dedicating rooms to one
purpose doesn't make sense."
—George Mabry,
homeowner (photo: Keller & Keller)
At one end of a long dining room at the finished Cambridge TV–show
project house is a library area, where the ceiling soars to 13½ feet.
Tall shelves, a stone-veneer chimney, and windows masked from the
street by shoji screens define the homey space, which homeowner
George Mabry says he will use every day. “I'll have dinner
parties,” he says. “But I didn't want the room gathering
dust the rest of the time.” (photo: Keller & Keller)
The
dining room, where a large table fills the eating area, has a
couple of cozy nooks where George can relax alone or with guests.
Dark–stained wood shelves
provide a dramatic backdrop for his art pottery collection. (photo: Keller & Keller)
