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Houzz Tour: New Home Gets a Midcentury Modern Makeover
A designer in Boston reworks the kitchen and primary suite and adds style with furnishings, lighting and more
Boston designer Michael Ferzoco had worked with this homeowner on several projects, and the client turned to him again after he purchased this house. “He had bought a brand-new contemporary interpretation of a Craftsman and wanted us to give it a contemporary midcentury modern vibe,” Ferzoco says.
The new home had a good layout, but the feel wasn’t what the owner wanted. So over the course of two years, they renovated much of the house, including the kitchen, primary suite and home office, and brought the home in line with the owner’s tastes and needs as a divorced father of two children and owner of two dogs. As Ferzoco does with all his clients, he had the homeowner peruse Houzz for photos of designs he liked and disliked.
“He’s a midcentury modern aficionado,” Ferzoco says. “He’s totally into it and knows all the designers and all the pieces and is very fluent in that history of design. The challenge was to pare down the Craftsman interior architectural details and to bring in some heavy nods to midcentury modern details. We wanted to do that not only in the built environment, but in the furnishings and lighting.”
The new home had a good layout, but the feel wasn’t what the owner wanted. So over the course of two years, they renovated much of the house, including the kitchen, primary suite and home office, and brought the home in line with the owner’s tastes and needs as a divorced father of two children and owner of two dogs. As Ferzoco does with all his clients, he had the homeowner peruse Houzz for photos of designs he liked and disliked.
“He’s a midcentury modern aficionado,” Ferzoco says. “He’s totally into it and knows all the designers and all the pieces and is very fluent in that history of design. The challenge was to pare down the Craftsman interior architectural details and to bring in some heavy nods to midcentury modern details. We wanted to do that not only in the built environment, but in the furnishings and lighting.”
After: Ferzoco and his Eleven Interiors design team and contractor Vin Gadoury created an office space, shown here, with a standout custom window bench measuring 14 feet long with a feather-and-down cushion. The homeowner’s dogs “are never not by his side,” Ferzoco says, and this was a perfect space for the owner to work and the dogs to relax.
“That window seat we did because he has two Italian greyhounds and he wanted them to have a nice place to perch while he was working,” Ferzoco says. “It looks out onto the front of the house and the wraparound porch. The dogs have a front and center view out onto the street and the generous lawn.”
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“That window seat we did because he has two Italian greyhounds and he wanted them to have a nice place to perch while he was working,” Ferzoco says. “It looks out onto the front of the house and the wraparound porch. The dogs have a front and center view out onto the street and the generous lawn.”
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In addition to the new bench, the team painted the office, put up wallpaper on one wall and added a desk, credenza and artwork to complete the space.
Pro tip: Lighting is of utmost importance, Ferzoco says, and he recommends using a variety of types throughout your home.
“Lighting is the most important part of a project,” he says. “It needs to be layered, including coming from the ceiling, and not just recessed. I find one of the biggest mistakes people make is they put too many recessed lights in, thinking those are going to efficiently light the space, but what they should be doing is layering the lighting. We usually only use recessed lighting strategically to highlight artwork.” For this project, the team had to wire much of the house for new ceiling-mounted light fixtures.
Wall paint: Slate Tile, Sherwin-Williams; wallpaper: Strike in gold, Hygge & West
Pro tip: Lighting is of utmost importance, Ferzoco says, and he recommends using a variety of types throughout your home.
“Lighting is the most important part of a project,” he says. “It needs to be layered, including coming from the ceiling, and not just recessed. I find one of the biggest mistakes people make is they put too many recessed lights in, thinking those are going to efficiently light the space, but what they should be doing is layering the lighting. We usually only use recessed lighting strategically to highlight artwork.” For this project, the team had to wire much of the house for new ceiling-mounted light fixtures.
Wall paint: Slate Tile, Sherwin-Williams; wallpaper: Strike in gold, Hygge & West
The office leads to the entry, pictured, through the French doors seen here. The pros painted the entry, added furniture and installed a ceiling light.
The stairs lead to the second floor, which has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a lounge area. (The primary suite is on the first floor.) At the time these photographs were taken, Ferzoco was preparing to make the staircase more contemporary by removing the treads and railing and putting in a metal-and-glass railing system with thicker, more squarish treads.
The stairs lead to the second floor, which has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a lounge area. (The primary suite is on the first floor.) At the time these photographs were taken, Ferzoco was preparing to make the staircase more contemporary by removing the treads and railing and putting in a metal-and-glass railing system with thicker, more squarish treads.
Before: The living room had a vaulted ceiling and a wall with traditional millwork and clerestory windows, with a fireplace that had a television above it. “The fireplace was too small for the size of that room,” Ferzoco says. When the TV was there, you could see its brackets and wires, something they wanted to eliminate.
After: The designers created a space fit for a midcentury modern enthusiast. “We elongated the fireplace area and created that custom slatted wall, which makes for a very dramatic statement in that room. That felt very midcentury modern to us,” Ferzoco says. The custom maple plywood paneling is a design feature reminiscent of the slatted partitions often used in midcentury homes, he says. They replaced the fireplace with a 60-inch-wide version, “so it really balanced the large TV he wanted in that space, and the slatted wall frames the firebox,” Ferzoco says.
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Each of the custom wood slats is about an inch wide, with three-quarters of an inch between them. The panels of slats sit about 3 inches off the wall. “What’s nice is it provides framing for those clerestory windows and framing around the TV,” Ferzoco says.
Here’s a look at the living room area opposite the fireplace wall. A dramatic light fixture, modern art and furnishings blend nicely with the room’s original vaulted ceiling and molding.
Gray and touches of gold make an artful pairing in the midcentury-style living room.
Paint: Repose Gray, Sherwin-Williams
Paint: Repose Gray, Sherwin-Williams
Before: The powder room was perfectly functional but it didn’t have the modern wow factor the homeowner was seeking.
After: Blue, brass and stone define the powder room’s new design. The wall at right features a watery blue mold- and mildew-resistant wallcovering. Blue penny tiles cover the floor and run up the sink and vanity wall, another nod to midcentury style. “Penny tile was used avidly back in the day,” Ferzoco says.
The team had to reinforce the beefy Caesarstone vanity and shelf with steel brackets to make it float from the wall. The space was rewired for new eye-catching pendant lights. “The three pendants were a nice addition and a change from the standard basic fixture that was [originally] installed,” Ferzoco says.
Wallcovering: Infinity, Omexco
The team had to reinforce the beefy Caesarstone vanity and shelf with steel brackets to make it float from the wall. The space was rewired for new eye-catching pendant lights. “The three pendants were a nice addition and a change from the standard basic fixture that was [originally] installed,” Ferzoco says.
Wallcovering: Infinity, Omexco
Before: The finishes in the kitchen were nice, and the hardwood floor was a design bonus, but the homeowner wanted more of a standout space. “The kitchen was white, the island was small, and there was an odd little sitting area next to the island that was part of the kitchen but not part of the great room,” Ferzoco says.
After: The team painted the perimeter cabinetry a striking blue, installed new hardware and replaced the backsplash with a midcentury-appropriate hexagonal tile. It also replaced the small island with a larger one, with new pendant lighting above. The new glass-door refrigerator is panelized to match the cabinetry.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
The big structural change on the home’s first floor involved removing a wall to open the kitchen to the living room and dining room, seen at right. The enlarged kitchen island has seating, an integrated sink, shelving for storage and a wine refrigerator.
The kitchen counters are Caesarstone, including a 2-inch-thick slab on the island that took nine workers to carry in. The homeowner wanted finishes that were sturdy as well as attractive. “He’s an avid cook and wanted something durable, especially with kids and their friends. He’s very finicky about finishes and durability,” Ferzoco says. The team replaced the standard subway tile backsplash with shiny hexagonal tiles, another nod to midcentury modern design, Ferzoco says.
Cabinet paint: Newburyport Blue, Benjamin Moore; backsplash tile: Stellar hex in Alpine Snow, Sonoma Tilemakers
Cabinet paint: Newburyport Blue, Benjamin Moore; backsplash tile: Stellar hex in Alpine Snow, Sonoma Tilemakers
In the dining room, the designers used modernized Craftsman elements. The dining table and chairs painted a deep blue provide a modern twist on traditional design, with a thoroughly modern linear light above. “Those chairs are a very contemporary take on a traditional Craftsman-type chair,” Ferzoco says. “We wanted to bring some color in, and they’re very comfortable and very well made in New England. The table is unusual — it’s like two thick planks of wood, separated in the center of the table. It’s a combination trestle and farm picnic table, but a very contemporary interpretation of that.”
Before: Here’s a look at the primary bedroom before the redo. The bed is now on the wall where the gym equipment stands. The homeowner was hoping for something that connected more with the outside views.
After: The designers chose a color palette and textures to give the bedroom a luxe feel. A natural woven silk wallcovering now envelops the space and handsome curtains dress the windows, which provide a tree-filled view.
Here’s a closer look at the silk wallcovering and mid-mod furnishings in the primary bedroom.
This cozy corner of the bedroom features a seating area with plenty of natural light.
Before: Prior to the redesign, the primary bathroom was all gray and white and was “out of keeping with the rest of house,” Ferzoco says.
After: The renovated bath is a stunning space with marble floors, lots of brass and a paneled glass wet room with a soaking tub and shower.
For the bath and shower area, the designers chose a tile called Yohen Border, in Turquoise Blue, from Japanese tile maker INAX. A linear drain captures water on the slightly sloped shower floor.
The soaking tub in the wet room has a brass tub filler.
The custom vanity sits below a custom medicine cabinet with glass and brass, elegant features for the spa-like space.
Faucets: Litze in Brilliance Luxe Gold, Brizo
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Faucets: Litze in Brilliance Luxe Gold, Brizo
More on Houzz
See more home tours
Browse photos of midcentury-modern-style homes
Hire a professional
Shop for your home
House at a Glance
Location: Dedham, Massachusetts
Size: 3,000 square feet (279 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designer: Michael Ferzoco of Eleven Interiors
Contractor: Vin Gadoury Construction
Before: The owner worked mostly from home and redoing the space was a priority for him. The space had a handsome coffered ceiling and nice bay windows, but he wanted to maximize the view to the front yard.