The Evolution of Home: Renovating and Expanding a 1950 Kansas Home

A small 1950 Kansas home is scaled up for long-term enjoyment.

When the request for a temporary addition to a 1950 Kansas home reached Chris Fein, founding principal at Forward Design Architecture, he saw potential for more. Built in 1950, the house got the owners into the neighborhood they liked, but it was too small for their family. Convinced they would need to start from scratch to get the space and flow they wanted, Chris suggested an alternate solution that met the homeowner’s long-term needs and avoided demolishing the original structure. “We believe as a firm ethos that the most sustainable thing that could be done is to preserve a house when possible, especially one with significant architectural character,” Chris says.

orange front door built-in planter and orange sculptures in exterior entrance of 1950 Kansas home — Vessel Architectural Pottery designed by Malcom Leeland brightens up the front yard with another bold pop of color.

Renovation and Expansion Goals

“The client desired an additional bedroom, family room, screened porch, mud room and entry as additional program elements,” Chris says. Since they purchased the 1950 Kansas home before they had children, they needed more room and thought it wouldn’t be possible to get the function out of this home without completely rebuilding it. The original house was 1,400 square feet with two bedrooms and 1½ baths. “When we showed them that we could add the master suite and get a large living space on a lower level that connected well with the upper level, they could see that it was possible,” Chris explains.

The front addition created an entry vestibule and covered porch loaded with character. Kichler porch lights and a bright orange door complete the look.

Mid-Century Progress

The design team worked closely with the homeowners to find colors and materials that were both contemporary and period correct, spending 10 months in design prior to construction. “The original house was a plain-Jane 1950s ranch that had some nice finish details, such as the beamed living room and kitchen with exposed tongue-and-groove ceiling. We wanted to take the original massing and attractive details and expand these to make the house feel more like a true mid-century,” Chris explains.

backyard pool with view to outdoor seating area in Kansas backyard — New living spaces, fencing and a pool completely transformed the backyard. “The small addition on the rear for the mudroom pantry was within the existing roofline,” Chris says. The other visible additions are the master bedroom and family room, and the screened porch.

Opening Up the 1950 Kansas Home

Scaling up the home to accommodate the larger family size and guest counts required additional living spaces and smoother access throughout these spaces. “It was critical to the design team to maintain the overall scale and aesthetic of the original house while adding the client’s desired program elements,” Chris says. The new stair to the lower-level family room was added in the primary living area of the house, connecting it to these spaces as a public space. The kitchen was fully reworked as a more functional space, open to the living and dining areas through a cased-opening louvered wall.

pool in backyard of renovated 1950 Kansas home — The corner windows were added to view the backyard, but windows were added in all new spaces. Plaid Landscape Collaborative worked closely with Forward Design Architecture to maintain the project intent.

The Results

The scope of this project evolved over time, turning into a near gut remodel of interiors and plenty of landscaping. Four additions were added to the 1950 Kansas home to unify it overall and solve the programmatic desires, Chris says. “One small entry space for the front porch, a small bump behind the garage to both fix the roofline and create the mud room 1/2 bath, the screened porch and master suite family room,” he explains. The master suite family room and screened porch were the two larger additions in footprint, setting up the courtyard condition for the hot tub. “We added approximately 1,050 square feet to the house, rendering the final house about 2,450 square feet. The small addition to create the new entry and transform the front of the house I think is my favorite,” he says. The entire interior of the home was reworked to improve circulation between the existing areas and the new lower level walkout family room.

The design team, landscaping team and homeowners were all impressed with the change. “The homeowners always talk about how the scale works so well for them. They jokingly say they are always happier when they return from vacation to their permanent vacation,” Chris says.

walnut divider separating kitchen from living area — The kitchen and living room are divided by custom walnut panels to open up and create a more functional space between the two. When deciding where to splurge on a remodel, Chris suggests starting with kitchens and guest baths.

walnut screen along staircase leading to lower level den — The staircase leading to the lower den was framed in the same walnut for a unifying effect.

walnut screen divider screen and gray painted brick fireplace surround in renovated 1950 Kansas home — Custom Walnut panels divide the rooms while still allowing visibility throughout the house.

renovated MCM kitchen with glacier blue and white ceiling and walnut cabinets — Unobstructed views opened up the house while interior colors were kept light. The countertops and sill material are from Corian Designs in glacier white.

dining room featuring custom wood slab table Sputnik chandelier and black and white abstract painting — Another custom creation from the homeowner is the dining room table. The lighting is an Eastyn Large Chandelier from Icon LTG.

gray sectional sofa in renovated 1950 Kansas home — All windows in the original house were replaced and most had size adjustments,” Chris says.

storage wall with nook featuring abstract fall aspen painting — An oversized barn door divides the master bedroom from a small office space when needed to keep it from feeling like a completely separate room of the house.

primary bedroom in renovated 1950 Kansas home — “In the primary bedroom addition, the ceiling was hipped to gain volume and define the space,” Chris explains. Pendant lights from Room and Board and a Haiku fan keep the room light and breezy.

den with foosbal table teal sofas small pedestal table and TV — Stairs surrounded in custom Walnut panels connect the new public spaces on the upper and lower levels.

storage cabinets part of the expansion of 1950 Kansas home — “The cabinets were designed by Forward Design Architecture and fabricated by the contractor Hurst Construction in walnut,” Chris says.

master bath with wood vanity black hexagonal tile and soaking tub — The master suite has a skylit wet zone containing the shower and tub. The mirrors and vanities can be found at Room and Board with Atlas 11-inch LED wall sconces in aged brass. Corian details were chosen for the shower and the wall tile is from Heath Ceramics.

If you loved the renovation and expansion of this 1950 Kansas home, don’t miss A Perfect Storm Led To This Kansas City Renovation. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube for more Atomic Ranch articles, house tours, and ideas!