Playful Preservation in a 1960 Washington Home

This 1960 Washington home on the hillside combines Mid Mod charm and bold modern updates for a colorful, fun take on MCM style.

Taking a Mid Century gem and making it your own involves a delicate balance of preserving those elements that give it character and introducing functional and style updates that reflect your unique needs. Add in a good dose of fun color and patterns, and you have this MCM home located in Issaquah, Washington.

When the homeowners purchased the property, they knew they needed to make some changes to accommodate their growing family as well as reflect their personal style. They enlisted the help of the Modernous interior-design firm (modernous.com) to help them incorporate these updates without sacrificing the soul of the original design.

living room with fireplace and wood slat walls in 1960 Washington home — The windows and slat walls in the living room are all original, adding warmth and light to the space. A fun and funky rug adds visual interest while yellow chairs add punches of color. “We cut through the slat wall at the end to create the hidden door into the primary bedroom and were able to patch any broken pieces with extra slat wall material salvaged from the kitchen walls that were taken down—carefully,” Sally says.

The house was designed for the Robertiello family in 1960 by the Kirkland, Washington, architectural firm, Cummings and Martenson. Known in and around Kirkland for their projects, including several elementary schools and a few houses, Cummings and Martenson worked together from 1957 to 1968 before creating separate firms.

At 2,690 square feet and situated on .75 acres, the two-story home features four bedrooms, two original bathrooms and a new powder room, walls of windows, exposed beams and a deck in back with a large yard. When the current homeowners purchased it in 2018, there had been no changes made to the original design. “It was beautifully maintained and preserved as-is for many, many years—exactly as the architect had envisioned it,” says Sally Julien, principal and founder of Modernous.

wood ceiling and paneling in entryway of 1960 Washington home — The wood finishes are all original here in the entryway as well as the shoji screens. “We did paint the staircase and railings black, as the existing wood was a darker brown wood tone that we felt took away from the gray stained wood,” Sally says.

stairway surrounded by slat walls and ceiling — Modernous worked to preserve as much of the original materials and design elements as possible, including all of the beautiful wood. “We worked to preserve all of the beams and ceilings in their original stained finish, cleaning any stains or discolorations,” she says.

Revisions & Renovations

While the renovation did not involve any major structural changes, there were a few layout updates to accommodate functional needs. One of the goals of the homeowners was to create a new half bath, or powder room, on the main floor and thereby create more privacy for the primary suite. “As it was, the primary bathroom served double duty as a powder room, and you had to enter the primary suite through that bathroom,” Sally says. This meant adding a wall to section off the new powder room and a total redesign of the primary bathroom. “We spent a lot of time optimizing every square inch to ensure that the clients got everything they wanted (private water closet, soaking tub, walk-in shower, double vanity and a walk-in closet) in a very small space,” she says. “Once the function was determined, we worked to find finishes that echo what might have been used in the ’60s. I always try to envision what the architect might have chosen if they had access to the materials we have access to today.”

living room with wall of windows with hillside view in 1960 Washington home — Walls of windows provide a seamless connection between interior and exterior spaces and inspired the design. “We tried to bring some greenery into this room to help blend the indoors and out,” Sally explains. “We kept a very neutral palette with just a few pops of black to emphasize the view beyond the window.”

Another goal was to rework the kitchen layout. “It needed to be opened up a bit in order to take advantage of the great light and allow sight lines out to the yard and into the living room to ensure they could keep an eye on their kids,” Sally says. They removed the wood slat-clad wall that originally separated the living room from the kitchen area, immediately getting the open and bright feel they were looking for, but sacrificing storage. “In order to make the kitchen feel reminiscent of the original space and add storage, we added an entire wall of push latch cabinetry from the staircase to the end of the dining room,” she says. “This run included a paneled refrigerator to keep a functional kitchen triangle.” To create cohesion, Modernous matched the cabinet color to the white walls so they would not stand out but blend seamlessly into the wall.

playroom with colorful polka dots and neutral rug — Here in the playroom, style and function come together to create a fun place for the homeowners’ growing family. The red toy-storage bin was already part of the homeowners’ collection and served as the launch point for color. Modernous worked with them to change up the paint and flooring to get the playful feel they wanted—with a Mid Mod twist.

brick fireplace surround painted black with yellow armchairs in 1960 Washington home — The fireplace in the living room underwent a modern makeover due to the poor state of the hearth as well as the finish of the brick exterior. “I’m typically not inclined to paint brick, but in this case, the brick wasn’t the most attractive color/finish,” Sally says. “The client really wanted black, and we agreed that it was the right decision.” They also completely gutted the hearth and rebuilt it to the exact dimensions of the original, as it was a challenge to replace the insert due to the original concrete tiled construction of the original.

Preserving Elements of the Era

To keep to the mid-mod feel of the home, Modernous worked with the homeowners to save many of the materials and design elements that were original to the home while making slight changes where needed. Some of the features they kept original are the wood-slat walls, beams and ceiling, two sets of Shoji screens (one that partitions the living room from the stairway and another that hides the entryway closet), windows (with a few replaced) and the block walls downstairs that Modernous had painted.

Pops of color throughout the home help to soften the overall look and feel while drawing attention to and updating the original design. “The homeowner had said early on that she wanted a pale-pink front door, so that was top of mind as we developed the design palette,” Sally says. “We also wanted to highlight the grayish wood tones that were original without adding more competing wood tones.” They chose a modern take on a cork floor that was stained white with gray flecks to enhance the wood tones already present. “This gave us a light palette for some dramatic elements throughout the house,” she says.

clerestory windows in white and wood kitchen and dining area of MCM 1960 Washington home — Clerestory windows provide a peek of the evergreens outside. The wall of cabinets adjacent to the kitchen and dining area is a new addition that provides plenty of storage, which the original kitchen layout lacked. The sleek design with white finish is a clean, modern update that blends in effortlessly with the original exposed beams and windows.

clerestory windows, original wood beams and white cabinetry in 1960 Washington home — Original wood beams and cabinetry balance the airy feel of the palette and natural light. The new wall of cabinets is the perfect functional addition to the growing family’s main gathering space.

slat walls, wood beams and ample windows in 1960 Washington home — Wood plays a large role in the overall design of the home in the exposed beams, slat walls and, in the kitchen, the cabinets. Modernous used the palette to create harmony between the different finishes. “We worked with the cabinet manufacturer to come up with a stain that was very close to the gray wood tone you see throughout,” Sally says. “Having some expanses of white, like the flooring throughout the house, specifically between the various wood tones helps detract from any differences in tone.”

The bold design choices throughout the home pack a punch against the light and bright canvas. Modernous opted to paint the fireplace run black per the homeowners’ request for black accents. “We also added dark and dramatic wallpaper to the new powder room,” Sally says. Another original feature is the staircase railing; they kept it but painted it black so it reflected the other black accents throughout the rest of the home and brought it up to code by adding Plexiglass screening on the railings for safety.

The connection between interior and exterior spaces serves as an underlying design point, tying all the spaces together with clerestory and walls of windows that provide glimpses of the evergreen scenery outside as well as bring in an abundance of natural light. “There are views of beautiful huge trees on every side of the house, and from the deck and main floor the city sparkles just below,” Sally says. “On this point, we just made sure not to mess with what was already there!”

open concept kitchen and living area with floor to ceiling windows — In order to get the open look and feel the homeowners’ wanted, Modernous removed the wall that divided the living room and kitchen. They then balanced the abundance of natural light in the design with darker elements. “The architect did such an amazing job of getting light into the house that it really let us use some dark accents and keep the wood-toned ceilings that would have possibly felt dark without the expert work in placing the windows,” she says.

wood paneling in bedroom of 1960 Washington home — The homeowners took the lead in choosing the lighting for this home. “The client had a specific vision and we worked together to refine the metal colors and finishes,” Sally says. “She wanted to go more modern with a nod to mid century vs. a mid-century replica or vintage lighting throughout.”

slat wall behind bed in primary bedroom with linear wall sconce lighting — This slat wall in the primary bedroom is original, and the contractor used pieces of the torn-down wall in the living room and kitchen to patch it as needed. Updates to the space include lighting and furniture.

powder room with multi-color circular design — This powder room was carved out of the original primary bathroom, which Modernous divided into a powder room and primary bathroom. Bold colors catch the eye and add a bit of fun to the otherwise neutral palette. “We wanted to do something bold, so we turned to wallpaper, echoing the pink on the front door without having pink be the primary color,” she says.

primary bathroom with neutral color scheme — The primary bath, in disrepair and in desperate need of updating, received a total makeover to meet the needs of the new homeowners. “They had to have a tub; this was a non-negotiable,” Sally says. They were able to install a full-size soaking tub as well as a shower, partitioned by glass. Behind the gray-tile wall is the new powder room. “We matched bathroom cabinets to those in the kitchen and kept the palette bright and simple,” she says.

Palette Power

A little color goes a long way to make a big statement in any space in your home.

One potential pitfall of mid-mod design is the tendency toward a cold or sterile feel. If you’re concerned about this in your own MCM home, color may be the remedy. Interior designer Sally Julien of Modernous shares her tips for picking a palette to enhance the look and feel of any space.

Look for opportunities. The first place to begin is to decide what rooms and areas of your home would be the best focal point for color, like a range hood, an office or powder room, or even a door. In this home, the Modernous team decided to capitalize on the children’s playroom as an obvious choice for adding splashes of color, while the living room and powder room also contain extra pops of color.

Refine your palette. “Pick a color or two, but don’t get too ‘matchy matchy’ with it,” Sally advises. She also recommends choosing a complementary color or two and being very thoughtful about where to integrate them into the rest of your design.

Keep it simple. It can be tempting to go overboard with color, but this can make you lose sight of the overall vision for the home. Make sure you have a good sense of your style as you renovate, and update accordingly. “Resist the urge to splash color everywhere,” Sally says. “Less is more when it comes to making an impact with color.”

Accessorize. To add little punches of color throughout your home, Sally advises looking for subtle, easy ways to tie your design together through accent items and décor accessories. For example, throw pillows, lamps, rugs and wall art are great options.

To see another extraordinary MCM home in Washington, don’t miss Zen Meets Mod in This John Burrows Seattle Mid Century. For more MCM inspiration, stay tuned to our Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.