Atomic Ranch has exciting news! On September 14, in partnership with Rick Chesmore of Chesmore Buck, Atomic Ranch is hosting a George Bell House Talk & Tour! At this event, you’ll get an opportunity to step inside MCM builder George Bell’s home in Bellevue, Washington. Recently renovated, the Bellevue, Washington home was lovingly renovated by a homeowner who had childhood memories of the house and by an architect who lives in a George Bell home.
George Bell, a prolific builder of homes, called this 1958 Lake Washington house his home. Just 25 feet from the Lake Washington shoreline, George Bell’s former home is full of stunning views and MCM style. Like many MCM homes, though, it needed some TLC. The current homeowners worked with Rick Chesmore of Chesmore Buck to give the honor the home’s design while also addressing some of its deficiencies.
Renovating the 1958 George Bell Home
Rick Chesmore, architect who worked on the renovation and who himself lives in a George Bell home, explains the goal for the renovation was “To keep the ‘shell’ of the home (exterior walls and roof) and modernize the exterior and interior with new materials that honor the northwest modern aesthetic.”
Renovating a Mid Century Modern home is never a cake walk, but for this home, it was even more challenging than usual. Rick Chesmore explains, “The existing floors were not level, the walls not plumb, and the roof pitch not consistent yet our proposed remodel was to develop a design that would correct all these deficiencies. Plus, the fact that we began construction in February of 2020 and our schedule was significantly affected by the pandemic restrictions.”
Nevertheless, they pressed on. One standout feature of the renovation was opening up “the Great Room” by removing interior walls and adding floor to ceiling windows, as Rick says, “to capture the views and the northern ambient natural light.”
The renovation now complete, the homeowners are pleased and love to host in their newly renovated home. A detail Rick and his team are particularly proud of is “the steel frame beams that support the existing roof and is supported by one main 3” diameter tube steel column. This steel frame allowed us to open the entire Great Room to the floor to ceiling windows looking upon Lake Washington.”
Come and See It for Yourself at the George Bell House Talk & Tour!
We know you love reading about MCM home renovation, but so much of architecture and interior design is in the feel and flow of a space that you can’t fully appreciate from afar. We have good news—on September 14, Chesmore Buck and Atomic Ranch will co-host a George Bell Talk & Tour of this very home! Come and see the beautifully renovated Bellevue, Washington home for yourself and enjoy the nibbles and nuggets of wisdom from a conversation between Atomic Ranch editor Jickie Torres and architect Rick Chesmore.
To learn more and book your tickets, click here!
Find out more about the home’s original builder, George Bell here.
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