This ranch renovation of a Burlingame, California, Eichler had a lot added to and subtracted from it (see part 1 and part 2). John Klopf, principal of Klopf Architecture in San Francisco, has three important reminders when designing your home in the midcentury modern style.
First thing’s first—start your project by setting goals, he says. Begin with the questions, “what are we doing?” and “why are we doing it?” This will help you in terms of scheduling, budget and overall design style.
Next, John stresses not to stick to a cookie-cutter design. Keep your own needs and wants in mind when choosing to work with an architect and builder and finding the furnishings and décor pieces you like. Just because a piece of furniture is midcentury modern doesn’t mean it fits into the specific niche style you prefer, so that you enjoy the end results of your ranch renovation.
His last piece of advice regarding his renovation of the kitchen and family rooms is simple—if you have to change big parts of the house to achieve the midcentury modern look you want, just go for it.
“We changed the wall between the family room and the dining room and added a window to the dining room,” he says. “These additions and subtractions allowed better viewing of different parts of the home from both the dining room and the family living area. These big changes made the Eichler exactly the way the family wanted it—flowing, open, airy but complementing the contemporary look of the furnishings and embodying the personal style of the family.”
For more information on John Klopf and Klopf Architecture, visit klopfarchitecture.com.
