Renovate or Relocate?: A Boise MCM Home

A real estate agent puts down roots in a Boise MCM home while keeping an eye on the ever-changing real estate market.

The original sandstone fireplace, a two-way fireplace that opens to both the kitchen and dining room, adds texture and character to the home.

When TJ Pierce and his wife, Ronda, purchased their mid-century home in a subdivision of Boise, Idaho, in 2015, they didn’t intend to stay for more than a couple of years. The home was built in 1954 and is a builder-grade home in the highly desirable Randolph-Robertson subdivision, located about five miles from downtown Boise. At 1,750 square feet and only three bedrooms and 1.5 baths, it certainly wasn’t large enough for their family of six, but it was the right house for them at the right time.

TJ is the founder of the residential real estate firm, Mid-Century Homes, based in Boise. In 2015, he quit his long-time job as an office-equipment executive to focus on his passion of helping other mid-century enthusiasts make their dreams come true through the buying and selling of these iconic homes.

peach exterior door and stone siding on Boise MCM home exterior — The pink in the sandstone on the fireplace and exterior inspired the paint color for the front door: Jovial (SW6611) from Sherwin-Williams.

The sale of TJ’s previous home would allow him to fund his growing real estate business. Although this home was small, TJ and Ronda planned to work on their Boise MCM home in phases to make it fit their family, sell it in a few years and then upgrade to a bigger home. Unlike most homeowners who purchase their home and settle in, TJ always had one eye on the real estate market as he created a home for his family. “We remodeled it in four phases and at every phase we evaluated market conditions as well as what was working for our family—and every time we decided not to sell.”

This is a view of the low, ranch-style roof line with gables on two ends. “I love the elevation of the home and the statement it makes,” TJ says. “It has a lot of personality.”

Inside Design on the Boise MCM home

The couple worked with Boise-based, mid-century home interior designer Jessica Luque, principal designer and owner of Stussi Luque Design, for all phases of their remodel. Jessica also lives in the Randolph-Robertson subdivision and works as a real estate agent at TJ’s firm.

A cozy space for reading was created next to the fireplace. Leather recliner and nesting tables from West Elm.

“I used many of the existing materials in the home as a guiding design principle for selecting finishes,” Jessica explains. “For example, all the wood finishes we selected for the home harken to the beautiful warm-colored sandstone on the exterior of the home and on the fireplace. I want you to walk into a home and feel like everything belongs—that it was always there. Then I know I have done a good design job.”

Four-Part Renovation of the Boise MCM Home

They started the first phase of the remodel right after the family moved in. They upgraded the landscaping and painted the exterior, including installing and painting a new front door. From 2015-2017, they did a small “refresh” on the kitchen and bathrooms, replacing granite countertops with quartz. A more extensive kitchen and bathroom remodel followed in 2019. “We wanted to live in the house to see how our family used the home so we could see where to put our efforts,” TJ says.

In 2018, the Pierces kicked off the most extensive part of their remodel when they added 1,300 square feet to the home with the addition of a basement. According to TJ, it was the most challenging phase of the remodel. “We lived in the house during this part of the remodel and it took 10 months to complete. It took four months just to dig the basement. The house vibrated like crazy, and it was a quite a sight to see the dining room table jump off the floor from the vibration. The addition of the basement made a huge difference in how we lived in the house.”

In 2019, the couple undertook a full kitchen and bathroom remodel as well as relocating the laundry room to another part of the house to make access easier.

The finished Boise MCM home is now a 3,000-square-foot home with six bedrooms and three bathrooms, which is more than enough room for their family. “But, of course, the kids have been growing up during the remodel and it won’t be long before they leave home. So maybe now we will finally sell,” TJ says. Well, maybe.

The family originally used this large room as a flexible living space, depending on what the children needed. The original eating area was located near the kitchen, but that area became the stairwell to access the basement. Pulling from the natural sandstone wall, they extended the warm tone with a floating cork floor. The original bookshelves on either side of the stone wall had no backing. They had a cabinet maker carefully remove them and add matching wood panels to the back, then reinstalled them for a built-in look. To make this large space feel more inviting, they used a dark paint color: Sherwin-Williams Navy Seawall (HGSW1471).

The original laundry room was moved to extend the footprint of the galley kitchen. The walnut wall was extended onto the back wall, creating a fully wrapped walnut panel. The counter was extended across an existing exterior door to gain maximum cabinet storage. The original door opening was kept to create a Dutch door with the lower half remaining fixed; from the outside, it looks like a door with a step that can be used to pass drinks and food through when hosting a party. The cabinetry is from local maker Nystrom Goods. A custom backsplash from Clay Haus Signal’s tile collection was used to create different geometric patterns. They chose Bermuda Matte in mint green for its 1950s vibe.

wallpapered accent wall in MCM bedroom with 70s gold and yellow geometric pattern — Designer Jessica Luque’s signature design trick is that instead of a headboard, she uses wallpaper to create a focal point. The geometric yellow print is wallpaper from the ’70s.

The basement primarily serves as living space and bedrooms for the children.

This bathroom is primarily used by the children. To give it a more playful feel, they installed ¾ -inch glass mosaic tile in a blend of blue tones.

triangular tile design — A more subtle color scheme was used for the main-level bathroom so the homeowners could swap out towels and accessories, and change up the accent color over time. White does not need to be boring: playing with shapes, patterns or texture can make white just as interesting as color. This triangular shaped tile is from The Tile Bar.

For more of TJ’s work as a real estate agent, check out this incredible MCM home he formerly listed as well as his website. If you’re looking for more period-sensitive renovation ideas, don’t miss Sentimental Scenery: A Maryland Home Renovation Inside and Out and our Atomic Ranch Renovation Guide 2023. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more mid century articles and ideas!