This 1950s Mid-Century Modern Home Was Given a Contemporary Remodel

FORWARD Design | Architecture has given a 1950s mid-century modern home in Kansas City, Missouri, a contemporary remodel. The house was designed by the firm Linscott, Kiene & Haylett and built in 1954. In its day it stood out for a T-shaped split-level plan, which made room for a more generous two-storey bedroom wing.

The current owner wanted to respect that history while opening up the main rooms for 21st-century living, so the house would feel larger and more gracious.

A darker exterior and a bright rear patio

The first change visitors notice is the new dark exterior, which sits well against the surrounding greenery and makes the house look more current. At the back, a patio holds a lounge and a separate seating area, while floor-to-ceiling windows let daylight pour into the interior.

Bringing light into the entryway

Originally the entry was dark, with the only daylight coming from the window by the front door. The remodel keeps the brick planter along the wall but paints the wood grey and adds light wood flooring. A large round mirror bounces light around the space.

From dark living room to dining room

From the entry there is a view of the kitchen and an opening into the dining room. This room used to be the living room, heavy with wood and carpet. Now it is bright and open: the grey wall of the entry continues into it, and a wood cabinet was chosen as a nod to the mid-century era. A large wood table leaves plenty of space for meals, and the original double-sided fireplace stays as the centrepiece.

A living room that uses the fireplace again

Before the remodel, the other face of the fireplace served as a backdrop for a home office. Today it works as intended for the living room, with a TV in place of the former artwork. The sparsely furnished room looks out to the rear patio, and its other side opens into a sitting area facing the street.

An open kitchen

The biggest shift is in the kitchen. It used to be closed off by a wall of cabinetry, with only a doorway to the entry. Now it is bright and open, with long white countertops and wood cabinets. One side becomes a bar with seats by the window; the other runs from the living room to the dining room, with the counter wrapping around the fireplace. Plans published with the project show how the closed kitchen was opened up.

Lessons for updating a mid-century house

As a general takeaway, the project shows how much a period house can gain from a few targeted moves: keep the features that carry its character, such as the brick planter and the fireplace, remove the walls that block light, and use paint, mirrors and lighter floors to brighten dark rooms.

Project credits

• Project: remodel of a 1954 mid-century modern house, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
• Original architects: Linscott, Kiene & Haylett
• Renovation: FORWARD Design | Architecture
• Photography: Bob Greenspan Photography
• Source: Contemporist