Biltmore Area Mid-Century Remodel

The clients wanted a 1960s unreinforced-block ranch in the Biltmore area to feel mid-century modern: bold color, a contemporary edge, and plenty of room to entertain. Homes from this era bring smaller rooms and decades of work layered over earlier work, so the design started with what the structure would allow.

Design 1: expanded plan. The roof was conventionally framed but had an unusual layout. That let me add a classic mid-century atrium and an addition with tall ceilings over the living area and kitchen, without raising the roofline. The interior was opened up, with laundry connected directly to the primary closet for a two-person household. A window backsplash and a covered entertaining patio finished the plan.

Design 2: value-engineered. When HELOC rates changed the budget, I redesigned the home within the existing building envelope. The kitchen moved, a dining room and an extra bedroom were added, and a pink tile transverse plane now runs through the home. The ’70s spirit stayed, with a modern touch.

Beyond the floor plan: furnishings, lighting, exterior colors, and a water-wise landscape with a ponytail palm, Eve’s Needle Crest, a monstrose totem pole cactus, a flowering Hong Kong orchid tree, raised steel planters, a Trex walkway lining the patio, and a skylight framed into the patio cover.