Inside the Restoration of a Midcentury House With the Most Insane Roof – Architectural Digest

A view of the wave roof from the backyard shows it's dramatic effect at all angles.

Some things did need replacing, and Christian, who meticulously studied Whites archive at the University of California Santa Barbara, made efforts to use materials which he thought White would approve of. Steel door frames (most of the originals had rusted out) and windows were custom fabricated to replicate the originals. Terrazzo floors were patched with aggregate from the same quarry White used. And in the kitchen and bathrooms, where new fixtures were installed, Stayner Architects drew a distinction with materiality: All the new fixtures are in stainless steel, while all the fixtures White used were in brass.

Creating a 21st century kitchen in a 1954-designed home was tricky. They opted to replicate the original kitchen, hiding modern conveniences out of sight: a refrigerator is nestled behind a wall panel, and two drawers pull out to reveal a freezer and ice maker; theres also an oven and induction cooktop cleverly tucked out of view. What remains visible, such as several Arne Jacobsen fixtures, still in production, are in line with the aesthetics of the time.

Every corner of the home is filled with natural light thanks to the raised wave roof.

That same logic was applied to the furnishings, many of which were extracted from Christians personal collection of vintage Scandinavian design from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. We didnt want to freeze time. We just tried to choose items that had a sympathetic quality to the house and its construction. Contemporaneous textiles were sourced from Tibor LTD, the estate of a post-war British designer and a smattering of vintage kitchenwares (including vintage Russell Wright tableware) add to the retro-chic vibe.

With updated insulation and modern steel door frames and windows, the retro home hits 21st-century efficiency standards.

According to Gil, the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. A happy vote of approval, considering the Stayners plans to add two new structures (1400-square-feet in total) to what theyre calling Desert Wave, a hotel compound that will include shared pool and courtyard areas. I have yet to find anyone who wasnt pleased this house was saved and really excited when they see it, he explains. Thats an architects dream. Our role was simply to bring it back. And I think we got just about as close as we could to when Miles Bates walked up in 1955.

The Wave House will be on tour during Modernism Week and host artist residencies, cultural events, and be available for rental after February 2020.

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Inside the Restoration of a Midcentury House With the Most Insane Roof - Architectural Digest