Raised Ranch Reset
DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM ITS MID CENTURY NEIGHBORHOOD, THE RENOVATION OF THIS 1963 WASHINGTON HOME BRINGS TOGETHER SOPHISTICATED MODERN FUNCTIONALITY AND RETRO CHARM.
Inspiration
can come from a variety of places. For homeowner, designer and longtime mid mod enthusiast Katherine McBride, it was the neighborhood that drew her to her family’s current home and provided many of her design ideas for the remodel. “We had lived in a gem of a Mid Century Modern neighborhood in Olympia, and so we kept an eye on it for any listing that would come up,” she says. When one finally did, she knew it would take a labor of love to create the home she had in mind because of the compartmentalized layout and the many remodels throughout the years by previous owners.
“I wanted it to feel comfortable, warm and homey; not a museum but like someone could live in it,” she says. After completing her degree at the Art Institute of Seattle and an internship with the award- winning Artisans Group, Katherine worked with architect Roussa Cassel and mentor Brenda Fritsch to take on her very first project: her own home.
CATCHING THE VISION
The house was originally built by Henry Berschauer with the architecture team Bennett and Johnson. From the outset, Katherine knew the 1963 raised ranch home would need a complete overhaul to get it to the Mid Century Modern look she wanted. “You could literally see the remodels through the decades, but the lot was amazing and the view was incredible,” she says. With the help of Roussa and Brenda, she was able to see the possibilities of the home as well as try her hand at the redesign. “The home has good bones and a floor plan that I could work with,” she says.
Katherine drew much of her inspiration and vision from the mid century homes in her neighborhood. Some of these elements include the clerestory windows above the kitchen area, as well as flagstone in the entryway. After gleaning ideas from the neighbors’ homes, the women came up with a plan and began working.
CONNECTING SPACES
With a growing family, Katherine wanted to create a better sense of connection and flow throughout the home. A major aspect of the remodel was replacing the low 7.5- foot ceiling in the great room on the first floor with vaulted tongue- and- groove ceilings and clerestory windows. “We were primarily looking to increase the volume, connect to the outdoors, create an open living plan and bring in more light,” Roussa says.
The fireplace and chimney stood in the center of the room, creating a visual and physical barrier. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a way to retain it and be able to connect the spaces. “It felt very compartmentalized— all the rooms were cut off from each other,” Katherine says. They decided to take out the fireplace, allowing for the kitchen, dining area and seating area to all come together in one large, unified space. “By removing the ceiling joists and removing the chimney, that created the opportunities for all the other great things that happened,” Roussa says.
Katherine drew much of her inspiration and vision from the mid century homes in her neighborhood.
“I wanted it to feel comfortable, warm and homey; not a museum but like someone could live here.”
SUSTAINABLE UPDATES
In addition to modern appliances, Katherine worked with Roussa to add in sustainable options for some much- needed functional updates, bringing the home up to code. They also added double- paned windows and installed a new HVAC system with ductless mini- splits. This was especially helpful for creating space in the basement, where Katherine created another family gathering room.
The result is an inviting, functional and beautiful space that brings together all the benefits of modern convenience while also maintaining a clean and classic mid century design. “The house is great and the neighborhood is great— we feel like we found the perfect place,” Katherine says.