Bringing together wood, steel and glass transformed this one-story, cozy ranch into a mid-century modern dream. Perched on a hill in a historic neighborhood, a small second floor addition added two bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry room and an open area family room. From the street, the second floor is tucked into the roof and peaks forward as if it has always been there. Facing the backyard sits a new double-height space with two stories of windows that flood the interior with light.  The house plan is centered around this vertical space, drawing your eye to it with a wood ceiling. The new welded steel frame stair with wood slab treads spirals through the space, like a sculpture. Horizontally oriented windows facing the front provide privacy from the street while allowing for a panoramic view of the surrounding woods. Corner windows encourage the inhabitants to cozy up to nature.

This project proves you don’t have to have a lot of square footage to make a big spatial impact. The precious square footage taken up by the double-height space is more than made up for by the vertical expanse of light and views. The cool steel balanced with the warmth of wood as well as acoustic paneling provides an inviting environment for a family to enjoy.