The prospect of retirement doesn’t just signal the end of a career; it offers the chance to recalibrate and re-prioritize in life.
Groovy 1970s Pads That Were (Mercifully) Transformed Into Modern Homes
July 23, 2015
Stripped of their lava lamps, shag carpeting, and other regrettable period accents, these renovated 1970s homes clean up surprisingly nice.
British design pioneer Sheridan Coakley transformed this 1970s bachelor pad an hour outside London into a stylish furniture laboratory.
Photo by
When Austrian architect Mary Ann Schicketanz decided to leave rural Big Sur, where she had lived for 21 years, and move to Carmel-by-the-Sea, she looked for a good lot with a house she could tear down. But when she found a two-bedroom built in 1972, she instead embarked on a massive renovation of the structure. The end result? A LEED Gold-certified urban hideaway that bows to its modernist history, while giving off a distinctly contemporary feeling.
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Originally appeared in This Used to Be a 1970s Relic with a Woodpecker Problem
For their lakeside retreat in northwestern Michigan, Keith and Mary Campbell renovated a 1970s ranch house to include a spacious kitchen-dining room. Clad in a warm mix of oak, pine, and maple, the modern home nods to vernacular cabin culture, though the horizontal layout and irregular plank widths add a sophisticated twist.
Originally appeared in 5 Spacious Kitchens
Smitten from the start with a 1970s concrete villa in rural Belgium, a resident and her designer embarked on a sensitive renovation that excises the bad (carpeted walls, dark rooms) and highlights the good (idyllic setting, statement architecture).
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Originally appeared in A Concrete Home in Rural Belgium
Built-ins abound in this renovation of a 1970s lodge perched high in the French Alps. H2O Architectesdevised a plan to increase livable space while leaving the structure intact. What results is a contemporary ski chalet that makes the most of its small footprint thanks to bunk beds, hidden storage, and streamlined circulation.
Courtesy of
Julien Attard
Originally appeared in Cabin Fever
Two tech professionals living in an early 1970s Eichler home in Silicon Valley desired a more open space for their young kids to play. Klopf Architecture started removing walls, and ended up with a light-filled great room that seamlessly integrates kitchen, dining, and living spaces.
Courtesy of
Mariko Reed
Originally appeared in Sunny Renovation of an Eichler Great Room
British design pioneer Sheridan Coakley transformed this 1970s bachelor pad an hour outside London into a stylish furniture laboratory.
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