Can a Single Wall Transform a Mid-Century Home?

A renovation balancing mid-century legacy with modern living

First Lamp Architecture is a studio where design and construction live under one roof. They believe that when “the hands that hold the pencil also drive the nails, everything changes.”

From the first sketch to the final fixings, every decision is made with craft and clarity, so the finished building feels both inspired and enduring. Their renovation of this mid-century modern home in Seattle shows this vision in every detail, marrying original strength with fresh light and space.

(Marco Guagliardo - Editor in Chief at Mid-Century Home)

A path of concrete slabs leads to a solid wooden door set two steps above and slightly off centre. The offset draws the eye, first to the steps, then to the door, then to the thin-cut stone wall that surrounds it. Stones in pale orange, light grey and cream jut out at varying depths, adding a subtle texture that seems to shift with the changing light.

A single dark-brown lamp punctuates the wall without fuss, letting the raw materials speak for themselves. Above, a generous roof overhang shelters the entrance and, with its polished wood planks and rich-brown beams, echoes the lamp and steps in a neat contrast that underscores First Lamp’s precision detailing. Three clerestory windows and a large square window flood the hall with daylight, creating a seamless transition from outside to in.

Stepping inside, the same layered stone greets you at the fireplace. In mid-century homes, the fireplace always served as the heart of the living space, and here it remains the anchor.