Text Description Provided by the Architects: TBo has completed the renovation and enlargement of a mid-century residence in Katonah, NY. Originally built in the early 1970s and expanded in the 80s, the house is now the home for a creative couple and their young family. Nestled among open fields and wooded surroundings, the renovation work has reconfigured the home to maximize daylight, improve circulation, and create a stronger connection between the interior and exterior space.

The original house featured expansive ceilings, exposed fir beams, and saltillo tile floors that evoked a California mission aesthetic. However a series of poor renovations and a later wing disrupted the spatial hierarchy, creating dark, fragmented interiors. TBo was tasked with restoring key original materials while selectively opening the floor plan to the panoramic views and to create visual continuity throughout the home.

The primary structure’s former steep shed roofs were replaced with split gables, softening the silhouette and improving the house’s relationship to the landscape, and reducing sun exposure. The 1980s bedroom wing was fully renovated to resolve structural issues, improve circulation, and introduce light into the dark corridors. The windows and doors throughout the house were replaced, while new openings—including those outfitted with lift-and-slide doors, clerestory windows, skylights, and light tubes—maximize natural light and frame views of the surrounding landscape.

Inside, partitions were removed to merge previously isolated rooms. The living and dining areas now form a single family room, while the kitchen was rebuilt with warm douglas fir cabinetry referencing the original beams. New volcanic basalt countertops complement the restored saltillo floors, and the kitchen island combines basalt with handmade ceramic tiles beneath a new skylight that washes the space in soft light. The primary bedroom features a custom Doug fir headboard and bedside tables, while the primary bathroom pairs basaltina tile with cedar cladding, framing views of the gently waving meadow grasses outside. The kids’ bathroom is designed using bold color tile and is bathed in light from a new skylight.

Across the house, the renovation balances the home’s mid-century character with contemporary needs, blending original materials with carefully introduced modern elements to create a light-filled, intimate, and site-responsive residence.

The project emphasizes adaptive reuse, retaining the existing structure and many original materials. Strategic daylighting through skylights, clerestory windows, and light tubes reduces reliance on artificial lighting. Durable materials—saltillo tile, Douglas fir, basaltina stone, and cedar—support longevity, minimizing maintenance and future material consumption.