Biber transformed a mid-century fixer-upper into a contemporary home.
James Biber has converted a mid-century modern house in desperate need of care into a modern suburban gem in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The finished project is featured in the April issue of Metropolitan Home.
The front of the house reveals the structure’s concrete base and box-like shape.
In the 1950s and 1960s, a group of young Ann Arbor modernists built dozens of homes in the suburbs surrounding the University of Michigan. The Spruce House, built by local architect Ted Smith in 1959 for his family, was part of this trend. Located in a typical post-war American suburb, Biber says the most remarkable thing about the house is “just how different it is from its neighbors, and just how well that difference works.”
Ted Smith designed the house as a flat-roofed glass and wood box reached by a bridge on the street side and featuring an enormous cantilevered porch on the back. The house was sited to take advantage of the slope down from the curving street, showing its two full stories at the rear supported by a concrete block base. “It was, undoubtedly, quite a sight,” says Biber of the house when it was built. Fast-forward fifty years, however, and the 2,000 square foot house was in a desperate state. “It was a modest, simple house that was built inexpensively, so it was no wonder it wasn’t in good condition,” says Biber. Today, after a major renovation, the house has surpassed its original glory, and limited floor plan.
The living room features the original fireplace and mid-century furniture.
In order to create a contemporary space, Biber completely rearranged the floor plan of the house, but within its structural limits. The Spruce House now has two offices and a terrace on the roof; a living and dining room, kitchen, pantry and bedroom on the first floor; and, in what was previously the garage and mechanical area, a master suite with a bedroom, large master bath and gym on the ground floor. The original four tiny bedrooms, all located on the main floor, were transformed into a large kitchen pantry, a light filled open stairway and even a bathroom. On the ground floor, the backyard was excavated to provide light for the master suite and to create a terrace.
The open stairway created by rethinking the original floor plan.
The spacious master bath with custom medicine cabinets and a tile floor with radiant heat.
Biber was asked to take on the project by a local couple, a history professor and a writer, who bought the house to share with their teenage son. “What was so compelling about the house, and what made the work and additions so gratifying, was that it had classic good bones,” says Biber. “Quite literally, the structure of the house and its spaces, the large timber beams, columns and solid wood plank ceilings, were well organized and simple to adapt and revise.”
Timber beams and a wood plank ceiling provided a strong physical and aesthetic structure for the house.
The house required a gut renovation, all the previous modifications were removed, the floorplan was completely rethought and all the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems were replaced. In order to finish the job in a timely manner, the project was divided into four parts. First, the original two-story house was renovated so the family could move in as soon as possible. Then, the partial third story with two offices and a terrace was added. Finally, to complete the project, a separate garage with a small den above for the teenage son and a writer’s studio nestled in the trees behind the house were built.
The writer’s cabin is designed in keeping with the house’s original aesthetic.
The separate garage with a den above for the teenage son.
Interior of the den above the garage.
The writer’s studio, the den above the garage and the partial third story were all designed to provide private space for the family. Biber explains this decision as: “Fundamentally, the house needed places to escape from the original one floor design. Living on one floor is convenient, but if there is any need for quiet, retreat or separation it can be maddeningly close. The owners needed that sense of retreat and it informed the first extension as well as the next two.” The three spaces were all designed in keeping with the original aesthetic and pattern of the house. “We used the same palette of materials and always tried to respect the original,” says Biber. “We wanted it to look like one architect had designed the whole thing.”
The finishes and furnishings were all chosen for their sympathy to the original period of the house and significant signature pieces were retained such as medicine cabinets, the fireplace and the original color red used by Ted Smith. “We didn't want to invent every piece of the house simply because we could,” says Biber. “Sometimes the architect’s job is to let the original intentions come through.” The furniture is classic mid-century with original pieces by George Nelson, Eero Saarinen and Harry Bertoia. The end result is a modestly sized, livable house with privacy for each member of the family and a sense of practical luxury; a mid-century house redesigned for the twenty-first century.
The dining room features an Eero Saarinen table and chairs.
Biber integrated the original color red chosen by Ted Smith for the front door in 1959.
