Chin-Graham Residence | David Coleman Architecture

The Chin-Graham remodel is a study in material, texture and detail. The new, thoroughly modern interventions stand in sharp contrast to the traditional lines of the existing Tudor-style house, yet merge with it in a surprisingly fresh and timeless manner. The house “lives” modern, yet feels decidedly at-home in its sleepy context. This design demonstrates the potential of repurposing older homes to reflect modern lifestyles in ways that are sensitive to but not constrained by traditional forms.

The new experience of the home begins at the street, where the procession from sidewalk to front door is marked by gabion walls, blackened steel and “floating” concrete. The design creates a strong sense of arrival, and the resulting outdoor rooms extend the “edges” of the home outward into the landscape in unexpected ways. At night, custom-designed LED lighting gives the illusion of “lightness,” enlivening the approach and front façade.

One enters the house through a steel canopy punctured by geometric patterns reminiscent of African Kuba fabric, a favorite of the owners, casting long shadows that dance and change as day turns to night. Interior walls were removed and the floor plan opened to focus on the kitchen, the heart of this home, where glass and steel doors illuminate like lanterns when viewed from inside and out. A polycarbonate-roofed porch opens to the rear yard, and a new stair leads to an AV room and bath in the lower level. Cabinets and wall panels are of ribbon striped sapeli, characterized by its linear pattern and three-dimensional shimmer. Countertops are of fossilized limestone. All program functions are located within the footprint and envelope of the existing building.