When Dana and Jay Vasser bought a mid-century modern home in Pelham Manor, NY, in Westchester County, they thought they might renovate it someday.
Then the majestic pine tree that towered over the house during a storm in the spring of 2018 came crashing down on top, forcing the Vassers into a construction project they had not planned.
“It was about 100 feet tall pine in our front yard, and the trunk just broke up about 5 feet and fell right over the house,” said Mr. Vasser, 40, who works in finance.
“That was the catalyst that caused us to start acting faster than we might have wanted,” said Ms. Vasser, 41, who works in human resources for a financial company. “But in the end it worked out perfectly.”
The tree didn’t crush the house, but it tore a hole in the roof that allowed water in when it rained and damaged a conservatory so badly it had to be boarded up.
When the Vassers bought the house in 2013 for $920,000, they had given the old kitchen a simple update, with white cabinets and white marble countertops, but left everything else as it was. “It was a very quick and painless clearing of the kitchen as we both knew we were going to be doing a bigger renovation at some point,” said Ms. Vasser.
By the time the tree fell, they had two children—Sophie, now 8, and Drew, 5—and, faced with the prospect of a major remodel, decided there was no better time to create the family home they wanted. .
Designed in 1961 by Harold and Judith Edelman, a husband-and-wife team that founded an architectural firm now known as ESKW/Architects, a house’s low-slung rectangular box had many elements that the Vassers liked, including plenty of natural light. , a spacious living room and wooden ceilings supported by substantial exposed beams. When the pair began interviewing architects for the renovation, they were surprised that many wanted to erase those original details.
“A lot of these architects would come in and blow through the walls, remove the beautiful redwood beamed ceilings and things like that,” said Ms. Vasser. “But we said, ‘No, that’s the beauty of it.’ Houses are no longer made that way.”
So they were relieved when they started talking to Scott Specht, the founder of Specht Architects, who understood the house’s merits and suggested a more nuanced approach.
“It was an interesting proposal, this house,” said Mr. Specht, pointing out that it had already been modified and embellished in clumsy ways over the years. “It had some great qualities and features, but there were also elements that had deteriorated beyond repair.”
And there were other experimental features, he said, “like using louvered windows” — made of glass slats — “that are great for a warm climate, but not so good in the Northeast.”
With the aim of preserving the original spirit of the house while modernizing it for energy efficiency and a more contemporary way of living, Mr. Specht set to work. In consultation with the Vassers, he decided to keep the original footprint but create more space by previously placing an outdoor patio below the back deck to extend the walkout basement, bringing the size of the house to approximately 3,850 square feet. The previously unfinished basement now contains a guest suite, a den, a gym and a den with a golf simulator for Mr. Vasser, an avid golfer.
Upstairs, Mr. Woodpecker has transformed the floor plan. “One of our jobs was to create a real sense of procession in the house,” he said.
The original front door led straight into the living room, and there was no awning outside to provide protection from the weather, so Mr. Specht moved the opening, tucked it deeper under the roof to create a sunken entry, and re-orientated the rooms. go inside to create a good foyer.
At the request of the Vassers, he moved, expanded and opened the kitchen, which was previously in a separate room. Now it houses a large central island and flows into the living and dining area. He also replaced the old, damaged conservatory with a home office.
Along with new windows and doors, Mr Specht added insulation in the walls and above the ceiling (where there was none before) to improve energy efficiency. He also re-clad the entire house with a mix of stucco and ipe siding.
For the new facade, he built a wall that was slightly higher and longer than the rest of the house. It functions “like a proscenium,” he said, obscuring the flat roof vents and pipes and making the house appear longer from the street.
Almost exactly a year after construction began in November 2018, the Vassers moved back into their refurbished Modernist home as the finishing touches were put on. The project was finally completed in January 2020, at a cost of approximately $300 per square foot.
When the pandemic hit a few months later and the family was stuck working and learning remotely in their new home, “we felt very lucky to have this,” said Mr. Vasser. “It was like, ‘What a great place to spend all our time.'”
Born out of a setback, the project has rewarded the family with a home they love.
“The common areas in this house are so inviting now,” said Ms. Vasser. “We always want to hang out here together.”
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