Before & After: A Timeworn Midcentury in Connecticut Gets a Moody Makeover

Alex Fawcett had been looking for a midcentury fixer-upper for two years before he found this one tucked among the trees in Northford, Connecticut. When he purchased it from the sellers, he learned that it had been designed and built in 1956 by their father, local architect Cyril K. Smith, who had studied at Yale under Louis Kahn. "It’s actually the only residence that [Smith] did, as he was an architect that mostly focused on commercial buildings," says Alex. "It was like his Case Study home. So, it was of that era and of that time." 

Alex became the second owner after promising Smiths’ children that any changes would uphold the home’s innate design sense. What followed was a hands-on remodel, with the interior designer doing much of the work with help from family and friends. His approach combines new insertions, like IKEA kitchen cabinets and Pella windows, with an embrace of the old. "I really wanted to create something that made it feel authentic, that didn’t feel like it was new," he says.

Alex’s primary intervention was in the entry and kitchen, the latter of which was "tight quarters." A T-wall partitioned the entry from the living spaces, and also separated the kitchen and dining area from the living room. 

In order to open up those passage points and create a sight line that connects the main living spaces, he enlisted his brother’s help to remove the wall. During demolition, they learned it was providing structural support. After consulting with an engineer, they special-ordered and installed two 32-by-12-foot beams to shore up the structure.

Before: Kitchen and Dining Room