My Houzz: Classic Style in an Updated Midcentury Home
A Dallas homeowner’s midcentury furniture finds the perfect backdrop in a 1961 house
Jeri Paduch shopped for a year before finding this midcentury gem in 2014. She gave her real estate agent, Brandon Stewart, a nearly impossible list of requirements for her search. “He looked at me and said, ‘Pick two,’” Paduch says with a laugh. “So that’s why the search took as long as it did.” Paduch’s patience paid off; she lucked out on a recently renovated home built by architect Lewis Thomas. “I liked the view, the open space, and it’s a true midcentury modern,” she says. Her classic midcentury furnishings outfit the updated interior.
AFTER: The once-dark wood-paneled living area is now bright, with white walls and natural light. Paduch left the original Malm fireplace and wood ceiling as is. Large floor-to-ceiling windows offer a nonstop view of nature from this home on a hilltop overlooking a greenbelt. “The openness and view is great,” Paduch says.
The greenbelt view also seems appropriate for Paduch, who spent 20 years as a fitness instructor before taking her current job in the oil and gas industry. She continues to be an avid marathoner and cyclist.
Paduch owned a collection of midcentury furniture prior to buying this home. “This is furniture I already had. The only piece I added was the white kitchen table,” she says. “It’s a replica of what the previous owner had. Nothing else would have worked.”
Eames lounge chair and ottoman: Design Within Reach; Noguchi table: Design Within Reach; artwork: Jo Mattison
The greenbelt view also seems appropriate for Paduch, who spent 20 years as a fitness instructor before taking her current job in the oil and gas industry. She continues to be an avid marathoner and cyclist.
Paduch owned a collection of midcentury furniture prior to buying this home. “This is furniture I already had. The only piece I added was the white kitchen table,” she says. “It’s a replica of what the previous owner had. Nothing else would have worked.”
Eames lounge chair and ottoman: Design Within Reach; Noguchi table: Design Within Reach; artwork: Jo Mattison
Pieces by Eames, Noguchi and Mies van der Rohe can be found throughout Paduch’s home. “I like the classic pieces,” she says. “It wasn’t cranked out of a machine. The design was unique.”
A personal touch is this vase filled with gumball machine treasures her grandfather used to give her. “He would put out his fists and make me guess which hand the toy was in,” Paduch says. “Of course, he would always give it to me anyway.”
Ellipse vase: Z Gallerie
Ellipse vase: Z Gallerie
“Sometimes when I have people over, I’ll pour these out on the floor. There’s John F. Kennedy stuff, the Apollo space program, ‘Sock It to Me,’ peace signs,” Paduch says. “It’s very ’60s, all those phrases and stuff that was from that time. I’m really proud of this.”
AFTER: The removal of the upper cabinets connected the kitchen to the living room and created a space for a dining table.
Table and console: Max Jones, Jones Walker Home
Table and console: Max Jones, Jones Walker Home
“Here’s the coffee maker that I don’t know how to work,” Paduch says with a laugh, referring to the machine in the white cabinetry. “It looks so complicated.”
The kitchen is by German manufacturer Bulthaup. All the appliances are by Miele, and everything is concealed behind the custom cabinets.
The kitchen is by German manufacturer Bulthaup. All the appliances are by Miele, and everything is concealed behind the custom cabinets.
Paduch’s collection of items featuring Piero Fornasetti‘s work is also on display. These throw pillows complement the sleek bed and upholstered, paneled feature wall.
“During the early 1900s he was on a bus and became captivated with a woman’s face,” Paduch says. “He created her face in all of these different images.”
“During the early 1900s he was on a bus and became captivated with a woman’s face,” Paduch says. “He created her face in all of these different images.”
Architect Lewis Thomas built the home and created this atrium to surround an existing tree on the property. “No one can find anything on the architect. I would like to meet the person who didn’t cut down one tree,” Paduch says. “It’s very peaceful. This is my view in the morning.”
Philippe Starck Mademoiselle chair: Kartell
Philippe Starck Mademoiselle chair: Kartell
Paduch was able to repurpose the vanity from her previous home. A slim cabinet provides storage.
The frameless glass walk-in shower makes the small bathroom appear larger.
The focal point of the bathroom is the vanity desk and transparent Motive-Mask Louis Ghost chair. It, along with the Lenny Kravitz Mademoiselle chair, are among the special-edition Philippe Starck designs Paduch owns.
Paduch reworked one of the guest rooms, making it her office.
The room includes a George Nelson for Herman Miller desk and Eames chair. Paduch can work here while enjoying a side view of the backyard pool.
The room includes a George Nelson for Herman Miller desk and Eames chair. Paduch can work here while enjoying a side view of the backyard pool.
These free-standing units feature closed cabinets for storage and open shelving to display books and accessories.
“I spend a lot of time in my house, so if I’m going to be sitting here, I’d rather be looking at great designs,” Paduch says.
“I spend a lot of time in my house, so if I’m going to be sitting here, I’d rather be looking at great designs,” Paduch says.
The art displayed throughout the home is mostly photography of Paduch’s favorite musicians and works by friends. “I can look at my art and know who did it, so that’s kind of cool too,” she says.
Artwork: Max Jones, Jones Walker Home
Artwork: Max Jones, Jones Walker Home
AFTER: A gray-painted wooden deck was built over the original concrete. Paduch painstakingly painted the pool’s white trim. “That was me standing in the water, going around with a bucket of paint,” she says with a laugh. “I thought, well, white might perk things up a bit.”
The home’s exterior features a mix of brick, glass and wood.
Paduch, pictured in the living room, has enjoyed taking care of this home. “I wanted to respect what the previous owner created. I wasn’t going to put an antique table in here, that’s just not what this home is,” she says.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Jeri Paduch
Location: Dallas
Size: 1,558 square feet (145 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1961
BEFORE: The previous owner, an interior designer, removed the wood paneling and stripped the home down to the studs. The carpet and linoleum were removed and this wall partition was transformed into a kitchen peninsula.