Lakefront to Desert: 5 Midcentury Modern Homes That Inspire

The saguaro cactus—a rare species found only in the Sonoran Desert—can live to be 200 years old. Saguaro Ridge is another rarity: a home so attuned to its site that it seems to have been there forever. 

Its architecture fuses elements of Frank Lloyd Wright, desert modern, and midcentury modern. With 13 courtyards, 11 fire features, six water features, and a pool that seemingly floats above the desert, the intricate floor plan offers delights at every turn. Bedroom suites are casitas in their own right. The home is essentially a 6,900-square-foot private resort where the clients spend winters with their two daughters and six grandchildren, and a legacy home for future generations. More project details →

Project Credits:

Architect: Douglas Fredrikson Architects

Builder: Hosco Design-Build

On the north shore of Washington’s Mercer Island, this midcentury modern-style home had the kind of bones that attract the right kind of renovation. But a series of past remodels had muddled the original design, especially in the kitchen and entries, leaving the interiors dark and disjointed. 

The challenge wasn’t just aesthetic, it was functional: how to modernize circulation and enhance indoor-outdoor flow without compromising the home’s midcentury character. Pulling it off required the builder, architect, and designer to work closely together from day one to ensure that design, structure, and client needs were aligned from the start. More project details →

Project Credits:

Builder: Dyna Builders, Ren Chandler

Architecture: Wettstone Studio, Janice Wettstone

Interior Design: Dyna Design, Kristi Steffen

Landscaping/Landscape Architecture: Studio Terrain

Metal Fabrication: Dyna Builders’ in-house metal shop

Photography: Rafael Sold

Architect Jim Rill knew how to handle the remodel of this 1962 home by Ulrich Franzen. 

How? It told him. No, not literally—but its rare steel structure spoke to Rill, even after previous remodels had “bastardized” the original design.

“They had modified a lot of the interior detailing, but we saw through that with our client and stripped it down to its original, strong concept of architecture,” says Rill of Rill Architects, in Bethesda, Md. “The house was strong, and the concept was obvious to us.” Read project details →

Project credits: 

Original architect: Ulrich Franzen

Project architect: Rill Architects

What is now an eye-catching Japan-meets-midcentury-modern home was once a mish-mash of several rounds of additions to a modest 80-year-old house.

The remodel, which now features striking architectural details informed by feng-shui elements and a playful use of natural light, barely resembles the original structure.

The long-time homeowner sought out architect Marcos Santa Ana of Alloi, in Los Angeles, for a midcentury modern remodel that would meet her requirements of providing an expanded space better suited for relaxation and enjoyment. Read more on the project →

Project credits:

Architect: Alloi

Windows: Vitro Architectural Glass

The City View House in Austin, Texas, takes residents and curious onlookers on a journey punctuated with moments of surprise. From the street, a passerby has little understanding of what unfolds behind the private, ultra-modern facade—yet the home begs passersby to wonder.  

The house embodies a midcentury modern concept, “discreet from the street.” But the interior and rear of the four-bedroom, six-bath home (plus casita) are anything but. That purposeful effect required dedicated editing and fine-tuning from the builder and architect. Read more on the project →

Project credits:

Architect: Mark Odom Studio

Builder: FIA Homes