As the interior designer on the ReVision house project in Las Vegas, I want to introduce myself and tell you how excited I am about being involved with this house. In the northeast, where I come from, I remodel homes of all ages.

Most of the houses I work on in the suburbs of New York City are at least 70 years old, and nearly all have a traditional vibe. I enjoy doing renovations that are historically accurate and classic, and also suit the needs of today’s family. The ‘green’ aspect of these renovations has become increasingly easier to achieve these past few years, due to the great wealth of sustainable products that are now available.

The ReVision house was built in 1964, and has a definite mid-century modern style. In doing research on the area, this particular house is in a development called “Paradise Palms” that was designed by two architects named Palmer & Krisel.

According to Mr. Krisel, who is still alive and very active at age 85, he and his partner have designed over 40,000 homes in the Southwest during their careers. The homes all have open floor plans, which was certainly a radical change from more traditional style living during this period. The use of large expanses of windows to bring the outside in, coupled with simple, straightforward construction made these homes very desirable for young growing families in the fifties and sixties.

As we move further and further away from the McMansion boom of the past twenty years, Americans are ready for smaller homes that are extremely energy efficient. And as new home building creeps to a near halt, remodeling existing housing stock is the way to go. It’s interesting that the further we progress with home design and architecture, the more I see that the old ways are sometimes the best ways. Taking this house design, which is still very current, and reducing the energy output by 70% certainly is an exciting proposition, and I can’t wait to get started.

“What Lies Beneath”

Lance Gonzalez and his crew have been peeling away layers of drywall and insulation and removing the exterior siding, revealing the skeleton of the original house. I love looking at houses this way. Seeing years of past remodels getting stripped away and revealing the house’s true intent is akin to a good detective novel in my mind. Or maybe even an autopsy. You can’t deny what’s really going on when you get down to the bare bones.

Sometime during the last 15 or so years, there was a fire in the house caused by a faulty television set, according to the owners. Once the underside of some of the eaves was uncovered, traces of smoke damage still remained. Luckily, the damage was minor. The REAL damage was the 90’s style remodel. It wasn’t bad, it was just BORING. Beige tile everywhere, white ‘stucco’ walls, skimpy trims and moldings and cheap hardware and windows turned this little mid-century gem into just another mundane looking tract home.

I’d like to try to balance what was originally designed for the house with new products and materials that will not only pay homage to its past but allow it to grow into the future gracefully, and more importantly, sustainably. Now I’m not saying that the original design of this house was perfect. But there are certain things about it that are unmistakably mid-century and whimsical, like the tapered fireplace chimney in the living room, or the cool square block pattern on the outside walls. Those were signature items of the architect, some of which remain on a lot of the houses on the street. So how can I balance my love of this simple yet arguably funky house style with what’s out there in home design right now? Are families today any different from the families of 50 years ago?  Maybe so, but I think we all still want the same things- a safe, comfortable haven that with nurture us for many years to come.

One of the things that have never changed is the idea that the kitchen is the heart of the home. This still rings true today. Most of our activities are centered on the kitchen, even though our current lifestyle is much faster paced than those before us.

The original plan of the house had a solid wall in between the kitchen and living room. By breaking through and cutting a 6 foot wide opening over the sink, it’s created a whole new look and feel. Now the kitchen area doesn’t feel isolated from the rest of the home, and people can mingle about the space and still feel connected. And yet people still need private or ‘quiet’ spaces. By adding a wall in between the dining area and family room, it creates a much needed quiet zone from the rest of the house for reading or watching television. So once again, it’s all about the balance - the balance between the old and the new, with a reverence for the past and a vision for the future.

Posted By Pat Gaylor