Mid-century Modern on Cape Cod
Let's dive right into the new
heart of the home and spin out from there, as Hammer's
addition/reassembly does. This family room has a strong connection to
the outdoors. It shows the original structural system of extended fir
post-and-beam construction, and the ceilings throughout the house are
crafted of fir decking. Hammer left the ceilings in the original part of
the home painted white, while the ceilings in the new addition are
natural.
by Hammer Architects 
Look closely at this rendering —
see the chimney in red toward the center? It will help orient you as we
take this tour together. That is where the heart of the home is —
between the kitchen shown above and the living room shown below.
The best way to take in this home is to jump between inside and out; the house is very transparent and blurs this line with wide expanses of glass, covered outdoor areas, views through the house from outside, and transom windows that get rid of the hot air (more on that later).
by Hammer Architects
The best way to take in this home is to jump between inside and out; the house is very transparent and blurs this line with wide expanses of glass, covered outdoor areas, views through the house from outside, and transom windows that get rid of the hot air (more on that later).
This new center encompasses the
common areas of the home, while private wings (one for kids, one for
parents, and one for guests), branch off in different directions. "The
kitchen is the hub of everything, and everything else spins off of
that," Hammer says.
This is a very active home with several generations and visitors staying together during the summers.
On the right side of this image, you'll see the large Italian tiles that cover the fireplace. These tiles have a metallic finish to them, and their scale stands up to the size of the fireplace and large, open rooms.
by Hammer Architects This is a very active home with several generations and visitors staying together during the summers.
On the right side of this image, you'll see the large Italian tiles that cover the fireplace. These tiles have a metallic finish to them, and their scale stands up to the size of the fireplace and large, open rooms.
The center windows in the front
facade are 9-foot sliding doors saved from the original house. The
modern trellis on the left side leads to the front door.
by Hammer Architects
Here is a closeup of the entry walkway and trellis, showing how those beams extend from indoors to out.
by Hammer Architects
A new outdoor eating area off
the dining room and next to the existing screened-in porch is partially
covered by a new trellis. "The new trellis clipped on to the existing
beams, and is a take off on the original entry walkway," Hammer says.
by Hammer Architects
Right off the kitchen, the
dining room presents a more formal spot for gathering and eating. Other
choices for dining include the screened-in porch and the new outdoor
eating area seen in the previous shot.
The cantilevered built-in buffet is an efficient space space saver and continues the nice clean horizontal lines. It also provides a connection to the other rooms in the house, as it is crafted from the same ash wood as the kitchen cabinets, dressers and other cabinets in the bedrooms.
by Hammer Architects
The cantilevered built-in buffet is an efficient space space saver and continues the nice clean horizontal lines. It also provides a connection to the other rooms in the house, as it is crafted from the same ash wood as the kitchen cabinets, dressers and other cabinets in the bedrooms.
Another important connector in
the sprawling house is this long hallway, which connects the public
areas to the master suite and contains a staircase down to the indoor
pool.
The dramatic length of the new hallway is enhanced by the narrow planks on the floors. The tile demarcates the seam between the new addition and the original house.
by Hammer Architects
The dramatic length of the new hallway is enhanced by the narrow planks on the floors. The tile demarcates the seam between the new addition and the original house.
This hallway uses transom
windows to cool the house. Hammer is a big proponent of the benefits of
these windows, and even raised the roof here to accommodate them. "We
use these in a lot of our projects," Hammer says. "They open up all the
way and allow the hot air to flow out of the house, keeping it
well-ventilated and very cool."
Wondering how to get those windows open without stilts? There is a pole system that makes it easy, and an electronic option is available as well (though it will cost you).
by Hammer Architects
Wondering how to get those windows open without stilts? There is a pole system that makes it easy, and an electronic option is available as well (though it will cost you).
The right side of this image
shows you where the the new master suite is. The wood wall encloses the
outdoor shower and its adjacent garden.
by Hammer Architects
Here's a peek on the other side
of the wood wall. The outdoor shower has its own little garden as a
focal point. The window offers a view from the garden from the indoor
shower.
The master bathroom's shower connects to the outdoor shower's garden through the window on the left.
The floor tile is from Royal Mosa.
by Hammer Architects
The floor tile is from Royal Mosa.
In their original Cape Cod
house search, the family was looking for something on the water. But
when they came across this house, they decided to bring the water to the
house and had this indoor pool installed. The husband is a triathlete
and puts in a lot of time here.
Large glass doors allow the pool to open up to the outdoors. The pool is immediately surrounded in a stone coping, with slate covering the expanse beyond the pool's edge.
by Hammer Architects
Large glass doors allow the pool to open up to the outdoors. The pool is immediately surrounded in a stone coping, with slate covering the expanse beyond the pool's edge.
Often, adding an indoor pool
means adding another large wing onto the main floor of the house. Not in
this case. "We were able to nestle the indoor pool into the landscape,"
Hammer says. From this angle, you would never know it was there.
by Hammer Architects
Another major change since 1948: "At the time the house was built, the Cape Cod landscape was quite barren," Hammer explains. The beautiful forest around the site, full of the typical scrubby pines found in the area, is a relatively new part of the ecosystem. The house, like the landscape, has evolved and grown over time.