This Old-Fashioned Lincoln Home Got A Clean, Modern Upgrade

Build by Ralph S. Osmond Company / Photo by Nat Rea

The Problem

A house-hunting couple was thrilled to snag this Henry Hoover–designed midcentury-modern home in Lincoln—even if the cold, outmoded property desperately needed a revamp. The biggest challenge? Making it livable for their young family while maintaining the connection to the surrounding landscape.

The Solution

In the formal living room overlooking the terrace, Colin Flavin, founding principal of Flavin Architects, and Heather Souza scrapped a wood-burning fireplace that failed to sufficiently heat the glass-walled space, and instead installed engineered wood flooring with radiant heat. Outside, the team updated the home’s drab exterior from a dated light-brown color to Benjamin Moore’s dark-gray “Nightfall,” giving it a “clean, modern” look, Souza says. And on the patio, Souza added sleek, recycled-plastic chairs by Loll Designs to create a sitting area nestled between the main house and a freestanding garage, where the homeowners’ young daughters often spend their afternoons. “I rarely get time to actually sit down out there while keeping tabs on them,” the wife says, “but it’s one of our favorite outdoor spots on the property.”