A Historic Mid-Century Gem Reimagined

For this midcentury gem, Ashley Macuga, Principal Designer at Collected Interiors, partnered with Klopf Architecture to breathe new life into this Redwood City home. The midcentury home already had great bones—think mahogany-paneled walls, tongue-and-groove ceilings, and radiant concrete floors—but it needed updates to accommodate its current-day residents: a young family with a deep love for the home’s original charm.

Design: Collected Interiors | Photography: Nicole Dianne Photography | Architect: Klopf Architecture

A Seamless Collaboration Between Past and Present

From the start, Ashley was intentional. She preserved wherever possible—keeping the original mahogany walls, salvaging vintage lighting, and even extending materials like tongue-and-groove ceilings and wood paneling into the new addition for continuity. But this wasn’t just a look back. With the help of Klopf Architecture, Ashley introduced new elements—skylights to draw in sunlight, terrazzo floors to replace the compromised concrete, and a thoughtfully designed new wing for the children—that allowed the home to evolve gracefully.

Modern Materials with Mid-Century Soul

Where new elements were introduced, they were chosen with intention. When radiant heating repairs meant the original concrete floors had to go, Ashley opted for Terrazzo—a material with just the right amount of nostalgia. Its soft, speckled texture brings in warmth, subtle pattern, and a throughline for the home’s updated color story.

In the kitchen, quartzite countertops add natural depth and play beautifully with the existing wood tones. Their organic veining brings in just enough drama to feel special, without stealing the show.

All cabinetry—throughout the kitchen, bathrooms, and living spaces—was custom-made by a local finish carpenter. Each piece draws inspiration from the home’s architecture, like the vertical slats on the boys’ bathroom vanity that echo the ceiling pattern above.

A Few Favorite Moments

A Dream Indoor/Outdoor Shower

In the primary suite, a shower opens to the outdoors, allowing the homeowners to choose between an indoor or outdoor shower, depending on the weather. To enhance the sense of choice, the team ensured that the tile on the interior of the home transitioned seamlessly outside, creating a unified space. Even going as far as to ensure that the grout lines, which were separated by a window, were perfectly aligned.

Restored Mahogany Walls

Mid-century design is all about blurring the lines between indoors and out, and the home’s original mahogany walls are a perfect example. With their rich, reddish hue and natural grain, they bring warmth and timeless elegance. Over time, sunlight and dust had dulled the finish, so the team carefully restored the wood to its former beauty. To maintain that grounded, earthy feel, the mahogany was extended into the new addition—cladding a wall in the family room to seamlessly connect old and new.

Tongue-and-groove Ceilings

Tongue-and-groove ceilings are a hallmark of midcentury design—adding warmth, texture, and depth without feeling overdone. In this home, they extend from the interior to the exterior eaves, reinforcing that signature midcentury blur between indoors and out.

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