1 of 7
2 of 7
3 of 7
4 of 7
5 of 7
6 of 7
7 of 7
From the moment the Bentley family moved into their 1969 rambling ranch home, they could foresee their vision: to update the four-bedroom, 3,600-square-foot house but stay true to its era.
Mary and Lance Bentley, both of whom are creative by nature, loved the one-level homeand that the previous owners had left them with an updated kitchen and bamboo flooring. Though they knew what they wanted, they decided to enlist designer Jessica Davis of JL Design to help transform an ordinary midcentury home into an unforgettable retreat.
'I love modern,” Mary says. 'Modern that feels lived in so it's not quite so clean.”
Davis started with the bonus room. She removed the wood paneling and revamped the fireplace with a slate tile wall and a high-gloss white mantel while keeping the original built-ins on the opposite wall to honor the midcentury styling. The contemporary sofa from Crate & Barrel and a whimsical rug from All Modern showcase the couple's style. They finished the space by filling the grass-cloth wallpaper display shelves with family heirlooms, collections from their travels, and other eclectic pieces.
'I really learned a lot about the family in this phase,” Davis says. 'Once you get to know a family and how they ‘live,' the rest of the home is easy.”
A big part of that lifestyle comes through once you get a glimpse at the couple's back yard, which underwent a major transition. When the family of four moved in, the acre lot consisted of three trees. It took several experts to help create a vintage modern outdoor oasis to complement the home. Landscape architect Clyde Rountree of Rountree & Associates worked closely with Lance to come up with the principal design that incorporates concrete board forms to give a very retro lounge look. 'Lance was the foreman on the yard,” Mary says. 'He is extremely creative and has great vision.”
Once the design was created, the Bentleys teamed up with Ashbusters to create an outdoor fire pit, Backyard Living to install their one-piece fiberglass pool, and Jared Crain of Crain Lawn Care to bring the whole space together with irrigation and greenery. They finished off the living area with a collection of outdoor furniture from All Modern, Frontgate, Crate & Barrel, and Pottery Barn.
Back inside, that view of the pool can be taken in from a wall of windows in the bright white living area. The simplicity of the room allows for statement pieceslike a '70s-era silver lamp from Lamps Plus, a midcentury modern Bradshaw table, a cowhide-covered ottoman, and piles of bright pillows from Anthropologie and West Elmto complete the look.
Davis and the Bentleys couldn't be more pleased with an outcome that they feel captures ranch living at its finest.
'Sometimes I pinch myself because I can't believe it,” Mary says. 'It's my dream house.”