After 50 years, This Midcentury Bungalow Shines Again

Charleswood Midcentury

Originally built in the 1960s, this midcentury home was an outdated and unremarkable bungalow. Before the Canadian design build firm Alloy Homes stepped in, the house was dense and dark.

The facade was overwhelmingly brown with accents of heavy brick. The openings were similarly conservative, and the small windows prevented light from coming in particularly on the snowy days in Calgary where the house is located.

Despite being in one of Canada’s sunniest cities, the Charleswood Midcentury was suffering from a lack of light in the interiors.

Charleswood Midcentury
Charleswood Midcentury

The remodel called for a reimagination of this classic 1960s bungalow to “bring out the beauty in its solid midcentury bones.” Committed to craftsmanship and creativity and an expert in family homes, the designers at Alloy Homes were intent on unearthing the design possibilities buried in almost half a century of architectural neglect in this Charleswood house.

The plan called for a dramatic renovation, and so the team almost completely rebuilt the Charleswood Midcentury.

The outside was overhauled, catapulting the outdated envelope into contemporary aesthetics by expanding the windows and updating the materials.

The original dark brown wood panels were replaced with a more subtle hue of brown. The bricks were likewise restored with its newer and more modern counterpart.

The windows, once filled with unnecessary framing, is now a larger panel of glass. In describing the changes, the designers explain that the facade update, “took only a light touch to bring out the elegant simplicity of the original front facade.”

Charleswood Midcentury

However, while the outside transformation is astonishing – it is the interior changes that is more impressive. The kitchen, for example, is retrofitted with a lot of additional storage.

The rebuild also opened up views to the outdoors through the use of a large glass panel. This wall of glass backstops the work space, flooding the room with sunlight and offering views to the adjacent park.

The renovation introduced new skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows which inundated the interior with an abundance of natural light. The remodel also added a basement for additional storage space.

Charleswood Midcentury
Charleswood Midcentury

The original brief was “a Hygge-inspired kitchen along with a modern, open floor plan and room to accommodate [the homeowner’s] growing family.”

Hygge – a Scandinavian concept of comfort and coziness, is applied to design that makes the inhabitant feel content, joy and lightness. While the original house’s design aesthetics could not be further from hygge, the remodel is the epitome of comfort and lightness.

The interiors feature light wooden slats and are complemented by minimalist and a pastel palette of furniture. The furniture were actually the homeowners’ and were staged by the designers as a housewarming gift during the bungalow’s turnover.

Charleswood Midcentury
Photos by Oddeen Studio