Midcentury modern steps up to the 21st century in Idle Hour

When Bill Patrick found the home at 290 Idle Hour Drive, he wasn’t much plugged into the world of midcentury modern style. It was simply a nice place in a great location that met his needs and needed a little work.

“I didn’t know what mid-century modern was until I got this place,” Bill said. “Then I started doing some research, and I realized the potential.”

“Everybody I talked to said to talk to Larry Akey,” Bill said about the local midcentury design aficionado. (Akey was killed in a car wreck in 2015.) “I can credit Larry with educating me about midcentury modern.”

An appreciation developed for the home’s classic understated look, clean lines and spatial harmony.

“Over time this stuff gets in your blood,” said Bill who works as Executive Director of the Kentucky County Attorneys Association.

Today Patrick is a subscriber to Atomic Ranch, Dwell and other design magazines. He is comfortable talking up the Heywood Wakefield end tables he and wife Tina Goad found in Fort Lauderdale.

And together they’ve made the trip to Modernism Week in Palm Springs, California, the biggest design and architecture show of its kind.

TAKING THE GOOD WITH THE BAD

“The bad part was nothing had been done to the place since it was built in 1963,” Bill said. “There was a lot of old carpet, a lot of ugly paneling and it needed more light.”

“The good part was that nothing had been done to the place since the 60s, so no one had screwed it up,” Bill said.

To lighten up the darker reaches and infuse the home with light, period appropriate skylights were added throughout. Carpet has given way to hardwood, and dreary paneling has been replaced with chirpy brick walls.

A luxury master suite, an office and a laundry room were part of a 1,300 square foot addition that was added to the rear of the home. Throughout the restoration and renovation process Bill and Tina made every effort to be respectful to the midcentury aesthetic.

Over several years the house was transformed from a small three bedroom, two bath into a 3,680 square foot, four bedroom, four bath marvel.

The master suite opens onto a back patio and the bath features a standing tub, glassed in shower, two separate vanities and Carrera marble floors. The large walk-in closet and dressing room is cleverly constructed with a pass-through to the laundry room.

TIMELESS STYLE

The cheery color palette, subway tile and quirky detail in the master bath are testament to Tina’s design sensibilities. “I just love color,” Tina said, “It think color just makes people happy.”

The office space, where Patrick enjoys spending most of his time, would also make a nice den or library for a family. Large floor to ceiling windows honor the midcentury mode of bringing the outdoors in. A wet bar and outside entrance add to the functionality.

During the renovation there were some hard decisions and concessions made for the 21st century. Two bathrooms, one pink and one purple, each with the original colored porcelain and tile did not make the cut. “Tina did a great job of with the bathrooms, but I cried all the way through it,” Bill said.

“I love this house,” Tina said. “I have gotten attached to it. It’s just not feasible for just the two of us now that the kids are gone. It deserves a family who loves to entertain.”

“It’s built on a half-acre lot, which you don’t find a lot in the city,” Bill said. “We’re centrally located to everything – mall, interstate, downtown. It’s completely modernized and ideal for someone who is ready to move in.”