Mid Century Revival
Restoring a 1968 Cliff May inspired ranch without erasing its soul.
Restoring a 1968 Cliff May inspired ranch without erasing its soul.
The Nakamura family bought a largely original Cliff May inspired ranch in Thousand Oaks from the estate of its first owner. The house had its bones and its character intact, but every mechanical and envelope system was original. The kitchen was on its fourth layer of remodel. The bathrooms had been tiled in 1983. The clients wanted modern performance and contemporary comfort without gutting the elements that gave the house its mid century identity.
We drew a precision renovation that touched every system without touching the defining residential design moves. Original post and beam roof structure was preserved and exposed. Original clerestory bands were reframed for modern glazing. The kitchen was expanded into the adjacent laundry and reimagined as a galley with custom walnut cabinetry and a poured terrazzo island. All three bathrooms were gutted to the studs and rebuilt with period appropriate fixtures. Envelope insulation was tripled and the original single pane glazing was upgraded to low iron double pane to preserve the thin sightlines.
Completed in nine months with the family living on site for the final three. The renovated house tested at 38 percent above Title 24 baseline thanks to a photovoltaic array integrated with the new standing seam roof. The original Cliff May language was preserved everywhere it mattered. The Nakamuras commissioned a plaque for the entry that reads: Renovated 2025 with the original builder in mind.
We were terrified a designer would want to erase what made this house special. David wanted to protect it more than we did.Lily Nakamura · Homeowner
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