Creative Remodel Embraces The “Quirkiness” Of Unique Historic Home
Wednesday, May 30th, 2018
In the late 1940’s, Chicago industrialist Carl Strandlund created nearly 3,000 “Lustron homes,” which were made of prefabricated porcelain enameled steel panels. The homes were designed in response to the housing crisis following WWII, and were shipped in pieces and assembled as kits around the country. The homes—ranging from about 700 to 1,140 square feet—were considered symbols of modern living and were meant to “defy weather, wear, and time.” One of those Lustron Homes remains on Cedar Hill in the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood of Knoxville. When an architect and her husband relocated from Chicago to Knoxville several years ago they knew they wanted to find an architecturally unique home. “We were intrigued by the history of Lustron homes,” she said. “They were built in the late 40’s and there aren’t very many left, certainly not very many that have been well maintained. Many have fallen into disrepair, or homeowners have altered some of their defining elements by installing drywall over the metal panels on the interior and such. But thankfully, the previous owners over the years had taken good care of this one.” Once the homeowners had two children, however, their needs changed. While they appreciated the minimalism of the home, they also needed it to function more like a traditional home—yet they didn’t want to compromise the historical integrity of the Lustron home. Unsure of how to move forward, they decided to consult with home construction contractors. “Everything we had in mind was very unique to the home, and it was important to me to find a contractor who was more than just a builder,” the homeowner said. “We wanted someone with a design background and an eye for details, who could understand why our vision was very important. We wanted to maintain the feel and historic character of the Lustron home but not be limited by it. We needed simple and modern, but nothing extravagant or overly traditional, like crown molding. This just required a different level of design and construction.” Special considerations included the porcelain-baked enamel panels inside the home. The panels can’t be repaired if you drill into them like drywall can, and you have to be very careful when removing any of the original components. “Working with the Lustron part of the home could not be about trial and error, which caused some hesitation for us in planning the renovations. I was concerned about finding a contractor who would be a great fit for this project.” she said. After talking with several contractors, the homeowners had a second meeting with Grant. “He came back with a sketch,” the homeowner said. “Contractors don’t usually sketch, but this showed us that he heard what I said and was able to visualize and draw it. That gave us a lot of confidence.” The homeowners and Grant worked together to refine the layout, while realizing that there were some creative and structural challenges facing them. For example, previous homeowners had added a great room addition about 15 years ago, and the current homeowners wanted to raise the ceiling and bring light into that space as much as possible. They also wanted to add a master suite, yet somehow make the entire home—including the original Lustron house, the great room, and a master suite— feel continuous and integrated. The solution was to create a connecting glass hallway link, called a hyphen in architectural lingo, between the Lustron house and the new master suite, which helps preserves the historic integrity of the Lustron home. “We wanted a high ceiling in the connector,” the homeowner said, “but how to make it look right was tricky given all that was coming together at that point. We also didn’t know what would we would find when they pulled off some of the original panels, so that was an important piece for them to be able to have some freedom within construction.” The entire renovation was extensive, including:- Renovated kitchen
- New laundry room
- New vaulted ceiling in family room
- Renovated bath in family room
- Converted garage to craft room
- Master bedroom
- His/her closets
- Master bath with tile shower/glass door
- Separate toilet room