When they asked us to renovate and add to their mid-century modern home, the clients knew that they were living in a well-designed space. They challenged El Dorado to think like the original architect and retain the residence’s best qualities – the ample daylight, the exposed structure, the high quality craftsmanship, the clean and reserved material palette, and the understanding of how materials come together.  The home was originally designed in 1955 by architect Joseph B. Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy was a Kansas City native, born in 1897. For much of his career, he was the primary architect for the diocese of Kansas City. The residence was a proud departure from his liturgical work, a great example of what’s now called mid-century modern. Shaughnessy cited mies and Wright as his influences and explored the use of color and the clear expression of structure in his design.  El Dorado was able to obtain stone from the original quarry on the project, and find a craftsman to create the unique bonding pattern.  Innovative in its restraint, El Dorado was able to fit a lot of program into the 700 SF addition and recreate the look and feel of the original architecture. This was accomplished through filling in the “missing bay” of the house, which was previously under-utilized as a rooftop terrace.  In the expansion, the Barnes-Bissets wanted more space for their kids, more privacy for the adults, and more openness in general. El Dorado lengthened the house by adding a bay over the garage. The team opened up the kitchen to the living space, installing new casework and interior finishes all while keeping the original steel windows in their bright red paint, emblematic of the mid-century era. The new stonework was inspired by the original– the material was even taken from the same quarry.