1415 Promontory Rd., a home currently owned by Drew Thueson, was built by an unknown architect in 1951. Although the original home was no architectural phenomenon, the remodeled home acts as a beacon of post-modern architecture in the Boise foothills. The original architect supposedly designed three other houses on Promontory Rd. Prior to its remodel in the early 1990s, the house was a ranch style home. However, when the house was remodeled by a previous owner, a second story was created, a gable roof and the living room was expanded, creating a less distinct architectural style. According to the current owner, the house was poorly designed and was very inconsistent with the original style of the time. When the current owner moved to the house in 2006, they immediately began drawing up plans for a second remodel, seeing as Drew owns his own remodeling business. The house is currently considered mid-century modern. It is approximately 3463 square feet, but was originally much smaller.
The first owner of the home was named Hood Miers and worked for the First Security Bank of Idaho. He only lived in the house for a few years and then the house remained vacant until around 1970 when Marvin Morgan Sr., a supervising engineer at U.S. Snake River Company bought the home. His son Marvin Morgan Jr., an engineer at the same company, lived in the home from 1975 until the 1980s. Following the Morgans, a women whose name is unknown lived in the house until she went senile and had to be put into a home. The house was then bought by a realtor and then sold to the current owners.
Before its remodel in 2007, the home did not posses much architectural significance, but several unique aspects from the original home still remain today. For instance, all of the woodwork and paneling are original. The current owners were determined to maintain the quality floor to ceiling birch paneling, and even added birch cabinetry to accent it. Additionally, the teal tiling in the downstairs bathroom is in its original condition, as it was in 1951. Nevertheless, presently, every room in the original home has been renovated. One of the most unique aspects of the house, as it was built in 1951, was the curved fireplace, and when the Thuesons remodeled the home, they added a proportionally curved wall to the master bedroom, upstairs, to mimic the aesthetics of the living room. In addition, to the exterior of the home they added corrugated metal siding to contrast the wood. Another unique feature of the exterior is the angled master bedroom deck that is supported by corrugated metal piping filled with cement.
The primary objectives of the second remodel are as follows (from Drew Thuesons remodel write-up):
1.Be consistent with the original Modern style of the home.
2.Retain as much of the original interior as possible and blend the new with the old
3.Exterior finished should be low maintenance, fire resistant, and have a unique look.
While the owners were renovating their home, they faced many challenges, especially with regards to the master bedroom. One of the primary objectives of the Thuesons was to restore the original character of the home and remain consistent with a mid-century modern style. The Mid-century modern style was a further development of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture mixed with elements of the International and Bauhaus movements. The style is commonly characterized as simplistic and industrial and was heavily influenced by Scandinavian design. In this house in particular, this style was accented by the remodelers use of corrugated metal and stained glass windows. The “butterfly” roof also helps identify as a mid-century modern style because of the utilization of severe angles.
Mr. Thueson wanted to add a garage and shop that would reflect the authentic character of the home, and it had to be constructed in the front of the property because of limited flat land behind the home. The newly constructed bedroom was added on top of the old garage. They also added a hallway that connects the new garage to either of the home offices.
In order to stay consistent with the mid-century modern style of the home, the Thuesons added a butterfly roofline, in which the roof appears to be inverted. The “butterfly” roofline on the new garage and the second story of the home are additionally defining aspects. Originally, the owners wanted to place sod on the roof of the second garage, but it ultimately was not practical and so they replaced it with small rocks. They also added stained glass windows and one stained glass cabinet to make the home more unique and distinctive.