When the house across the street from designer James Judge’s home in a historic Phoenix neighborhood went up for sale, his dream modern vintage renovation was set in motion. Judge said he wanted to enhance the 1930s structure’s original details but modernize the space for current homeowners’ needs.
“So much love and respect went into this remodel to really make this home the best it can be, while really paying respect to its identity and historic roots,” he said.
Judge said he also prioritized design continuity during the remodel. The slate grey color is present in the doors, kitchen island and couches. You can spot exposed wooden beams in many rooms.
“You’ll see the white walls and wood floors, and this complements the white exterior with cedar shingles,” Judge said.
One of the main updates to the floor plan that Judge spearheaded was opening up the dining and living areas.
“Originally, the kitchen would have been previously closed and the previous owners actually opened it up most of the way, but we really continued opening up the rest,” he said. “Now the kitchen area and the dining area flow together seamlessly to really provide an open floor plan for that area, and of course that gives a much more modern vibe for the house.”
The living room couch’s oversized throw pillows add a splash of color to the home’s neutral theme. Judge mixes a classic tufted ottoman with trendy wall art, which continues the house’s “modern vintage elegant” motif. Couldn’t you just sink into those couches for a long nap?
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The kitchen appliances are modern, but Judge said he fell in love with the original sink cabinets with saloon style doors. To add more storage, he constructed extra floor to ceiling cabinets. Preserve a modern vintage balance, Judge added a perforated inlay to the doors, but tacked on current hardware.
“You have half the kitchen from 1935, half the kitchen from 2019,” Judge said.
The master bathroom takes its own modern vintage identity, boasting a dual rain shower and two huge gold mirrors. Judge mixed the stacked white wall tile – which matches the backsplash in the kitchen – with an elegant vintage-patterned tile floor. The cabinets are coated with Valspar’s puppy love color, a decision Judge polled his Instagram (@thehousejudge) followers about.
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Framed feathers on the master bedroom wall echo the room’s feeling: light and airy. While the space is mostly white and wood, slate grey doors tie in the home’s other colors. An arched cove in a modern vintage wave – present in hallways throughout the home – cove hangs over the bed. Judge said he took advantage of the alcove wall to optimize the room’s square footage.
“We maintained the archways where they were already existing in the home, between the living room and dining room into the hallway,” he said. “Then we replicated them in other areas, like master suite.”
If you liked our tour of this Phoenix home, sweep through this vintage Nashville cottage.
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