Past Perfected in a 1965 Boise Home

This well-preserved 1965 Boise home gets an era-appropriate refresh combining restoration and thoughtful replacements.

The online listing for the 1965 custom-built home overlooking Boise, Idaho, hadn’t convinced Marcia Welker. She thought the home, still in its original condition and still owned by the original family, was a bit too original. Seeing the home in person, though, was a whole different experience. “Several weeks later when we had moved to Boise, Steve convinced me to just look at it,” Marcia recalls. “I wasn’t that impressed with the outside, but when we opened the original double doors, wow, I couldn’t believe what we had just walked into.”

1965 Boise home entryway flagstone flooring — Welcome to the 60s. Designer Jessica Luque preserved the gold wallpaper, flagstone flooring and ironwork stair railings in this opulent entryway. The original lacy light fixture was replaced with something sleeker in keeping with the homeowners’ vision for the home update.

Also Read: A 1960s MCM Home Goes From Bland To Bold!

1965 Boise custom designed home entryway and living room — This entire wall was once covered in mirrors. They brought in the light and the views but, according to designer Jessica Luque, felt a bit cold. The space has been warmed up in a very **Mid Century Modern** way, with the addition of wood paneling and custom shelving.

mid century kitchen and living area — The family room and kitchen are open to each other. The original fireplace once had weeping mortar that was scraped off in the update project. The brick came from St. Teresa’s Academy, alma mater of one of the original homeowners.

Boise mid — The dining room is separated from the kitchen and family room by a door. The family room features a sliding door that opens onto the patio area and provides more views of Boise.

living room with windows in custom Boise home — Because the home is built into the side of a hill, it offers expansive views of Boise and the surrounding foothills and mountains. The living room is just one spot where homeowners Marcia and Steve Welker can enjoy the vistas.

Also Read: Modern Love: Tour A 1960s Eichler In Southern California

Steve and Marcia Welker walked into a 4,000-square-foot, two-story home built by Ralph E. Sherman that offered four bedrooms, four bathrooms, views of Boise and wall-to-wall original details in near-pristine condition.

Original Character

“Nearly everything was original to 1965, including many of the furniture pieces,” Marcia says. “There were a few ’70s décor changes, but nothing structural. The quality of workmanship, cabinets, built-ins and how consistent it was throughout the house was crazy for being 60 years old. Everything was so beautifully preserved, it was as though no one lived here. After the walkthrough, we kept thinking about all the things we could do to ‘trick-out’ the house.”

Marcia and Steve were sold, and soon the house was theirs. Not only did they purchase the home, they also purchased a number of furniture pieces from the original homeowners. Designer Jessica Luque of Stussi Luque Design was brought on board to lead the year-long update project.

Where to Update

“In the words of Steve, they wanted to take the home from ‘Rat Pack Hollywood regal’ to reflect more of a Mid Century Modern feel,” Jessica shares. “They wanted to make clean updates that didn’t take away from or feel like they were too modernized to fit with the original home.”

From outside-in, the couple made choices on what to keep, what to enhance and what to replace. The changes in some spaces were minor, like in the showstopping entryway. It retained its original gold wallpaper, flagstone flooring and ironwork stair railing, but gained a new light fixture.

mid century modern Boise kitchen — Designer Jessica Luque worked with a local cabinet maker to create new pieces that would match the originals in the kitchen. Other new additions include appliances and Caesar stone countertops.

The living room had a much more dramatic update—once covered in mirrors, the space now features wood paneling. “I think there is no better way to add warmth than to add wood paneling,” designer Jessica shares. “The entryway has such a warm, inviting feel to it and I wanted to carry that throughout the rest of the living areas.”

The kitchen maintained its original footprint and many original cabinets. Jessica took out the upper cabinets that once divided the kitchen from the family room to lighten the space and make room for a new gas stove and cooktop. New cabinets accommodate new appliances, custom-built to match the look of the originals.

basement with spiral staircase and bar — Descend the spiral staircase from the main level of the home and you arrive at this bar area, which features the original built-ins and white Naugahyde bar. The Welkers purchased the barstools with the house from the original owners.

Homeowners Marcia and Steve are long-time vintage collectors, and this home is a showcase for their incredible finds. The credenza displays a collection of vintage colored-glass bottles. Right and above This bathroom once featured a full wall of arched mirrors. Those mirrors were removed, the wall covered in wallpaper and mirrors once found in the main bath were hung here.

“We expected to do a full kitchen remodel, but the custom-built, on-site cabinetry is in excellent shape,” Marcia says. “Shayne Thueson from Nystrom, in Boise, suggests that we keep them. All of the woodwork in the home, and there is a lot, was meticulously maintained for 60 years.”

Restoration Meets Renovation

In the bathrooms, the couple kept the cabinetry, counters and sinks, and upgraded the fixtures. Carpeting was removed in most of the home. The walls were repainted. They repurposed original mirrors and light fixtures, finding new uses in different parts of the home. The popcorn ceilings were scraped in most of the home, with one notable exception.

boomerang bookshelf with retro collectibles — The couple replaced the original carpeting in much of the house, except for this spare-bedroom-turned-office. Homeowner Steve Welker requested that his workspace maintain the original green wool carpeting and popcorn ceilings.

“The one room that Steve wanted to keep completely original was his office,” Jessica says. “The original carpet in the office was in great shape, it was a green wool carpet. We kept the popcorn ceiling and repainted the walls the exact shade of green they originally were.”

With the home projects mostly complete (the couple has more landscaping planned and is hoping to find someone in the Boise area who can fix the Nutone intercom radio combo system), the Welkers are enjoying all their beautiful home has to offer.

home office in 1965 Boise home — The couple replaced the original carpeting in much of the house, except for this spare-bedroom-turned-office. Homeowner Steve Welker requested that his workspace maintain the original green wool carpeting and popcorn ceilings.

mid century modern bathroom — The main bedroom once had a mirrored headboard that covered a mural. When the mirror was removed, the mural was beyond repair, but did inspire Jessica’s selection of the curtains.

mid century modern bathroom in 1965 Boise home — Jessica reused or repurposed original items in the home. The curtains in Marcia’s office were once in the main bedroom, and she refit them for the smaller space.

“We have 4,000 square feet of mid century yumminess,” Marcia says. “My husband has claimed the lower level family room with the bar and pool table for his area. It has a large sliding glass door to the backyard with a patio. My favorite spaces are the office with the cool boomerang desk and the large main patio area with large sliding glass door access from the family room and living room areas and the original mid-century outdoor furniture we purchased from the estate. It has the original gas torches and barbeque, all still working. I also love the living room and entryway. I love the entire house.”

Did you know Boise has quite a bit of Mid Century Modern to offer? Check out Curating Authentic Mid Century Furnishings in Boise. See another wow-worthy Boise home in our new Summer issue!