The term “mid-century modern” receives a lot of buzz these days. Often coined “MCM,” this interior design style rose to popularity in the 1950s, when furniture and accessories that had a more pared down look were preferred over the fussier, ornate pieces of previous eras. In recent years, vestiges of this now-famous decorating style have popped up in homes and interiors stores everywhere, with its signature clean lines and boxy silhouettes becoming the “in” way to style a home, especially for younger generations.
In the ’60s, when the MCM style was in full force, a sturdy house was built in rural Kentucky. Decades later, it’s now a stylish weekend retreat for a large family, thanks to a facelift provided by interior designer Amy Cimba, who is Vice President of Bittners, Louisville’s most historic design firm.
The panels in the bar and adjacent living space were in great shape, so interior designer Amy Cimba left them alone. The result is a moody enclave, perfect for lounging or having a cocktail.
The closet just off the bar has been transformed into a wine room, and a glass door was cleverly installed so the impressive display can be seen from the living space.
While the overall decor isn’t heavy on color, pops of red from art pieces add interest to an edgy vignette. “The space is somewhat monochromatic,” says Amy, “because the house is really more about texture.” The hand sculptures are from 21C Museum Hotel.
Another vignette features a large tribal blanket, a found object sourced from the Bittners showroom. “It adds some needed softness,” Amy says.
One of Amy’s favorite things in the house is this mixed-media work of art over a one-of-a-kind, waxed rope table, both of which are from Bittners. “The textures — from the walls, to the art, to the table — work so well together,” she says.
When Amy’s longtime clients approached her about redesigning the newly acquired house out in the country, she said yes with enthusiasm. A true mid-century modern manse, which Amy estimates is a whopping 15,000 square feet, the house features all the hallmarks of homes of that period, including soaring ceilings, terra-cotta tiles and terrazzo flooring. “When my client bought it, it was completely empty,” Amy says. “No one had been in it in a while, but it had some great bones and amazing space — not to mention the incredible views.”
Set on a hill overlooking a creek, the house certainly does boast some spectacular vistas. “It’s pretty much in farmland,” Amy says, though the property is only about an hour and a half away from the family’s Louisville home base. The rural landscape plays host to the standard fare of outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing and ATV-riding. It also serves as the family’s weekend retreat and the expansive meeting place where relatives and friends gather on holidays.
The master bedroom is especially large. Amy estimates it to be about 35 feet by 35 feet. “There is not enough furniture you can put in this bedroom to eat it up,” she says.
The master features its own sitting area with a linear limestone fireplace. Amy’s husband, Aaron Esposito of Esposito Construction, partnered with his wife on this project and added in this special feature.
This home truly is all about texture. This photo captures the many layers visible throughout the home’s interior and exterior.
The main living room has palatial proportions, and an oversized painting (roughly 10 feet long) commissioned by the family works perfectly on the massive fireplace. Local Louisville artist David Schuster painted this landscape from an image of the property at dawn.
Initially, this re-design was to be a small construction project, “and then it snowballed,” says Amy. The homeowners did more major renovations, all the while putting an emphasis on leaving as much alone as possible. “We really wanted to save the integrity of the house to the degree that we could,” Amy adds.
An example is in the bar and its adjacent living area. “This was one of the few spaces that had paneled walls,” says Amy. “We all sort of agreed that the paneling was good-looking, so we wanted to salvage that. [The room] had all of these warm elements already, and the bar just needed some tweaking.”
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The lower level guest suite is anchored by an accent wall of reclaimed wood from Longwood Antique Woods in Lexington.
The guest suite’s sitting area, accessed from the bedroom through sliding barn doors, was thoughtfully designed for visitors who might be traveling with a baby. The space also features an accent wall of reclaimed wood, this time in a herringbone pattern.
The owners adopted a “the more, the merrier” approach with this retreat, which has two bunk rooms — one for the girls (seen here in yellow and gray) and one for the boys.
In the breakfast room, original terrazzo flooring works well beneath a stone table and leather chairs. “Terrazzo is completely back in vogue,” Amy says.
Gorgeous views are offered from the expansive limestone patio; its scale is balanced by the large rooms just inside.
Some of the light fixtures throughout the home were too dated to keep, so Amy swapped those out for some fresher options that still feel right at home. Yet her retro design choices — from the upholstery to the accessories to the lines of the furniture — feel so authentic, one might think they’re original to the house.
The bathrooms and kitchen all got makeovers, too, but the details were tweaked or left alone to ensure authenticity. The end result is a space reminiscent of a scene from AMC’s “Mad Men.” But this place is no set; it’s the real deal!
To see more of Amy Cimba’s work, or that of her colleagues, visit bittners.com. And thank you to photographer Andrew Kung Photography for the amazing photos of this stunning rural Kentucky home!
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