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Near Tucker, reimagined midcentury modern called entertainer’s dream for $479K

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Extensive renovation blends original architectural design with today’s trends

A brick ranch house with cedar siding and a black door.
A fresh visage makes this older MCM look new again.
All current photos by Adam Goldberg

Tucked away—almost literally—this 1965 midcentury modern near Tucker had been all but forgotten.

In fact, many neighbors told owner Claudia Resende Malcolm they didn’t even remember a house being on the lot, which was obscured by overgrown trees.

“One neighbor described this house as the ‘house behind the jungle,’” Resende Malcom told Curbed Atlanta via email.

But removing trees blocking the facade was just the beginning of work needed to restore this home in the way Resende Malcom wanted. Dated wallpaper, vinyl flooring, and a blue toilet were a few design details detracting from the home’s venerable origins as an example of MCM architecture, she says.

As such, Resende Malcom gutted the structure to the studs and embarked on a full renovation. Enlisting the aid of architect Bill Carpenter, Resende Malcolm, the owner of Resende Design & Marketing in Atlanta, put her skills to the test, which included many challenges.

For instance, the kitchen layout was quite problematic.

A brick house sitting behind several trees and overgrown shrubs.
Many neighboring residents were surprised to learn there was a house behind the trees.
All “before” photos courtesy of Zillow.

“It was a very small kitchen, it had a window that was lower than cabinet height, the garage door was inside the kitchen, it had a huge brick wall that was half-finished and half not,” Resende Malcolm said. “There was a weird ‘nook’ that went into the fireplace where the old oven used to be, and there were different ceiling heights.”

As part of the renovation, the kitchen ceiling was removed, revealing the original vaulted ceiling, and the kitchen cabinets were extracted from the back of the brick fireplace.

Kitchen with white cabinets, white vinyl flooring, and kitchen table and chairs.
A “before” look at the kitchen reveals the vinyl flooring, ill-placed oven, and dated wallpaper.
Kitchen with white cabinets, stainless appliances, and hardwood floors.
The updated kitchen includes a vaulted ceiling, stainless appliances, and hardwood floors.

In addition, multiple walls were removed to enlarge certain spaces and give the house an open floorplan that capitalized on the vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling and picture windows.

One element Resende Malcolm was determined to retain was the original front door, complete with a doorknob in the center.

A large room with pink walls and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Before the renovation, many rooms included pink walls.
A large room with living room furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows.
A clean color palette and natural light brighten the living room.

“It was so unique with that middle doorknob, and I couldn’t possibly remove such character and uniqueness from the house,” Resende Malcolm said. “The problem is that the door was in awful shape, but I wanted to save it at all costs, so I spent three whole months restoring that door myself.”

With the renovation now complete, the 1,764-square-foot house features three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It’s located just OTP, between Spaghetti Junction and downtown Tucker.

Recently listed by Southern Classic Realtors for $479,000, the property also sports cedar siding coupled with tongue and groove cedar, giving the house a fresh look.

A more detailed look at 2845 Umberland Drive’s “before” and “after” …

A den with pink walls, Oriental carpet, and TV.
Before the renovation, the home was subdivided into smaller rooms.
A black brick wall behind the stove in the kitchen with the living room visible in the back.
Removing several walls opened up the home, making it more airy and light.
A family room with brick fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The original family room was narrow despite the vaulted ceiling and large windows.
The family room with black brick fireplace and large picture windows.
Purists might cringe, but painting the brick black gave the fireplace an updated, modern aesthetic.
A bedroom with hardwood floors, Oriental rug on the wall and dated wallpaper.
Dated wallpaper and an Oriental rug on the wall deterred from the MCM’s classic design.
Bedroom with hardwood floors, picture window, and look into the master bathroom.
The master bedroom now features a more subdued gray palette.
Bathroom with brown wallpaper and a blue toilet.
The earlier rendition of the master bathroom included a blue toilet.
A bathroom with glass shower, toilet, and vanity.
A modern approach to the master bathroom took inspiration from the room’s hexagonal tile flooring.
A door with a knob in the middle at a house with brick at left and wood siding surrounding it.
The painstakingly redone front door.