An audacious revamp gives a Sugarhouse neighborhood bungalow room to breathe.
Few can resist the historic charm and cozy spaces of old bungalows, but when a house cramps one’s style and ability to live well at home, things have to change. That’s what designers Jason and Scott Singer realized when they purchased a small 1929 bungalow in Salt Lake City’s 15th & 15th neighborhood. Teaming with architect/builder Scott Jaffa and his lead interior designer Jen Harpster, the Singers pulled off an innovative revamp that gave new life to the couple’s old house. The following photos take us beyond those shown in our feature story “A Modern Tale”, showcasing even more reasons to love this head-to-toe overhaul.
The team removed a wall that separated the entry from the living area on the main level, freeing the space from an awkward floor plan. They also vaulted the ceilings to create a more spacious look and feel. The reimagined staircase remains in the same location, but its direction was reversed to make it more accessible and welcoming.
The bungalow’s original brick was in great shape, so the team retained it while updating the exterior with dark-framed windows. The Singers also painted the gutters and foundation a dramatic black, hinting at the daring modern design elements waiting indoors. A water-wise landscape replaced the lawn that surrounded the home.
The Singers like an uncluttered decor and coin their style as “minimalist chic.” To prevent smaller keepsakes from being scattered and creating visual noise, the owners gather and display them in built-in, illuminated shelves located in the new living room space.
In the new kitchen, streamlined walnut cabinets, an aged-brass hood and a waterfall-style island formed from richly veined quartzite deliver the timeless modern style the couple craves. The room’s curved window wall and vaulted ceiling make the busy room look and feel bright and spacious.
The team reimagined the original fireplace into a boldly modern focal point in the new dining room space. Clad in black saddle granite, the feature provides a dramatically dark backdrop for a modern chandelier by Apparatus Studio. The table below was crafted from a single slab of Claro walnut hand selected by the Singers.
Owner Jason Singer designed the floating walnut nightstands and leather bed in the primary bedroom. The team changed the pattern of the home’s white oak flooring in this space to stylistically separate this room from the rest of the main level. A feature wall dressed in dark Phillip Jeffries woven sisal wallpaper delivers a large dose of drama.
As seen from the lower level, the new staircase crafted by Flynn/Noorda features oak treads and floating steel frame. Glass railing allows light to flow into the lower hallway without obstruction.
“Not every room in the house has to take itself so seriously,” says Jason Singer, commenting on a lower-level guest bedroom dressed in colorful wallpaper. Scott uses the space as an inspiring place to work on his art and paint.
The team pulled space from a small bedroom to create the primary bathroom. They retained the original windows to fill the space with natural light and fresh air. They swapped out the windows’ clear glass with frosted panels (for privacy) and floated a pair of large mirrors from the ceiling in front of them.
In a stylish guest suite, the SIngers refinished the concrete floors and added a window that delivers natural light to the lower level room. “We decided to balance the more masculine feel of the room and black leather bed with a floral metallic wallpaper that shimmers when the sunlight dances upon it,” Jason says.
Homeowners Jason and Scott Singer, principals of Honigman Design Studio, are joined by Jaffa Group’s lead interior designer Jen Harpster in the fearlessly remodeled bungalow.
See our original tour of this home here.
