Before, After, and After That: A Modest 1970s Split-Level Remodel You Need to See

Split-levels from the late 70s and early 80s have a way of surprising me.

On the surface, they can look like quiet time capsules—subtle exteriors, narrow windows, and landscaping that’s been holding on for decades. But beneath that modest exterior is a type of home that has endured for a reason.

Split-levels were designed for flexibility: staggered floors, strong rooflines, and a layout that naturally adapts as families and lifestyles change. Give them a  closer look and they reveal just how transformable they really are.

This house is a perfect example: a familiar façade reimagined not once, but twice.

Before (In Real Life)

The original exterior had all the familiar hallmarks of a late-70s split-level— forgettable siding, narrow windows that kept the interior a little darker than it deserved, and a garage door that blended quietly into the background.

But the structure itself was full of promise. The asymmetrical roofline, the raised entry, and the layered silhouette hinted at a home with more of a stronger design pedigree than its exterior was letting on. It simply needed a clearer point of view—someone willing to draw out the strengths already built into the architecture.

 After: A Clearer Identity Emerges

After (In Real Life Renovation)

The owners renovation leans into what made this split-level interesting from the start. The new palette—warm siding, crisp white trim, and natural wood accents—gives the exterior a calm, modern presence. Large more open windows brighten the façade and emphasize the home’s geometry, especially along the dramatic front gable. The garage door and entry received a contemporary refresh, creating a stronger focal point and improving the overall balance of the elevation. With a few strategic updates, the house steps forward with a clearer sense of identity: modern, welcoming, and finally in conversation with its own architecture.

My Vision: The Quintessential Modern Paper House

After That (Conceptual Reimagining)

Split-levels have long represented, to me, the quintessential Modern Paper House—born of the late-60s and 70s suburban boom yet exhibiting a modernity durable enough to stay in the architectural conversation decades on.

Their staggered geometry, efficient footprints, and flexible layouts were designed for contemporary living decades before “open concept” entered our design vocabulary. My conceptual version approaches this exterior by clarifying the lines, strengthening the proportions, and giving each surface a deliberate material treatment.

The central volume is wrapped in warm cedar siding laid in long horizontal courses. The rhythm intentionally echoes the elongated proportion of Roman brick—not because brick belonged here originally, but because that horizontal emphasis visually grounds the structure and widens the façade. In contrast, the garage volume and upper section use vertical board-and-batten, creating a crisp architectural counterpoint. The interplay between horizontal and vertical planes sharpens the split-level’s stepped form and brings its inherent lines into focus.

Color operates as structure in this design. The teal-blue garage door and yellow front door work here precisely because of the home’s 1970s origins—split-levels were modern from the start, and their geometry can carry bold, contemporary color without feeling decorative or out of place. Try this palette on a traditional elevation and it would fight the architecture; on a split-level, it feels almost inevitable, as though the house has simply evolved with its late-60s and 70s roots in tact. The colors break the earth-toned palette with intention rather than ornamentation, reinforcing the clean lines established by the siding and trim.

In the end, this conceptual version doesn’t overwrite the split-level’s origins,  By emphasizing proportion, line, and a disciplined use of color, the design reveals why this style remains one of the most adaptable and architecturally resilient homes of its era.

The Design Evolution Of 70s and 80s Contemporary Homes

The real life renovation shows what thoughtful updates can accomplish when you allow a split-level’s existing strengths to guide the transformation. My version pushes the idea a little further, exploring another path the house could have taken. Between the two, you see the range these homes offer—and why they remain such fascinating canvases for reinvention. Whether subtle or bold, every split-level holds more potential than its first impression suggests.

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