curb appeal

Following an exhaustive search, these mid-century enthusiasts have worked to create a purist’s paradise.

By Sarah Jane Stone & Jickie Torres

• Photography by Bret Gum

BEFORE SETTLING INTO THEIR HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA, HOME, Chad Baker and Tina Clement spent several years on the hunt for their dream home. Not just any mid-century modern would do—they sought one with as much of its original features and period charm intact. They found that in this home built in 1963 by James Nelson Sherrill, AIA. In addition to boasting an original kitchen, the home’s façade saw little change from when it was built. Chad and Tina were able to instead focus on maintaining the home’s originality. All of their renovation choices were vetted against the question of timelessness. “I’m a purist. I don’t like to disturb anything that has made an ‘object’ what it is,”Chad says.