Tucked away in the leafy, winding neighborhoods of northwest Atlanta is Debra Johnston's Mid-Century modern gem.

Sean Drakes / Special (ENLARGE)

Atlanta real estate agent Debra Johnston renovated the structure but kept true to the original vision. She won Metropolitan Home magazine's Home of the Year award in 2001.

Sean Drakes / Special (ENLARGE)

Johnston purchased this 1959 Mid-Century modern in 1992. 'When I pulled up, I knew it was my house because I could see through it,' she said.

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"When I pulled up, I knew it was my house because I could see through it," she said. "I'd love to meet the architect and talk about it."

Johnston, a realtor with Beacham and Company Realtors, bought the 1959 ranch home in 1992. She renovated it, moving into the basement during construction. Though the renovations improved the space, Johnston made an effort to stay true to the architectural vision of Jerry Cooper of Cooper Carry, a local architectural firm.

What was Johnston's biggest alteration? She had a new master bedroom built on stilts. The room was created to avoid shutting off the views from her master bathroom.

"I lived in the basement during the whole thing. I cried when I walked into my bedroom for the first time," she said.

The bedroom is a jeweled glass case. The room has floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, creating a beautiful retreat. Johnston used a commercial window system, which she says reduces noise. At night, lights inside her bedroom illuminate the room.

"I wanted to be able to see the yard and the pool," she said, adding that this is her favorite room in the house.

She turned the original master bedroom into the master bathroom with a iridescent blue glass tile tub as the centerpiece. They installed heated slate floors and created a frosted glass wall to contain the toilet closet. Johnston also has a peaceful view of her eight-foot black bamboo in the back yard from the spacious shower.

The former master bath is now a guest bath with slate floors.

Home of the Year

William Stewart Designs helped her refine the look. For her efforts, Johnston won Metropolitan Home magazine's Home of the Year award in 2001.

"I use this house for commercials, video and print," she said, adding that she acquired the backyard pergola after a Sears photo shoot.

Next to the pergola is the original swimming pool in the shape of a martini shaker. The family who built the home raised their children there and neighborhood kids have fond memories of the pool, Johnston said. Guests also enjoy the adjacent outdoor kitchen Johnston built for entertaining. She even sourced the brick to match the home.

Inside, she used Lewis Reeves Residential for some of the upgrades such as the kitchen cabinets and elements of the bathrooms. She added a skylight in the kitchen, which also features professional-grade appliances and maple floors.

In her sitting room, two Egg chairs and an Italian Marcello Fantoni cocktail table welcome visitors to relax in style. The chandelier in the breakfast area is from the Brutalism period — sub-style of the Modernist movement — and compliments the cocktail table. Family friend Hugh Acton created the aluminum pots found in several rooms.

Johnston said she's trying to mix her pieces to avoid a pure look.

"I'm all about streamlining and clean. I move stuff around," she said.

Another piece of art in the master bedroom is homemade. While visiting family in Michigan one year, she came across a melted iron grate. Her stepfather used the grates when processing maple syrup. She loved the sculptural look and mounted it on a base for display.

Most of the walls in the home are painted bright white.

"I like white for artwork in here. It's soothing at night," she said.

In the dining room, the cabinets float above the floor, creating a buffet look.

Learning from Cranbrook

Where does Johnston get her love of all things Mid-Century modern?

"I lived in cabin in the woods ... but my Mom took me to the Cranbrook Institute," she said. Cranbrook, located in a Detroit suburb, is comprised of a graduate academy of art, a contemporary art museum, a house and gardens, a natural history museum and independent college preparatory schools. In addition, the campus features the work of many world-reknown architects.

Johnston's two previous homes were bungalows, but now she's hooked on this style. She travels to modern furnishing shows around the country.

She even snagged a Knoll credenza from her father's office.

Naturally, her passion carries over into her career as a real estate agent, where she specializes in "design-centric architecture."

HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Four bedrooms, five bathrooms, 5,000 square feet of space.

• The new addition to the 1959 home includes a master bedroom on stilts.

• Johnston's Web site is www.dajmodern.com

Do you have a tip or a nomination for Private Quarters? Email writer Chris Reinolds (creinolds@ajc.com) or call her at 770-326-8958.