Homebuyers who want a house with contemporary style may find themselves hard-pressed to find it in this market, where most homes reflect more-traditional designs.

Brentwood’s more established neighborhoods do have some, though. Many of these contemporaries were built in the 1960s and ’70s and are typically well-kept while being more affordable than the newer and much larger houses that now dominate the town.

The house at 5011 Ashby Drive, which is for sale, is just such a “vintage contemporary,” and its style has been enhanced by renovations from its past two owners.

This tri-level, four-bedroom, three-bathroom home is also one of the most affordable listings to be found in the Scales Elementary School zone, with its $489,000 asking price.

It was built in 1967, when the average cost of a new house in the U.S. was $14,250, and gas was 33 cents a gallon — another era.

And yet the owners seem to have had no problem selecting new interior finishes never imagined in 1967 — such as a river stone floor for a shower stall — that are completely compatible with the vibe of the house.

Turquoise fixtures stay

Since buying it seven years ago, Karl and Sandra Ney have enhanced and updated the house while still preserving some of its mid-20th-century features, such as the turquoise sink, tub and toilet in one of the upstairs bathrooms.

They replaced the tub surround with compatible blue and turquoise mosaic tiles, and they replaced the sink cabinet with a new, custom-built maple cabinet of contemporary design.

Even better, the walls of an adjacent bedroom inhabited by the Neys’ sons, were painted the same turquoise hue.

The other bathrooms were outfitted with similar new sink cabinets, and the Neys added more maple finishes around the house, including a new custom-built staircase connecting the main and top floors. It was built by the same carpenter and made of maple, with a glass banister.

The bedroom doors were veneered in maple, their doorknobs replaced with sleek levers and their hinges replaced with hidden ones that make the doors seamless when they close into their new maple facings.

Sandra Ney, a fashion designer, drew the striking design of the new front door that has a block pattern of windows suggestive of a Mondrian painting. The door has the added convenience of being extra wide, at almost 46 inches across. It opens into the foyer, which still has its original floor.

On the ground level of the house is a big family room, with a huge stone fireplace, a bedroom and a third bathroom.

The Neys had the carpet removed and the cement floor beneath it stained dark chocolate and scored in block pattern similar to that of the new front door. This look extends outside, to a new patio they created.

The old, sliding glass doors that lead outside were replaced with custom ones that upgrade the look.

Garage becomes living space

The main floor bears the imprint of the people who owned this house just before the Neys.

They converted the garage into a very expansive kitchen, breakfast and family room. A laundry room was built at the back.

Because of this renovation, the house does not have an attached garage; the Neys had been contemplating this construction project when they realized what they really need for their growing family is a bigger house.

Just to the left of the front door, the room that was originally the kitchen is now used as a dining room.

The deep brown walls of the room are brightened by a chandelier of white capiz shells that the Neys found at West Elm. Natural light flows in the windows that look out on the front lawn.

Behind the dining room is the living room, artfully furnished with contemporary upholstered pieces as well as some storage pieces with 1960s contemporary style.

“My goal was to keep the feel of the home always flowing,” said Sandra, a true aficionado of the minimalist style. “It makes me feel that I’m able to breathe.”

The house is on a 1.11-acre lot. There’s plenty of room in the backyard for a pool, which the Neys were planning to add before they decided to sell. (At one time, there was an in-ground pool here. It was filled in by the people who owned the house just before the Neys.)

Sherry Reynolds of McCracken Real Estate Services at Keller Williams Realty has the listing for this home. She said its first open house drew about 20 parties, including a lot of younger couples.