Blog - MidMod Midwest

Mid-Century Tile Tutorial

Let’s talk about tile for a mid-century update. You’ve got options. You can go with bold custom color in your favorite shade or recreate a bathroom in powder blue or Mamie pink.

You can get playful with shapes and even textures.

Not to make this scary but … tile choice also runs the risk of tipping into a trend that will ultimately put a timestamp on your whole remodel.

When I’m walking through a remuddled house with a client – one that has one or several very dated remodels layering over it’s original mid-century charm – tile is one of the first things I check to assess what year that remodel went down!

Can an open floor plan be too open?

36 min readThe open plan is a hallmark of modern living. Flow between spaces is a cornerstone of mid-century design. But do open plans always work in mid-century homes?

Right here at the top, I’m writing you a permission slip: If you like an open plan space, you can have it. Let’s open up your layout!! We’ll figure out structure and flow and make it happen.

And if you DO NOT LIKE open plan areas … you are not required to have any big open floor plan areas in your home. We can find pockets of rest, create visual and sound separation between spaces, and introduce elements to separate a too-open layout.

The right answer for you is the right answer for you!

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Is an open plan good?

There’s been a lot of debate over the “right” or “wrong” nature of an open floor plan over the last couple of years. The pandemic years, in particular, created a big push back against a long standing real estate trend for big flowing spaces.

How to Choose Window Treatments for Your Mid-Century Home

34 min readChoosing window treatments for your mid-century home can be a challenge. The good news is, when it comes to window coverings less is (usually) more. Let’s narrow down your options!

The window treatments you choose to cover up your windows will have a big impact on the overall aesthetic of your home, inside and out, actually. This is true if you live in a magazine spread worthy post and beam home or a simple builder-basic ranch house.

So … what are the right window treatments for a mid-century home? And why are they either: floor to ceiling, pinch pleat curtains or modern up down, insulating shades.

There’s more to it than that, obviously. But let’s talk …

Expand your MCM house with an Outdoor Room

37 min readOutdoor rooms are spaces around your house where you could be extending your enjoyable living areas, sometimes with just a few simple tweaks.

With spring around the corner, it might be time to spend a little more time in- and on – your yard. Let’s make it COUNT! You can easily feed two (or more) birds with one scone when you create an outdoor room – a space designed to expand your living area without necessarily adding any more solid wall or roof!

Make an outside space you want to spend time in that ALSO fixes design or lifestyle challenges you’ve been having in other spaces. Done right, an upgrade to your yard can be an upgrade to your house, too!

Mid-Century Furniture you can aspire to

What makes mid-century furniture so great, and what pieces of mid-century furniture – specifically – might you want to hunt down for your house? Let’s talk about finding the perfect vintage item, saving up for the perfect iconic chair, and when you just want to go “mid-century” instead of mid-century.

Your Flexible, FEEL GOOD Remodel Plan

29 min readA flexible remodel plan is key if you want a “feel good remodel.” Taking the time to set a big picture vision gives you a starting point to edit and pays off in enjoyment at every stage: before, during and after.

Let’s talk about how to plan a feel good remodel. Look, I’ll bet you want a mid mod remodel that looks good. Everyone does. Me, too!

It’s pretty doable. There are plenty of remodels out there that look shiny and special when they are done. You don’t necessarily need the master plan method to get a good looking remodel. There are other ways to make that happen.

And some (but not all) of those good looking remodels will actually work well, too. They’ll make the lives of the people they’re for better, more connected, more comfortable, easier.

So, if you’re smart, you want a remodel that will feel good to live in when it’s all done. The master plan process can help you get there. That’s a big part of what it’s for!

But making a master plan can also – and this might even matter more in the short term – help you FEEL GOOD about the remodel while it’s happening!

Furniture Placement in Your Mid-Century Home

43 min readArranging furniture in a mid-century home is about more than just fitting pieces into a room. It’s about creating flow, function, and style.

Do you feel like your furniture just isn’t working for your mid-century home?

Your living room feels cramped. Your bedroom layout is awkward. You just don’t love the flow of your home.

As much as we love mid-century homes, they were built in a different time and for people with a different lifestyle than we live today.

Getting to a Plan for Your Remodel

29 min readA clear plan for your remodel is the key to avoiding stress, staying on budget, and making sure your mid-century home updates improve your daily life.

You’ve been dreaming about updating your mid-century home. But you feel overwhelmed about where to start. Let’s explore how to create a clear plan for your remodel—one that helps you move forward with confidence, avoid costly mistakes, and makes your home work better for you.

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What you DON’T need to get to a plan

The best part? You don’t need a 50-page architectural set of blueprints and specifications to make a successful change to your home.

What you do need …

Mid-Century Light Fixtures

The details of a remodel add up to the whole design. Choose something too trendy and your home will forever whisper (or yell) “The 2025 Remodel.” So how can you pick Mid-Century Light Fixtures that will keep your remodel timeless? And maybe even turn up the volume on it’s mid mod charm?

Improve Your Mid-Century Kitchen Floor Plan

29 min readHave you ever felt like your kitchen just doesn’t work for your daily life? Maybe you’re constantly bumping into your partner while cooking, or your storage feels disorganized and inefficient.

That’s because many mid-century kitchens were designed with a single cook in mind, not today’s modern households. This week’s episode is all about how to rethink and update your mid-century kitchen floor plan so it better fits your life.

If your kitchen layout feels awkward, you can blame the 1950’s patriarchy. It just wasn’t designed for multiple cooks, entertaining, or modern appliances.

So, how can you start thinking about a better floor plan?