Blog - Page 12 of 35 - MidMod Midwest

A ranch is not a cottage (and it never will be).

21 min readThere are key difference between cottages and mid-century ranch homes. Your ranch is not a cottage, so steer clear of trendy cottage style updates.

Your ranch is not a cottage and it never will be. These are two different types of houses right down to their bones to the floor plan that is, and right up to every little detail that makes each of these different types of houses great.

Modern cottage style (and it’s cousin pure white modern farm house style) are all the rage on social media, shelter magazines and HGTV right now. And there’s nothing at all wrong with those design choices … for houses that started out as cottages, farm houses, or with no style at all because they were built in 1980 or later.

But cottage style choices are just not right for your mid-century home. Let’s talk about why …

A Basement That Works

2 min readFind the perfect WFH spot in the space you already have.

Here’s what we were dealing with: This 1952 basic ranch had a basement with plenty of space but not much style. With the right updates it could be the perfect spot for a cool home office, plus guest area. The bathroom needed a serious upgrade to be guest-worthy and the balance of the basement needed the right divisions for everything to work.

Our goal was to build a snazzy right-sized office with sound privacy, while reserving space for guest stays. Bonus points were awarded for including a potter’s corner.

Our WFH Basement Solutions

We provided both an option that claims lots of currently finished and unfinished, along with a version concentrated in the existing finished footprint. Both options improved the bathroom in place for ease and savings on plumbing costs.

SCHEME 1 – Bigger and Better for Both Uses

SCHEME 2 – Efficient Use of Finished Space

Want a WFH setup that works for you?

Learn where to nab some serious square footage in this blog post.
Got all the space you need, but none of the MCM style you love? Discover your mid-century style and era!
Learn how to get ready to remodel by watching my FREE Masterclass, “How to Plan an MCM Remodel to Fit Your Life(…and Budget)”, ON DEMAND.

Change your home to change your life.

21 min readThe culture we live in tells us that we can change our lives by changing our homes. Let’s interrogate this modern urge toward self improvement through remodeling.

According to HGTV, you can never take a house as it is. A change is required. You must remodel it to make it “yours”.

But … (again per HGTV) there’s ONLY one right way to improve your home. And that is whatever is the most current latest and greatest on Pinterest on Instagram on HGTV and in Dwell magazine.

Now, in fact, I actually do believe in the transformative power of a remodel.

Planning them is kind of my bread and butter.

But here’s the thing: real, life changing transformations rarely look the same for every homeowner or home. And very frequently there’s nary a subway tile to be found.

Can we talk about your clutter problem?

Do you have objects in your life in your house that you would categorize as clutter? Probably you do. I know I do. Most people think of most of their partners stuff as clutter. And we’re all trying to cut back. Decluttering sometimes feels like our national pastime.

HGTV has multiple shows devoted to the pleasures and virtues of minimalism. They want you to know that you should throw out most of your stuff and replace it all with “the right stuff.” Or if you prefer your Marie Kondo straight from the source her show is on Netflix.

But I want to ask you this. DO you actually have a clutter problem? Seriously.

How to plan an MCM remodel to fit your life (and budget)

75 min readTake my remodeling masterclass on the go!

If you listen to the Mid Mod Remodel Podcast regularly, you hear lots about the tips and tools I recommend to help you plan and lead your perfect MCM remodel.

And once or twice a year I boil down the most helpful of those tips and tools into a free masterclass that I offer live. Folks show up on a Saturday for an hour-ish class full of advice and a Q&A where I promise to answer every question.

In the past that session was only available to the folks who signed up and attended the live event, but this year I’m trying something NEW!

We are making the audio of my February 24th session available for a limited time.

Now you can listen on the go! (but just for one week.)

So, if you missed the live session and don’t have time to sit and watch a replay… or if you were there, loved it and just want to hear it all again…grab your headphones!

Your remodel should not be a surprise.

21 min readA surprise reveal is a mainstay of remodeling TV shows and it’s basically a jumpscare. Your ideal remodel should include few to no surprises.

Nothing about the final outcome of your remodel should surprise you.

Read that twice.

Now, I do hope that as you live in your transformed home that it is a delight for you and your family. Maybe the changes will have an even greater effect on your life than you expected. That’s great. But the remodel itself … should not be a surprise.

Why HGTV loves the “surprise reveal.”

Surprise reveals are a mainstay of home and garden media like HGTV because they create drama and suspense.

They allow the designers to build to a big conclusion and show a happy client. Surprises are not good for MCM homeowners in the same way trends are not our friends.

Trends are not your friend, Mid Mod lover.

22 min readWhy avoid trends in remodeling? Because your taste and your home’s history matter more than what is current.

When it comes to updating and upgrading a mid-century home … trends are not your friend. You know this already. But the pressure to make the same choice as everyone else is SO STRONG. “What about the re-sale value?,” your well meaning advisors will anxiously wonder. But in reality, a timeless choice will always work better than a trendy one!

Here’s the most basic truth: Trendy =/= Timeless. And you don’t want to put all your energy, money and time into a remodel with an expiration date!

How to have a big fight with your partner

21 min readPartner conflict about remodeling (or home buying) is a central plot line on HGTV…but it doesn’t have to be central to the story of your remodel.

Want to know how to have a BIG fight with your partner about your remodel (or even many smaller fights that blur into each other and become frustration and resentment)?

Ready?

Delay talking about your design priorities until each decision becomes urgent. Wait until you’re on the phone with the painter, plumber or cabinet installer and make the call on a significant decision without consulting them because they are in meeting, away for work or otherwise unavailable.

Welcome to the Valentine’s Day episode of Mid Mod Remodel!

The modern “mid-century” dream kitchen

23 min readGoogle’s modern mid-century kitchen is slab cabinets, sleek metals, minimalist hardware and simple geometric tile. But YOUR mid-century dream kitchen may differ because your kitchen, your rules.

The modern mid-century dream kitchen isn’t the kitchen that Lucy Arnez or Donna Reed or Carol Brady had. It also isn’t the kitchen you might find in vintage kitchen ads. And it certainly isn’t the kitchen you’ll find in most builder grade ranches.

So what exactly is it then?

According to Google, it’s slab cabinets in warm wood tones, sleek metals, minimalist hardware and tile set in simple, geometric patterns.

According to home and garden media, it’s an open, busy social space.

And both of those descriptions hold up! But YOUR mid-century dream kitchen may differ because your kitchen, your rules.

You are actually the most important element in your mid-century dream kitchen. Your kitchen isn’t just a place to cook; it’s an extension of you! Whether you’re a mid-century purist or someone who loves blending eras, the key is to design a kitchen that works for your life and the way you want to live in your kitchen.

Why are mid-century kitchens?

19 min readAspirational mid-century kitchens inspired the kitchens we live in and love today.

In all seriousness … why ARE mid-century kitchens? We’ve chatted before about the history and socioeconomic drivers of the era. And about the default layout of an MCM kitchen and why it doesn’t work for our modern lives so well. But what were those mid-century modern folks really … going for? One thing that made them what they are was …

The TV kitchens that served as backdrops for our favorite mid-century TV families! These show kitchens often included features missing for the builder basic kitchens of the time (and still missing in many of our ranches!)

After all, an average mid-century ranch, the kitchen was seen as a one-person space. A kind of a home office for a homemaker. In a TV show kitchen, it had to be a place where two people could hold a conversation! That’s something we like in a kitchen today!

So let’s dig into how aspirational mid-century kitchens influenced – and didn’t – the kitchens we live in and love today.

Psst !!! Before we dig into some SPIFFY and fun MCM kitchens of TV history … quick shout out for your best resource for updating your own mid-century kitchen to mid-century or modern glory. Don’t forget to save your seat for the Mid-Century Kitchen Clinic!