Design Archives - Page 19 of 22

The History of the Mid-Century Kitchen with Sarah Archer

2 min readToday I talk with Sarah Archer, author of The Mid-Century Kitchen: America’s Favorite Room from Workspace to Dreamscape. We dig into the history of the mid-century Kitchen and how it came to be.

Today’s episode is an interview with Sarah Archer, author of the Mid-century Kitchen. I’m so excited to share this conversation about the history of the mid-century kitchen we all love so much.

Interview: Landscaping for your Mid-Century Home

2 min readListen in while I chat with Landscape Designer Sara A. Meier of Green Thumb SAM about landscaping for your mid-century home.

This season has been taking a look at a lot of big picture concepts for remodeling an MCM home: preservation vs updates, adding sustainability, and design for aging in place. Today, I called on another expert to help explain landscaping for your mid-century home. Listen in while I chat with Sara A. Meier, aka Green Thumb SAM, about how to bring a mid mod vibe … to your yard!

Make Sure your Mid-Century Remodel is Green

2 min readSpoiler alert: it already is!

Do you ever think of remodeling your ranch as a strike for sustainability? I do. There are so many ranches across America waiting to be someone’s dream home. So, choosing one to remodel is green – as in sustainable – compared to any new construction except maybe the most dramatic of Passivhaus or LEED Certified new homes.

Why? The choice to remodel is green, inherently. You can protect undeveloped space, cut down on building materials and waste, and keep your home smaller. Good on you!

Remodel your MCM Time Capsule or Flip with Love

3 min readToday, I’m digging into the dichotomy between MCM Time Capsule or Flip with no original character left. Good news: you can win with either.

In the 70 plus years since mid century ranches were built, these homes have had a lot of different stories, different owners, and different histories. Some have changed hands many time; some have been in a single family since the day they were built. Whether your ranch is an MCM time capsule or flip, I can help you figure out how to make it your own.

Find a Mid Mod Fixer Upper

3 min readToday, get this architect’s top tips for finding the perfect fixer upper to turn into your mid mod dream home.

Some people are looking for their turn key dream house but others want a fixer upper they can make their own. Fixing up modest little ranch houses into mid mod show pieces is kind of my jam.

Here are this architect’s ideas for how to win at the house hunting game.

Maximize the “Zillow Phase” of your House Hunt

3 min readListen in on a chat with first time home buyer – and my sister – KJ Hansmann on how she’s using the early “Zillow Phase” of her hunt to plan for her dream home.

Finding the right Mid-Century home to make your own is an exciting challenge for a first time home buyer. To kick off Season Four of Mid Mod Remodel, this week I chat with my sister, KJ Hansmann. She is in the earliest “Zillow” phase of planning to buy a modest MCM ranch to fix up with her partner.

We’ve been talking about her house hunt process so much in recent weeks. Finally, I realized that I should capture it for the podcast. Listen in as we dish on some family history, chat about why she’s choosing to live near her work place and have some fun discussing this essential phase of any millennial’s house hunt!

Find Madison Mid-Century Neighborhoods To Explore

2 min readDon’t panic, but I’m about to take a short hiatus. To tide you over, today’s podcast will tell you exactly how to seek out Madison Mid-Century Neighborhoods to explore on your own and highlight a few of my very favorites!

If you, like me, LOVE walking around looking at MCM houses, you’ve probably been relying on that as a primary source of out-of-the-house fun during the last few months. Today, I’m going to share my top tips for seeking out the hidden mid-century areas in your town and some Madison mid-century neighborhoods that I particularly love!

Plan A Doable DIYable Remodel for your MCM Home

3 min readYes, you CAN plan the remodel your family needs right now. Meet challenging times by planning your home update as a Doable DIYable remodel!

You’ve had plenty of time to consider closely how your house is or isn’t meeting your family’s needs right now. It is clear that your home might need a few updates. But there are some new challenges tacked on to the process of a remodel at the moment. Still, I don’t want you to loose hope that you can make the changes you need. This is where the doable DIY remodel comes in.

Your Roadmap Thru a Mid Mod Remodel You Can Love

2 min readI made this for you: a roadmap you can use to plan a remodel that will be flexible through changing circumstances.

I thought about calling calling this weeks episode a guide to get you to your ideal remodel but in actual fact … its much more a roadmap through the remodel process.

Today I want to share with you the steps I see as absolutely essential when you’re planning an update for your mid-century ranch.

Collier Heights: Vintage MCM by and for Black Americans

2 min readWhat Collier Heights, a stunning MCM neighborhood built by and for Black people outside Atlanta Georgia, can teach about racism in America.

Today, let’s chat about the gorgeous mid-century modern neighborhood of Collier Heights in Atlanta, Georgia which was planned for, built by, and lived in by Black Atlantans.

Note: This isn’t a story about a silver lining to the bad situation that is racism. Nor is it any kind of an example of solutions that point the a way forward today. (We will not make America better by building better quality segregated spaces.)

Instead, I see the history of Collier Heights and the dedicated citizens who built it as example of making lemonade out of some pretty sour lemons.