the midcentury ranch for a new generation
9 min readWith a few done updates and upgrades, any builder basic ranch can become the home of your mid-century dreams.
Remodeling a ranch or other mid century home can be so rewarding but it IS a bit of a challenge. Today, I introduce Mid Mod Remodel – the podcast. We’ll uncover why MCM remodels can be an up hill slog and end with a pep talk about why I find your mid-century ranch to be so darn lovable!
Continue reading “Mid Mod Remodel is a Podcast!”2 min readCheck out my profile of Madison’s Mid-Century Homes for Isthmus!
My story on Madison’s MCM history is the cover story for Isthmus! Check out this excerpt or read the whole story HERE!
The eye-catching Postweiler house sits on a quiet street in Madison’s Midvale Heights neighborhood. A 1955 ad called it “tomorrow’s home…TODAY.” Characteristic stack bond masonry, with bricks set in a grid rather than offset, wraps a shaded entry and highlights a trapezoidal window wall, seeming to both showcase and protect the open living room. Every element — from the slim proportions of the thinner Roman brick to the double garage door with its three horizontal windows — amplifies its elongated, ground-hugging character.
Perron Nicholas and his wife, Mary Lauten, wanted to simplify their lives, relocate from Mount Horeb to be closer to work and friends, and find a home with distinctive qualities. When Nicholas drove by the just-listed house in 2014, he knew he had to have it. He didn’t realize he would be moving into a historic landmark.
Madison is home to a lot of ranch houses. Many are basic, but others have truly remarkable designs, featuring dramatic roof lines, envelope-pushing floor plans, and subtle modernist detailing. Some were designed by name architects; others are just the best work of area home builders.
Spurned for decades, ranches are in demand again. Mid-century modern styling is pervasive in current home and interior design — what was old has become new again.
Mid-century ranches are rightsized, livable, and filled with charming small details. They are better built than most new construction and easy to add on to and modify. They’re located in easy-commute neighborhoods near many local services. The real estate website Trulia lists the ranch-style house as the most popular type of home for sale in 34 states, including Wisconsin. Modern buyers, like their mid-century counterparts, are falling in love with the idea of the ranch house.
I’m one of them. Mid-century-era homes were not on my radar until I moved back to Madison, my hometown, three years ago looking for a hands-on renovation project. I’d planned to take a year sabbatical from my day job as a residential architect focused on sustainability. What I found in my never-updated 1952 ranch was a new passion. The deeper I dug, the more obsessed I became with the potential of mid-century ranch houses.
The ubiquitous simple ranch house is a form of modernism for the rest of us — an accessible conduit to tap into the great ideas and design of the mid-century period.
… want more? Read the rest of the article at the Isthmus website!
6 min readGetting your dream house is about more than pinterest perfect finishes or fresh paint. Try these 3 easy visualizing exercises to pre-plan a perfect remodel!
Imagining an ideal version of the home you already live in is harder than it may seem. People are so adaptable . We get used to our homes to the point that we hardly even see them. It is easy to point to a tired paint color or chipped tile, visualizing a whole new space is hard. Never fear! You can use these three exercises to help break outside of your regular experience and pre-plan a perfect remodel!
Continue reading “3 easy visualization tools to pre-plan a perfect remodel”3 min readTake the Mid-Century Style Quiz to find how this BROAD design concept applies to you and to your MCM home!
Mid-century modern style is a very broad design category. The term “modern” has been applied to styles of furniture furniture, clothing, art, and architecture for more than 100 years now. “Mid-Century style literally just means style from “the middle of the century.” That’s not particularly helpful to those of us trying to nail down the style for our own purposes!
Continue reading “What even IS Mid-Century Style?”7 min readThis 1958 ranch had good bones, a great location, and … a terrible layout that turned its back on the amazing yard. Today, how to fix a bad ranch floor plan!
In most cases, the basic layout of ranch is a pretty good fit for a modern family. However, sometimes you find a mid-century ranch that just isn’t working at all. When that happens, you need some out-of-the-box thinking to transform a bad ranch floor plan into one that fits your life.
Continue reading “Case Study: How to Fix a Bad Ranch Floor plan”8 min readHere are my top 24 mid-century ranch resources for anyone considering updating an MCM home … or just wanting to know more about the period!
Here’s the list you need to get started with this Mid-Century thing OR to dig much deeper. Learn the history, get some great DIY and design tips, and set yourself up for continuing inspiration. These are two dozen of my favorite Mid-Century ranch resources and I use them on a regular basis.
Continue reading “Your Must Have Mid-Century Ranch Resource List”13 min readHave you ever considered remodeling your mid-century ranch is an act of radical sustainability?
Think about it! There are 15 million of these modestly-sized, well-built houses across America located in walkable neighborhoods close to local businesses and schools. Taking on a sustainable mid-century remodel means helping people occupy them, love them and preserve them. In doing so, you prevent their demolition to build something larger or just building new homes on greenfield land elsewhere, and this is a significant environmental win.
Yes, mid-century modern style is cool and fun, but more than that – coming up with design tools to help 15 percent of US housing stock stay relevant is IMPORTANT WORK.
Continue reading “Your Sustainable Mid-century Remodel: Why and How”7 min readThe definition of a true mid-century era kitchen is not the laminate counter tops and pastel appliances. You can recognize a classic ranch kitchen by its layout and by the driving philosophy behind it.
The “retro” look of an original kitchen can charm you or turn you off but the important updates needed for a MODERN mid-century kitchen are much more than cosmetic. Let’s talk about how kitchens (and the people who use them) have changed in the past 60 odd years!
Continue reading “Why you need some updates to get a modern mid-century kitchen RIGHT”6 min readMid-century designers loved showing off the gorgeous grain of natural wood. They used it to clad their walls, floor and ceiling, as well as for cabinets and furniture. Looking for a great mid mod material? Look no further than warm-toned wood.
When you’re a proud owner of a mid-century home considering updates, start by taking stock of what mid mod characteristics you have on hand. While you catalog the mid-century features your house has to offer, note all the parts made from natural wood.
If your home turns up short on mid-century charm, you can take action and improve it. Start by adding more natural wood elements. Think: Continue reading “Mid-Century Materials: A Valentine to Natural Wood”
10 min readWhen you’ve just bought a house, the new responsibilities can be overwhelming. Don’t worry. All you need is a great plan!
The right plan can help you figure out what will make you happiest and what is the best solution for your home. You are in the driver’s seat with a road map, once you roll up your sleeves to fully plan a mid-century renovation.
Be confident you’re making the right choices for the right reasons!! Continue reading “How to Plan a Mid-Century Renovation you’ll Love”
