Ranch Basics Archives - MidMod Midwest

Perfect Your Mid-Century Front Door

29 min readMid-century modern is so in right now, people are popping neutra type house numbers and modbox mailboxes onto just about any house type.

Note: this was originally posted in January of 2019. It has been updated and now includes a podcast episode and clinic for those who’d rather listen/watch than read!

Listen to last week’s Curb Appeal Lunch & Learn in podcast format right here!

We co-hosted a fun, front door focused Curb Appeal Lunch & Learn with Modern House Numbers. Catch that replay right here:

Mid-century modern has become such a buzzword, that people are applying it to just about any style element. How can you be sure you’re making true mid mod calls for your mid-century home?

You are in luck, Ranch Owner, because the mid-century front door was made for your house. I’ll break down how you can get or make your own perfect Mid-Century front door. This works whether you are simply aiming for a spin through Etsy or planning major renovation.

Listen Now On Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher

Please, Don’t Paint Your Mid-Century Brick

12 min readThink twice before you paint over your mid-century brick: a short term facelift could damage the character and durability of your home.

Brick has been used as a building material since long before the three little pigs. But mid-century brick is particularly well suited to the ethos of modernist designers: it is humble, honest, tactile and capable of both great simplicity and great variety. Let’s talk about why you should not paint brick, and why you should especially not paint mid-century brick!

There are a number of problems with painting mid-century brick, including aesthetics, technical issues and maintenance headaches.

Note: this was originally posted Feburary 2019. It has been updated and now includes a podcast episode for those who’d rather listen than read!

For more on OTHER mid-century masonry you should not paint, check out this episode: White Paint is NOT the Answer!

Listen Now On Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher

Mid-Century Hardwood Floors (MAY BE) hiding under your carpet

If your MCM home is older than 1954, you may have a surprise in store. There might be original wood flooring lurking under tatty old wall-to-wall carpet! Today let’s learn the history of Mid-Century Hardwood Floors and find out if you might have some in your home!

Mid-century design is all about simple, natural materials – often wood. Wood floors, wood panel walls, wood trim, and wood furniture abound.

3 easy visualization tools to pre-plan a perfect remodel

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!

How to Buy a Mid-Century Home: An Architect’s Guide

12 min readToday, let’s do a deep dive into the best ways to find and buy a mid-century home!

Whether you’re looking to buy a mid-century home that is 100% move in ready, or a dire fixer-upper on a fire sale budget, I can help. Here are a few great universal MCM house hunting tips.

I’m a designer who specializes in helping homeowners update and improve their MCM houses. So, I have a particular interest in people looking for a fixer-upper. This post will focus on how you can find buy a mid-century house full of potential just waiting for you to make it your own.

The Design Boost you NEED to love your Mid-Century Ranch Remodel

4 min readCan we talk about the secret to a great remodel? Spoiler: its planning.

If you’re thinking about a Mid-Century Ranch Remodel, hang on a minute. I want to talk to you about the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM design boost you need to get a mid-century ranch remodel you’ll love.

A little design goes such a long way. Every homeowner needs a boost of design thinking at the start of a project to set them on the right track.

[NEW VIDEO] Why I LOVE Mid-Century Ranch Houses

2 min readI’m taking the gospel of why we should all love Mid-Century Ranch Houses to as many different media as possible! Today: VIDEO!

It should come as no surprise to any regular of Mid Mod Midwest that I LOVE Mid-Century Ranch houses. Sometimes if feels all I can talk about! But there’s a good reason for that: Ranches ARE GREAT!!!

Check out this three minute video to learn why! Or just scroll down for a text summary if you are in more of a reading than a watching mood!

Your Must Have Mid-Century Ranch Resource List

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.

What Every Ranch Owner Needs to Know about the History of the Midwestern Ranch

6 min readThe Midwestern Ranch arrived in the middle from both East and West Coast influences. Plus there was a local influence (pssst – it was Frank Lloyd Wright).

The Midwestern Ranch has many influences. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you know how much I love a ranch. Today I’m digging into what I see as the major inspirations of my local variety.

The Midwestern Ranch arrived here from both the East and West Coasts, where the two movements met and melded.

3 Scales for your Mid-century Living Room Update

10 min readAs the proud owner of a mid-century ranch you’re probably looking for ways to enhance the mid-mod character of your home. Today let’s tune up your Mid-Century Living Room.

No matter how big your mid-century living room make-over dreams are, ALWAYS create a master plan for your whole home before you get started. You’ll be so glad you did. Prioritizing what really matters to you will allow you to budget your money and time for the best possible home you can create, and one that perfectly fits your lifestyle.

Today let’s look at how you can tune up a Mid-Century Living Room at three levels. The mid-century living room isn’t just a show-piece, its the heart of the home.