design ideas Archives - Page 6 of 8

Modern Mudroom Updates for Mid-Century Homes

19 min readMost mid century homes lack a modern mudroom…or any practical dedicated entry/exit space designed to catch those things that belong to the outside edge of your life.
Fortunately, solving this problem doesn’t have to be that complicated!

Is your mid century home missing a modern mudroom … or any practical dedicated entry/exit space designed to catch those things that belong to the outside edge of your life?

If you are wishing for a little more storage at your doors … you’re not alone!

The typical mid century ranch house in the Midwest and the typical Eichler-style semi-custom home in the west are similar in that you come and to through the front door … right into the living area.

There is typically no more storage than a coat closet; a little two foot wide swing door framed closet that has a hanging rack and a single shelf.

Where did those original mid century moderns keep their outside things?

What’s the Perfect Mid-Century House Color?

17 min readHow do I choose the right mid-century house color for my house? The short version is that many colors work but here’s how to choose the right one for YOU.

The right Mid-Century House Color isn’t one that’s specific to the period or style of your house. It isn’t the color that looks so great on the house down the street. It’s the color that expresses the feeling you want your home to create in you and in others.

Choosing a color scheme for your home is one of the most effective ways to put your stamp on a house and start the process of making it your home. But before you “pick” the “right” color for your home … I want you to ask yourself a few more questions about what you’re trying to make happen here.

Don’t panic. This is part of the fun, I promise! Because today we’re going to talk about how to apply the Master Plan Method to help you confidently update your mid-century house color scheme.

Oh, and you might want to grab the free guide before you get started …

Find Your Mid Mod ReMod Squad

13 min readWhat is a mid mod ReMod Squad and what can it do for you?

Your ReMod Squad is the team you rely on to give you advice specific to your love of mid century style. There is just TOO much bad advice out there for people who want to update a mid-century home. It takes a village (a squad) of people on your side to help you push back and make regret-proof choices for your home!

New Year, New Remodel Philosophy

13 min readNext year … try going easier on yourself so that you can actually make some remodel progress. Counter intuitive, I know. But it just might work!

Find a new, kinder and easier remodel philosophy in 2023. One that understands perfectionism is a perfect way to prevent yourself from making remodel progress. Real talk folks…it’s more important to begin than to do it perfectly.

Today’s episode is an end-of-year pep talk about setting yourself up for success with reasonable and realistic expectations for yourself around remodel planning.

Best of Our 25 Days of Design

This week we’re revisiting the best of our 25 days of design in hopes of sparking your sense of wonder about your home, boosting your remodel confidence and providing concrete advice on making your 2023 remodeling dreams come true.

‘Tis the season! Around the holidays, everyone likes to add a little charm to their home. Shortening daylight makes us think about how to maximize the comfort and joy inside. Bringing out seasonal decorations makes us take a fresh look at the space where we spend our days and share holiday traditions. As well it should – we need a recurring chance to reevaluate how well our homes suit our lives!

This season of revelry and reflection is a great opportunity to dream a little bigger than holiday decor. While you’re thinking about how to make your house merry and bright for the season, let’s also think about how to improve it in the medium and long-term!

What You Can Decide in an Hour

14 min readIn just one hour you really can make big or small decisions that put your remodel on the path for success.

In just one hour you really can make big or small decisions that put your remodel on the path for success.

Taking a whole remodel from start to finish is a big undertaking. Just planning to start your remodel sometimes feels like it’s taking forever…and it really can be a black hole that seems to absorb as much time and energy as you have to put into it. However, it is possible to set yourself up for bursts of decision-making that shift the momentum in your process.

Taking time to mull has its value. Doing your research is important. BUT, if you’re feeling stuck in analysis paralysis, today’s episode is for you. It’s all about what you can decide for your remodel in an hour.

How Do I Pick a Mid Century Faucet? (Or any other finish material for my remodel?)

14 min readIf you’re struggling to pick out a mid-century faucet (or any other part) of your remodel … start right here!

What should you do when you can’t make up your mind, when finding a mid-century faucet seems impossible?

Before I get into that: ARE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE FREE MASTERCLASS? IF NOT, WHY NOT? Come (LIVE) on Saturday 27th at 11am central or watch the On Demand Replay as soon as the class is over.

The abundance of choice is a HUGE factor in feeling in over your head when you are trying to choose finishes for your home update. With the entire internet at your finger tips … or even the plumbing supply show room that your plumber directed you to … you can feel like anything is possible and nothing is certain.

Avoid Remodeling Overwhelm with a plan: get Help at this weekend's mid-century master plan master class!

Here’s the thing though – only a few of these myriad options are actually going to be right for your style and your house when you get right down to it.

Am I Wrong to Love Mid Century?

When HGTV, Home Depot, every contractor you’ve spoken to so far, and some of your friends and family are all questioning why you like that feature of your mid century house, it can feel like maybe they’re right and you’re not. You can ask yourself, am I wrong to love mid-century?

No, of course not! Your mid mod home is great!

How can you find other people besides me to reinforce you when you love mid-century? You need a community of people who can share war stories, advice, and wins from their experience and updating, repairing, and maintaining mid century homes. So, today, we’re going to talk about how to make that happen!

Can I open up a wall? And other questions about your structure!

14 min readIf you’ve ever wished to just open up a wall in your house but worried it would be too expensive, too difficult or downright risky, I hope you’ll feel less so at the end of this episode!

If you’ve ever wished to just open up a wall in your house but worried it would be too expensive, too difficult or downright risky, I hope you’ll feel less so at the end of this episode!

True, there are some areas of your house structure you don’t want to carelessly change – for fear of bringing down the whole thing!

You sure do need to know where your bearing walls are and what they are. But once you know where your home’s structure is … and isn’t … you’ll be better able to “see through the walls” and open up some great flow in your home!

Tune in for some rules of thumb for identifying structure AND some easy design cheats to open up space in the structure you have without costly re-engineering!

How Do I Get the Best Value in a Remodel?

14 min readMake sure you get the best value in your remodel and JUSTIFY your time, energy and expense by considering how you can tweak the layout of your home to fit your life!

Here’s how you can get the best value in a remodel … you can super charge any remodel using adjustments to your home’s layout. By the way … this episode and topic are the PERFECT preamble to this weekend’s Mid-Century Design Clinic. Listen up here and then go save your seat for the Workshop!

Look, beautiful finishes can make your life so shiny and pretty.

You can wake up in the morning and smile because of the color of your bedroom wall.
Touching the surfaces of your kitchen cabinets can bring you genuine joy multiple times a day.
The perfect paver stones under your feet on the patio can be warm, smooth, and classy.

But just changing the surfaces of things doesn’t have a power to change your life the way adjusting your layout can-do.