home improvement Archives - MidMod Midwest

Creating Great Mid Mod Interiors with Exactly Designs

22 min read I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Elin Walters from Exactly Design to get her perspective on mid-century interiors. While I spend my days thinking architect-y thoughts, Elin obsesses over mid-century homes as an interior designer and I was curious how our takes might differ.

We covered everything from essential elements to keep (if you are lucky enough to have them) to the pitfalls you should avoid if you want to stay true to a mid-century aesthetic.

“Architect vs Interiors” aside, when it comes to remodeling a mid-century modern home, it’s all about balancing the timeless with the timely! Whether you’re gearing up for a restovation hoping to pack in the original charm or planning to add something fresh that still respects the era, making the right choices can be nerve wracking so having the right pros on your ReMod Squad is a must

Enter Elin Walters of Exactly Designs. As mid mod pros, Elin and I both encourage mid-century homeowners to think about the long-term when making decisions about their homes. Elin’s philosophy is that mid-century design is classic for a reason, and changes should be made with an eye toward how they will age. She believes a guide is to ask yourself, “Would the original designers think this is cool?” If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.

House Number Basics with Modern House Numbers

21 min read Today, we have a fantastic chat lined up with Brandy McLain, co-founder and one of the creative geniuses behind Modern House Numbers.

Della and Brandy McLain, founder of Modern House Numbers, are digging in to discuss all things house number. From current requirements to history, plus tons of great style tips!

If you’ve been thinking about giving your home’s exterior a fresh look, you’ll want to keep reading!

Mid-Century vs. Mid Mod with Susan Halla

19 min read When I think about perfecting an original mid-century or mid mod home by polishing and upgrading its original details, I think of Susan Halla of Make It Mid-Century.

Today, I’m thrilled to bring you my most recent conversation with Susan Halla from Make It Mid Century. Susan is an absolute treasure trove of knowledge when it comes to period-appropriate choices for your home, whether it’s mid-century modern or mid-century modest.

Mid-Century vs. Mid-Century Modern

We kick off with a bit of myth-busting around the terms “mid-century” and “mid-century modern.” Susan beautifully analogized it to the difference between a square and a rectangle: mid-century modern is mid-century, but not all mid-century is mid-century modern. Think of mid-century as the broader era, spanning roughly from 1945 to 1975, encompassing a variety of styles from faux colonial to streamlined modern. Mid-century modern, on the other hand, is a subset with its own unique flair—think clean lines, large windows, and funky rooflines.

Mid-Century Hardscapes and Feature Elements with Ginkgo Leaf Studio

24 min read Remember the delightful Jim Drzewiecki from Ginkgo Leaf Studio? We barely scratched the surface of all the listener landscaping questions we received last season. So, naturally, I had to bring him back on the podcast to continue our chat! Today, we’re diving in on hardscaping and adding feature elements to your landscape.

Hardscaping includes any solid surfaces in your yard – think patios, walkways and driveways. These elements aren’t just practical; they set the stage for the entire landscape design. While many folks think landscaping is all about plants, according to Jim it’s actually the hardscape that lays the groundwork for everything else.

How do I un flip my mid-century house?

26 min read Straight outta the DM’s “Do you have an un-flip quick start guide?” If you’re wondering what there might be to salvage about your farmhouse flipped mid-century house, the short answer is there’s plenty.

I encounter many brutal flip examples of mid-century homes through both students and clients. Kitchens that look like a Home Depot display. Vast expanses of gray LVP flooring. So many six panel doors. Like so, so many.

What do you do when someone beat you to the mid-century home of your dreams and stripped the charm right out of it? Can you ever go back? Well, sure you can. And you may even find that the flippers did you a few favors.

One of the things about a flipped house is that it becomes hard to see what is possible. And to hone in on what could change when it isn’t possible to roll the whole thing back.

In Today’s Episode You’ll Hear:

How to de-farmhouse your fireplace. (Sadly, you probably won’t be able to unpaint the brick.)
Strategies for deciding which changes to invest in undoing/redoing and which to work around.
Quick changes that will shift you homes’ feel from farmhouse flip to mid mod fab.

Do you have a spreadsheet to help me manage my remodel?

26 min read Spreadsheets are the secret ingredient that takes you from planning a remodel to project managing one. Yours should look like this:

Once you have a Master Plan, how do you get ready to work with contractors? Put another way … how do you transition from the planning phase to the doing phase of your remodel? (The secret is going to be a spreadsheet!)

For some people this means finding a trustworthy organization to handoff your entire project to and go back to your life. But what if you are planning on being a bit more hands on and self-managing? Or even planning to DIY some big chunks of your remodel?

Either way, you need a few tools to help you be the boss your remodel from the planning phase right through until the punch list.

Are skylights and light tubes too modern for a mid-century house?

30 min read Most mid-century homes are a little light on natural light in certain areas. Pun intended. If you’ve done all you can to light your home with open interior spaces and maximized window openings. Have you considered bringing in light from above?

Mid-century homes are often kind of light on daylight, so I get a lot of questions about whether skylights and light tubes are appropriate and feasible options. The short answer? Heck yeah!

Now, there are plenty of horror stories out there about leaky mid-century skylights. And those were well founded at the time. But times have CHANGED, my friends and today’s skylight and light tube options are vastly superior to their mid-century predecessors. They are very appropriate for the era and have finally reach a level of performance mid-century moderns could only dream of.

Should I replace my mid-century windows?

26 min read Replacement windows may not be any better…and are likely worse…than your home’s original windows. Learn how to tell when it’s better to keep the OG’s and how to make smart window replacement choices for your home.

Tis the season for window replacement folks to make the rounds in many mid-century neighborhoods, sharing the “good news” of vinyl replacement windows.

And for well meaning neighbor to extoll the new maintenance free replacement windows they just installed?

Plus, it’s ALWAYS the right time of year for the contractor you’re discussing your home update with to suggest that you add “replace every window” to the budget. After all … aren’t those originals (gasp) single pane glass!?!

So … should you?

Speedy Strategies to Plan a Remodel You’ll Love (in the time you have)

38 min read 30-ish minutes to learn how to plan a remodel in 30 days?

Believe it! You can check off maintenance, meet a deadline and still get a remodel that enhances your home’s MCM charm and suits your life and family!⁠⁠ Listen to my new workshop for all the speedy remodel planning skills.

How do I mix the Wright style into my ranch remodel? (Part 2)

23 min read Want to mix Wright’s style into your mid mod remodel? Focus on simple, natural materials and (of course!) the color red.

Lots of mid mod lovers are also big Frank Lloyd Wright fans. And why wouldn’t you be? In the last podcast episode we explored how Wright’s Prairie School and later Usonian homes are cool aunts and uncles to modest mid-century ranch houses.

As you plan your ranch remodel, you can absolutely dip into Wright design ideas. Your house is actually already full of them!