home improvement Archives - Page 10 of 12

Keep Your Remodel Out of the Landfill

19 min readHow can you plan an upgrade for your house that will keep it out of the landfill for as long as possible? I’m so glad you asked!

Do you ever think of your home as destined for the landfill?

This is dark, I know. But all things are…eventually. Every part and piece of your home has a useful life, a finite number of years to serve as a dwelling.

Sure, some buildings have lasted for ages and across the globe there are numerous examples of structures standing the test of time. These structures are often constructed of naturally occurring local materials and designed to function well in their climate without too much mechanical intervention.

Buildings are where humans spend the vast majority of our time and are, rightly, a place we invest an incredible amount of resources. And so it makes sense to help each building out of the landfill for as long as we can. At least, that’s what I believe and that’s one of my primary goals for Mid Mod Midwest. Some days I think of my job mostly as postponing each mid-century home’s trip to the dump for as long as I can.

Remodels By, For and With Women

How did I become so invested in empowering women to be strong leaders in their own home improvement projects?

As a young female architect, I’ve faced skepticism and dismissal from male colleagues and contractors throughout my career. But over many years and many projects I’ve learned to push back confidently and achieve the results I believe in. Not everyone has the luxury of building this confidence over time, especially women homeowners who may only go through one or two remodels in their lifetime.

Better Remodels (For Everyone) with a Master Plan

I created the Master Plan method as a direct response to my experience in residential architecture.

How to actually enjoy your remodel

15 min readYou can enjoy every phase of your remodel, from planning to leading to living in your finished home!

I bet you can’t wait to enjoy your remodel … being done. You’re set to tuck into your new banquette with your morning coffee or to slip into your Onsen tub and be so HAPPY that it’s all done.

But I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to wait until everything is finished to enjoy your remodel. You can enjoy every phase of your remodel, from planning to leading to living in your finished home!

I know we frequently hear how stressful remodeling is and all the challenges homeowners face along the way. The process of remodeling is often viewed as something to slog through on your way to the the prize.

And, sure, remodels can be like that.

Build that guest room in your basement

19 min readYou may have a remodeling secret weapon beneath your mid-century home…your basement!

Basements are the best. Bonus space for creating cozy guest suites, great game rooms or awesome home offices without the expense of an addition right under your feet. So, if you’re lucky enough to have a basement go ahead and make the most of it!

And (of course) I can help. I get to explore options for mid-century basements all time as part of the design process. When design clients are hoping to accommodate occasional visitors, create an income suite, deck out a retro den or create a great teen space the basement is the first place to search for space.

How to make your remodel more expensive (or cheaper)

Are you hoping to make your remodel more expensive? I bet you aren’t.

But so.many.people make the same remodel planning mistakes that are pretty much guaranteed to make your remodel more expensive than it needs to be! Plus they won’t add any value to the remodeling process, the life you’ll lead in the house when it’s done, or how much you like the look of your finished project.

Now, I can’t tell exactly what your remodel plans will cost or how to plan the idealized, cheapest best project.

Many of the choices you can make that will add or reduce your costs depend on more than one factor in your life.

How to measure your house

20 min readMid-century homes aren’t just livable, cute and in style right now. They were actually built in a way that is easier to document, measure and understand. Which means measuring for any remodeling project is (almost) a breeze for a remote design team like Mid Mod Midwest or a homeowner like you!

Before you can come up with an amazing plan to update your mid-century home, you need to know where are you starting from. Today you are going to learn how to measure what you’ve got, so you can start the process of transforming your home to fit your life.

Old school measuring techniques like graph paper and measuring tapes may be the perfect fit for you and your project! If you’re more tech savvy, you can use a tablet to document your house…or a home scanning app might be just the ticket for you.

As you probably know by now, the masterplan method begins with three key elements pre design phase. You need to dream about what you want your life to be in your new home. You need to discover what’s up with the house you’ve got right now. And then you need to distill your personal mid-century style.

So, what’s the best way to measure your house?

Mid-Century Bath Design Basics

21 min readMake the most of your bathroom remodel with these essential mid-century bath design concepts. Get just the mcm style you’re going for, whether you are upgrading, backdating or starting from scratch.

Most mid-century bathrooms are pretty modest by modern standards. They tend to be small and there often are too few of them in the house. Upgrading or restoring the mid-century charm in a bathroom while making it work better is one of the most consistent requests from both design clients and Ready to Remodel students.

So, how can you give yourself a serious bathroom upgrade while remaining true to the mcm feel of you home? The right choices for you are going to depend on your family and your taste and the home you’re working with.

The Owners’ Suite: A Brief History and Foolproof Advice

19 min readAn owners’ suite has become a must have in modern homes, but less than a generation ago almost half of homes were still without indoor plumbing. So how did our bathroom expectations change so drastically in such a short time? And more importantly, how the heck do you fit an owners’ suite into a modest mid-century ranch?

Does the primary bed/bed configuration – the owners’ suite – in your mid-century home leave a lot to be desired? Maybe you a have a glorified powder bath tucked in next to your bedroom through a pocket door. Perhaps your ranch has one bath for you, the family, and any dinner guests who use the main floor!

If you wish for a little more from your bed and bath configuration … You’re not alone!!

The Power of Sketches

22 min readSketching is the most important visual thinking tool you can use to plan your remodel. Sketches help you generate ideas quickly, explore alternatives without risk and avoid getting bogged down in the details too soon. And YOU CAN sketch…even if you have kindergarten-level drawing skills.

Sketching is the most important visual thinking tool you can use to plan your remodel. Sketches help you generate ideas quickly, explore alternatives without risk and avoid getting bogged down in the details too soon. And YOU CAN Sketch…even if you have kindergarten-level drawing skills.

Now when you think about a drawing that’s related to your remodel plan you are probably thinking of a blueprint. If you are, there are two things you need to know. One, blueprints haven’t been blue since, oh, before I went to design school. And two, they are the least interesting drawings in your remodel.

They also take months, years or even decades to complete depending on the complexity of the project. A sketch can be done in moments. It’s simple and yet surprisingly effective and evocative.

And here’s why. It’s not just less, it’s centralized. It shows the details that matter and only the details that matter. A sketch is precise to the level that you create it with no expectation of accuracy. It allows us to talk about the shapes and forms of things, the overall relation of length and width.

Ready to Remodel Student Stories

36 min readCan’t get enough mid-century house talk? Listen in on updates from recent Ready to Remodel students.

I LOVE updates from our homeowners, both design clients and Ready to Remodel students!

Photos in the Facebook group are great. Emails with project pictures? A delight!

I bet YOU like to peek inside other people’s remodeling process, too!

This is one of my favorite parts of setting up a strong Mid Mod ReMod Squad – you get to hear all about everyone else’s projects.

Their wins can feel like your wins.

Their challenges make yours feel a little easier.

And their advice can prove INVALUABLE as you work to avoid remodeling regret for your own home.

So, I’ve borrowed a little Mid Mod ReMod Squad energy to share with you today.