mid-century Archives - Page 5 of 14

Loving Your Home is the Real Remodel ROI (with Adrian Kinney)

38 min readAdrian Kinney is back to talk all my latest obsessions – housing history, passive solar and planning YOUR perfect home for a grea remodel ROI. Adrian has joined me on the pod before. He’s a realtor, mid-century modern (MCM) guru and heads up Mid Mod Colorado.

I can pretty much talk all day with any number of my mid mod friends. And Adrian Kinney is definitely in that number! He’s a realtor, mid-century modern (MCM) guru and owns Mid Mod Colorado. Here’s one thing we agree on today: loving your home is a huge part of your real remodel ROI.

Public Housing and Our Mid-Century Homes

Your mid-century house, and mine – just like 13 million solid ranches, tidy Levit cottages and charming post and beam homes built across the US between 1945 and 65 – might not strike you as “public housing.” But they ARE our country’s solution to a housing crisis.

You may be aware we’re having another housing crisis right now. But so far … we do not have another big solution.

Keep your mid-century house cool with passive solar

40 min readPassive solar design has been around since forever. It just means that a builder makes siting and design choices that use the sun and shade to keep a building warm or cool.

Your mid-century house might be blessed with a great passive solar design or it might have a wall glass facing full west. If you know, you know!

For anyone in the later situation you may be looking for some mcm appropriate ways to shade your over-sunny living room in the evenings or to let a little more light into a shade-locked space! With a smart remodel, you can!

If you can set up your remodel plans to IMPROVE the passive solar potential of your home while also jazzing up it’s looks and streamlining the flow … you’ve got a win win win!

Mid Mod Design Details with Aletha VanderMaas

38 min readI finally met Aletha VanderMaas, of True Home Restorations! Aletha is a talented designer and one of the OG tastemakers of mid-century Instagram.

Do you remember the first person you encountered who validated that your mid-century house was great and that you should LEAN INTO its charm when updating it to suit your own life?

That’s such a magical feeling. To realize that you’re not alone in wanting to steer clear of the HGTV “paint it white” world. Today I want to introduce you to one of MY OWN first sources of great Mid Mod inspiration.: Aletha VanderMaas

How to Choose Window Treatments for Your Mid-Century Home

34 min readChoosing window treatments for your mid-century home can be a challenge. The good news is, when it comes to window coverings less is (usually) more. Let’s narrow down your options!

The window treatments you choose to cover up your windows will have a big impact on the overall aesthetic of your home, inside and out, actually. This is true if you live in a magazine spread worthy post and beam home or a simple builder-basic ranch house.

So … what are the right window treatments for a mid-century home? And why are they either: floor to ceiling, pinch pleat curtains or modern up down, insulating shades.

There’s more to it than that, obviously. But let’s talk …

Expand your MCM house with an Outdoor Room

37 min readOutdoor rooms are spaces around your house where you could be extending your enjoyable living areas, sometimes with just a few simple tweaks.

With spring around the corner, it might be time to spend a little more time in- and on – your yard. Let’s make it COUNT! You can easily feed two (or more) birds with one scone when you create an outdoor room – a space designed to expand your living area without necessarily adding any more solid wall or roof!

Make an outside space you want to spend time in that ALSO fixes design or lifestyle challenges you’ve been having in other spaces. Done right, an upgrade to your yard can be an upgrade to your house, too!

Mid-Century Furniture you can aspire to

What makes mid-century furniture so great, and what pieces of mid-century furniture – specifically – might you want to hunt down for your house? Let’s talk about finding the perfect vintage item, saving up for the perfect iconic chair, and when you just want to go “mid-century” instead of mid-century.

Getting to a Plan for Your Remodel

29 min readA clear plan for your remodel is the key to avoiding stress, staying on budget, and making sure your mid-century home updates improve your daily life.

You’ve been dreaming about updating your mid-century home. But you feel overwhelmed about where to start. Let’s explore how to create a clear plan for your remodel—one that helps you move forward with confidence, avoid costly mistakes, and makes your home work better for you.

What you DON’T need to get to a plan

The best part? You don’t need a 50-page architectural set of blueprints and specifications to make a successful change to your home.

What you do need …

Plan a happy remodel! Match your expectations to your energy.

23 min readThis year, I’m going to encourage you to focus on starting where you are, setting realistic goals, and making progress at your own pace.

Welcome to 2025 and a fresh start for planning your mid-century remodel! Let’s agree to make this year all about matching your energy to your expectations.

This year, I’m going to encourage you to focus on starting where you are, setting realistic goals, and making progress at your own pace.

You’re probably asking, “Della, where is all this tempered enthusiasm coming from?” And given my usual levels of untempered enthusiasm for remodeling, that is a reasonable question. Thanks for asking.

Remodeling Cost Mindset Reset

28 min readLet’s reframe the four financial fallacies that hold most people back from kicking off their remodeling plans.

If you’ve been holding off on home updates because of worries about the remodeling cost, I’m here to shift your mindset.

Let’s tackle the most common budget myths that might be holding you back, and talk about how you can plan a remodel you’ll love with the budget you have.

Any remodeling project comes with costs. And it is often expensive. But often what holds would-be remodelers back are the stories we tell ourselves about money.

Through my conversations with clients and students, I’ve come to believe there are four common financial fallacies that stop people from improving their homes.