midcentury modern Archives - Page 8 of 10

Features of a Midwestern Ranch you should Recognize

10 min readI’m going to be talking about what I know best: the builder basic Midwestern ranch, built by the millions across the country.

Knowing the history and key features of midwestern ranch will help you make good decisions as you work on your home.

Understanding what’s unusual about some of those original features – and also the history and the reasoning behind how they were built – will help you identify what’s rare, cool, quirky, or valuable about your home. And in other cases, it will help you know when something about your home isn’t that important to its overall character and you can modify it with a clean conscience.

A Short History of Mid-Century Ranches in the Midwest

13 min readWe can all use a reminder that history comes with context — what was important and why –before we make informed choices about what we change, and what we shouldn’t.

This week, I’m digging into the history of mid-century ranches in the midwest. After all, it helps to know where we’re coming from before we plan where to go next.

Mid Mod Remodel is a Podcast!

9 min readWith a few done updates and upgrades, any builder basic ranch can become the home of your mid-century dreams.

Remodeling a ranch or other mid century home can be so rewarding but it IS a bit of a challenge. Today, I introduce Mid Mod Remodel – the podcast. We’ll uncover why MCM remodels can be an up hill slog and end with a pep talk about why I find your mid-century ranch to be so darn lovable!

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.

What even IS Mid-Century Style?

3 min readTake the Mid-Century Style Quiz to find how this BROAD design concept applies to you and to your MCM home!

Mid-century modern style is a very broad design category. The term “modern” has been applied to styles of furniture furniture, clothing, art, and architecture for more than 100 years now. “Mid-Century style literally just means style from “the middle of the century.” That’s not particularly helpful to those of us trying to nail down the style for our own purposes!

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.