midmod Archives - MidMod Midwest

MCM “Home of the Future” to Modern Smart Home

27 min readThe mid-century was THE era of techno optimism. From smart tech decisions to celebrating the joy (and pitfalls) of color-matched appliances, let’s both embrace the future and stay true to your home’s mid-century-ness.

Mid-century homes always aspired to be on the cutting edge of innovation. Ads of that era advertised the “home of the future” and “the kitchen of tomorrow”, but today all of that future tech is … out of date. Today’s smart home technology offers exciting ways to modernize. But not every gadget is a good fit for your home—or your lifestyle. So, how do you decide which updates are worth the investment and which might age out faster than avocado green appliances?

Your mileage may vary: Are you a restored Hi-Fi and record cabinet person or do you yearn for an ever more interconnected smart sound system. One way or another, use these tips to make the right choices for your home and yourself:

Adding Insulation to Your Mid-Century House

27 min readIs your house too chilly in winter or too toasty in summer? Let’s explore improving your home’s energy efficiency, without compromising its mid-century charm, by adding insulation.

Mid-century homes weren’t built with modern insulation standards in mind. Many of our homes leak heat in cold climates or let in too much warmth in hot ones.

The good news is that these homes often have excellent air seals thanks to plaster walls and old-growth materials, which provide a solid foundation for energy improvements.

Easy Wins for Cozy Living

If you’re looking to make your home more comfortable without a major remodel, start with the low-hanging fruit:

Attic Insulation: One of the simplest ways to improve energy efficiency.
Basement Sealing: Insulating rim joists can make a big difference with minimal effort.
Air Sealing: Check around windows, doors, and outlets to prevent drafts.

These are straightforward projects that you can tackle yourself or with professional help.

Trends are not your friend, Mid Mod lover.

22 min readWhy avoid trends in remodeling? Because your taste and your home’s history matter more than what is current.

When it comes to updating and upgrading a mid-century home … trends are not your friend. You know this already. But the pressure to make the same choice as everyone else is SO STRONG. “What about the re-sale value?,” your well meaning advisors will anxiously wonder. But in reality, a timeless choice will always work better than a trendy one!

Here’s the most basic truth: Trendy =/= Timeless. And you don’t want to put all your energy, money and time into a remodel with an expiration date!

Mid-Century Design Cornerstones: Asymmetry

15 min readAsymmetry is one of the cornerstones of mid mod design. Learn how to use these cornerstones to keep the mid mod in your mid-century remodel.

Asymmetry, in a nutshell, is all about balance rather than matching.

Mid-century houses show off their design chops – their jauntiness their specialness – with well balanced asymmetry. And even a basic mid-century builder-grade ranch like the one I live in can still have fun design features that come from the way its spaces are organized horizontally and asymmetrically

Common Household Hazards -Asbestos, Radon and Mold…Oh My!

22 min readI recently made a deep dive into risks related to lead lurking in your mid-century home and talked a bit about vile VOC’s off-gassing into the air. This week I’m exploring other common hazards that you may come across in your mid century home.

Let’s explore some common hazards that you may come across in your mid century home. This is part two of a series. To learn more about lead and VOCs in your paint … check out this post. Here we are going to discuss the asbestos, radon, and mold you might find lurking around your home! Plus, what to do next if you find some!

Like lead and VOC’s, these materials aren’t specific to mid-century homes. They may be present in modern homes and in homes built before the mid-century, so this info is actually important for anyone taking on a home remodel! Let’s get into it!

Asbestos in MCM homes

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that occurs in rock and soil. It’s got some good properties. It’s a good insulator and it’s fire resistant.

It also has the potential to release fibers that can increase your risk of lung disease or cancer.

Unfortunately, back in the mid-century era, people were far more aware of the former the good qualities than the latter. And they used asbestos in a bunch of places around their spiffy new homes.

The How and Why of (This) Residential Architect

16 min readA residential architect’s skill in design and creativity has the power to take a few remodeling dollars farther.

Did you know that average cost to hire a residential architect to design a remodel is $47,000.

Isn’t that crazy?

That’s more than most people want to spend ON their remodel!

And that’s why architecture in this country is generally for the one percent. I used to work on projects with price tags just like that and … now I don’t.

I’ve got a good reason for that …

What Happens After the Master Plan?

21 min readWe created the Mid-Century Master Plan Package to get you from “I want to remodel” to “let’s call up contractors.” But what if you have a question after the master plan? Here’s how that works.

Our mid-century Master Plan package helps you bridge that crucial gap between, “hey, I think I want to remodel, what do I do next?” and confident calls to contractors to get quotes and start scheduling.

Our master plan process includes a clear scope of work for a fixed fee, so you don’t have to worry about hidden costs or how many hours it takes or what you’ll get out of it.

In a lot of cases, a master plan is all that’s needed to connect with a competent contractor, share your vision and make your remodel happen. But sometimes, folks need a little something more.

If you think a master plan is for you, the first step is to reach out to us! We have form on our website with a few short questions about your project and what kind of design help you need. Once we get your form, we’ll meet for a quick chat about your project to make sure we’re a fit.

Then we dig right in!

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!

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!