the midcentury ranch for a new generation
33 min readThe good news? Your home is currently grandfathered into every code statute written and approved after the day it was built.
Let’s get the scary part out of the way first. Your mid-century house, the one you love for its charm and quirks, does not comply with the modern building code.
That’s ok for now. No one is going to knock on your door tomorrow demanding you rewire every outlet in the house.
Continue reading “Your mid-century house is not up to code”31 min readI’m taking July off from recording the podcast this summer but that doesn’t mean YOU have to. In fact, I’m actually pretty excited about what I’ve got planned for you. I took a dip through our deep archives (did you know we have over 250 episodes recorded) and pulled together some throwback episodes that have great content but may be SO FAR BACK in your podcast feed that you’re unlikely ever to hit them. For these four weeks I’ve chosen some fun episode pairings from the past that will take us on a little spin through the master plan method. So sit back and relax and get read to get inspired to do little more for your home and for yourself.
Creating a great vision for your remodel is the goal of everything I do for my clients and with my students. But it actually will only take a mid-century remodel so far.
If that vision lives only in my mind, I can’t share it with my clients.
If that vision only exists in your head, you can share it with anyone who’ll be helping you make your remodel a reality.
So clearly documenting what you’ve designed is a key element to bringing a remodel to fruition.
I could have called the last stage of the master plan method Document. But I didn’t. I called it Develop.
Continue reading “Let’s Review: You’re not done DEVELOPing a master plan till the house is done.”44 min readIs your house a (mostly) mid-century gem? The “mostly” means that your house that has some really great, intact mid-century features…and then an area or two where a maintenance failure or unfortunate remodel has wreaked havoc on the charm.
Is your house a mostly mid-century gem?
And by “mostly” I mean that your house that has some really great, intact MCM features … but there’s a room or three where someone made a few bad calls. Now you’re left holding the bag on a sweet place with a super tired kitchen, a really strange bathroom or even a structural issue created by the previous owners.
I see houses like this all the time!
Full of wonderful, intact details set against the backdrop of an over large kitchen or unfortunate addition. And the good news is they are perfectly suited to the master plan process.
While I love working on everything from grandparent time capsule houses to places that have experienced a brutal flip and need to be entirely hauled back from the brink … the (mostly) charming house is one of our most common projects.
Today, lets take a spin through three recent Mid Mod Midwest master plan projects. I’ll share some fun history, common design challenges and my favorite approaches to upgrading mid-century homes that are in (mostly) great shape. With a big focus on putting back the appropriate mid-century materials in those not-so-great spots.
22 min readHow can a master plan help you feel ready to remodel?
A Master Plan means you have, well…a plan. It helps you have the right master plan vibes to move your remodel forward.
Too many people trip on the fallacy that they have to choose a perfect planning process or just “skip” right to the building part. There’s a middle ground.
Any time you spend on Mid-Century Master Plan thinking will set you up for more success. And a master plan doesn’t have to be a perfect object to be successful. In fact … perfectionism might be the problem.
Continue reading “Get Those Good Master Plan Vibes”17 min readHow do you get your remodel on track once it feels off?
Do you have a sneaking suspicion that you need to get your remodel on track?
You’ve been daydreaming about your perfect mid-century remodel for months (years?), but somehow reality just hasn’t caught up to your Pinterest board.
Sometimes it can feel like your remodel planning has gone completely off the rails. Or at least dropped off your radar.
Fear not, my friend, because you are not behind in your home improvement plans. Your remodel is on track. I repeat, you are not behind. You are doing great! I’m going to prove it to you!
Continue reading “Get Your Remodel on Track”16 min readHow is a remodel like a vacation? Well, if you’ve ever planned a vacation that was truly perfect for you, then you already know how to plan your remodel.
I’m often asked, “What does it cost to remodel a kitchen right now?”
Wow! That depends on so many factors.
I might as well ask you, “What does it cost to go on vacation?”
Well, you might tell me that depends. Are you planning a sort of staycation to visit a few museums from an Airbnb in a nearby city? Or are you backpacking across South America? Or touring the luxe cities of the Mediterranean? Is it a package cruise or a DIY adventure?
There are as many types of home remodels, as there are different ways to travel away from home!
Continue reading “Plan your remodel like your last perfect vacation.”13 min readNext year … try going easier on yourself so that you can actually make some remodel progress. Counter intuitive, I know. But it just might work!
Find a new, kinder and easier remodel philosophy in 2023. One that understands perfectionism is a perfect way to prevent yourself from making remodel progress. Real talk folks…it’s more important to begin than to do it perfectly.
Today’s episode is an end-of-year pep talk about setting yourself up for success with reasonable and realistic expectations for yourself around remodel planning.
Continue reading “New Year, New Remodel Philosophy”14 min readIn just one hour you really can make big or small decisions that put your remodel on the path for success.
In just one hour you really can make big or small decisions that put your remodel on the path for success.
Taking a whole remodel from start to finish is a big undertaking. Just planning to start your remodel sometimes feels like it’s taking forever…and it really can be a black hole that seems to absorb as much time and energy as you have to put into it. However, it is possible to set yourself up for bursts of decision-making that shift the momentum in your process.
Taking time to mull has its value. Doing your research is important. BUT, if you’re feeling stuck in analysis paralysis, today’s episode is for you. It’s all about what you can decide for your remodel in an hour.
Continue reading “What You Can Decide in an Hour”
