renovation Archives - Page 7 of 13

An Architect’s Remodeling Regrets

< 1 min readThis week, I share some of my biggest remodeling regrets and lessons learned from my own mid-century home. Biggest take away? Make small, low-risk updates first and then be sure to create a Masterplan for a remodel you’ll love without the regret.

We all have remodeling regrets.

Yep, even mid-century loving architects like me. And some of my personal regrets helped shape the Mid-Century Masterplan method I now use to help homeowners like you. But it can feel lonely when you’ve made a choice you don’t love.

So this week I decided to get personal and share some of my biggest mistakes in my own home, hoping you’ll feel some solace if you’ve made a mistake. And if you haven’t, you can learn from mine and avoid making the same ones!

Sanity Saving Strategy to Finish a Remodel Strong

32 min readFinish a remodel strong with thoughtful final choices, course corrects when you need them, and mindset resets to help you bring your cats home…or whatever personal remodel milestone will help YOU stay positive and avoid remodel regret later on.

Are you mid-remodel right now, or maybe you’re just starting to think about one? Whether you’re already living among the dust and chaos or you’re just dreaming about your future project, it’s critical to focus on how you’ll finish your remodel strong.

This week we’re diving into the importance of your remodel mindset as you approach the final phase, making those last choices that will impact how you feel about your home for years to come.

Creating Great Mid Mod Interiors with Exactly Designs

22 min readI recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Elin Walters from Exactly Design to get her perspective on mid-century interiors. While I spend my days thinking architect-y thoughts, Elin obsesses over mid-century homes as an interior designer and I was curious how our takes might differ.

We covered everything from essential elements to keep (if you are lucky enough to have them) to the pitfalls you should avoid if you want to stay true to a mid-century aesthetic.

“Architect vs Interiors” aside, when it comes to remodeling a mid-century modern home, it’s all about balancing the timeless with the timely! Whether you’re gearing up for a restovation hoping to pack in the original charm or planning to add something fresh that still respects the era, making the right choices can be nerve wracking so having the right pros on your ReMod Squad is a must

Enter Elin Walters of Exactly Designs. As mid mod pros, Elin and I both encourage mid-century homeowners to think about the long-term when making decisions about their homes. Elin’s philosophy is that mid-century design is classic for a reason, and changes should be made with an eye toward how they will age. She believes a guide is to ask yourself, “Would the original designers think this is cool?” If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.

Mid-Century vs. Mid Mod with Susan Halla

19 min readWhen I think about perfecting an original mid-century or mid mod home by polishing and upgrading its original details, I think of Susan Halla of Make It Mid-Century.

Today, I’m thrilled to bring you my most recent conversation with Susan Halla from Make It Mid Century. Susan is an absolute treasure trove of knowledge when it comes to period-appropriate choices for your home, whether it’s mid-century modern or mid-century modest.

Mid-Century vs. Mid-Century Modern

We kick off with a bit of myth-busting around the terms “mid-century” and “mid-century modern.” Susan beautifully analogized it to the difference between a square and a rectangle: mid-century modern is mid-century, but not all mid-century is mid-century modern. Think of mid-century as the broader era, spanning roughly from 1945 to 1975, encompassing a variety of styles from faux colonial to streamlined modern. Mid-century modern, on the other hand, is a subset with its own unique flair—think clean lines, large windows, and funky rooflines.

Unicorn Houses and Tight MCM Markets with Adrian Kinney

19 min readIn our latest podcast episode, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with the amazing Adrian Kinney. Adrian has joined me on the pod before. He’s a realtor, mid-century modern (MCM) guru and heads up Mid Mod Colorado. Listen for his insights into what makes mcm homes so special and how to navigate today’s tricky market to find a mid-century gem.

We kicked things off by talking about how Adrian defines his ultimate mcm home—the elusive “unicorn.” For Adrian, the unicorn is an untouched mid-century time capsule that’s stayed true to its origins. A house where every detail, from the kitchen cabinets to the bathroom tiles remains from the 1950s or 60s.

While I share Adrian’s passion for these vintage beauties, I also love rolling up my sleeves and blending the old with the new. We discussed how to go about creating spaces that honor their mid-century roots and keep their retro charm alive while making the home work for modern life.

An Architect Chat – The secret to planning your Dream Remodel

27 min readWhen you find yourself in a remodeling time crunch, the most frequently skipped step in the process is actually the most essential part of any well planned and executed remodel.

Planning your dream remodel takes time. It takes introspection, at least. There’s no getting around that. But often, time is exactly what you don’t have. Life happens. You might need to move or have sudden changes in your family’s scope and scale. You might have an opportunity to take advantage of that requires fast action.

When you’re in a hurry, do you sometimes skip important steps?

Same!

So … when you find yourself in a remodeling time crunch, watch out for THIS! Because the most frequently skipped step in the planning process is actually the most essential part of any well planned and executed remodel.

How do I un flip my mid-century house?

26 min readStraight outta the DM’s “Do you have an un-flip quick start guide?” If you’re wondering what there might be to salvage about your farmhouse flipped mid-century house, the short answer is there’s plenty.

I encounter many brutal flip examples of mid-century homes through both students and clients. Kitchens that look like a Home Depot display. Vast expanses of gray LVP flooring. So many six panel doors. Like so, so many.

What do you do when someone beat you to the mid-century home of your dreams and stripped the charm right out of it? Can you ever go back? Well, sure you can. And you may even find that the flippers did you a few favors.

One of the things about a flipped house is that it becomes hard to see what is possible. And to hone in on what could change when it isn’t possible to roll the whole thing back.

In Today’s Episode You’ll Hear:

How to de-farmhouse your fireplace. (Sadly, you probably won’t be able to unpaint the brick.)
Strategies for deciding which changes to invest in undoing/redoing and which to work around.
Quick changes that will shift you homes’ feel from farmhouse flip to mid mod fab.

Do you have a spreadsheet to help me manage my remodel?

26 min readSpreadsheets are the secret ingredient that takes you from planning a remodel to project managing one. Yours should look like this:

Once you have a Master Plan, how do you get ready to work with contractors? Put another way … how do you transition from the planning phase to the doing phase of your remodel? (The secret is going to be a spreadsheet!)

For some people this means finding a trustworthy organization to handoff your entire project to and go back to your life. But what if you are planning on being a bit more hands on and self-managing? Or even planning to DIY some big chunks of your remodel?

Either way, you need a few tools to help you be the boss your remodel from the planning phase right through until the punch list.

Are skylights and light tubes too modern for a mid-century house?

30 min readMost mid-century homes are a little light on natural light in certain areas. Pun intended. If you’ve done all you can to light your home with open interior spaces and maximized window openings. Have you considered bringing in light from above?

Mid-century homes are often kind of light on daylight, so I get a lot of questions about whether skylights and light tubes are appropriate and feasible options. The short answer? Heck yeah!

Now, there are plenty of horror stories out there about leaky mid-century skylights. And those were well founded at the time. But times have CHANGED, my friends and today’s skylight and light tube options are vastly superior to their mid-century predecessors. They are very appropriate for the era and have finally reach a level of performance mid-century moderns could only dream of.

Should I replace my mid-century windows?

26 min readReplacement windows may not be any better…and are likely worse…than your home’s original windows. Learn how to tell when it’s better to keep the OG’s and how to make smart window replacement choices for your home.

Tis the season for window replacement folks to make the rounds in many mid-century neighborhoods, sharing the “good news” of vinyl replacement windows.

And for well meaning neighbor to extoll the new maintenance free replacement windows they just installed?

Plus, it’s ALWAYS the right time of year for the contractor you’re discussing your home update with to suggest that you add “replace every window” to the budget. After all … aren’t those originals (gasp) single pane glass!?!

So … should you?