update Archives - MidMod Midwest

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 …

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.

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.

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?

How do I mix the Wright style into my ranch remodel? (Part 2)

23 min readWant to mix Wright’s style into your mid mod remodel? Focus on simple, natural materials and (of course!) the color red.

Lots of mid mod lovers are also big Frank Lloyd Wright fans. And why wouldn’t you be? In the last podcast episode we explored how Wright’s Prairie School and later Usonian homes are cool aunts and uncles to modest mid-century ranch houses.

As you plan your ranch remodel, you can absolutely dip into Wright design ideas. Your house is actually already full of them!

How to plan a Mid-century landscape…is that a thing?

42 min readLet’s talk mid-century landscaping with a certified expert – Jim Drzewiecki of Ginkgo Leaf Studio.

I get asked about the right landscape design for a mid-century a lot.

And, while I do design outdoor “rooms” and have a landscape at my own house, I am far from the expert on designing beautiful gardens. Seriously…I only just succeeded in not killing (most of) my houseplants in the last couple of years.

So to tackle all your landscaping questions I called up a landscaping expert.

A chat with an MCM Landscape specialist

And big giant bonus? An expert who specializes in design for mid-century homes. Jim Drzewiecki, APLD, award-winning principal designer, is the founder and owner of Ginkgo Leaf Studio where he and Hannah Paulson design beautiful landscapes for all kind of homes.

Here’s the secret to a great mcm landscape

Long story short: The best way to design a landscape to fit your mid-century house is to … listen to the house! Jim so good at doing just that. He’s interested in the shapes and materials on a good MCM house. And not locked into (probably) overgrown and (almost certainly) DIYed plant placements from decades of yore.