the midcentury ranch for a new generation
32 min readI’m taking July off from recording the podcast this summer but that doesn’t mean YOU have to.
Instead, I’ve rounded up the BEST of our back catalog to take you on a journey through Master Planning your remodel. Let’s start with Dreaming … the right way!
Julie Andrews said it best – the very beginning; a very good place to start.
In fact, if you start your remodel planning anywhere other than HERE it will take longer, feel more chaotic, be more stressful and likely end up more expensive.
And for us, the ABC or do-rey-me of a remodel is you. Your own life. Your family. The way you want to feel at home.
Continue reading “Let’s Review : Dream the right way for a great master plan”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.
44 min readSusan Halla, founder of Make It Mid-Century and mid-century enthusiast, joins me this week to dish about her own recent house hunt.
If anyone knows what they’re looking for in a mid-century home, it’s Susan Halla. She has spent the last decade making retro-focused DIY doable for mid-century lovers of all stripes.
When she had to move, she knew she needed another perfect mid-century house to make her home. And she’s just completed a multi-city search that was laser focused on finding a relatively untouched, not too high end mid-century home.
Continue reading “Finding the right mid-century home for you with Susan Halla”To make timeless choices right for you and your house when you replace mid-century kitchen cabinet s you’ll need to choose correctly for your home and your mid-century style.
Choose right and you’ll end up with remodel that will have people wondering which parts are original, which are new, and which are a really slammin 60’s tweak to the house.
Make the WRONG choice or choices and everyone who ever walks into your kitchen will instantly know the year you updated from now until it all ends up in a dumpster to make way for the next new trend.
Trendy choices in mid-century homes always age like milk.
Continue reading “The five mid-century kitchen cabinet questions you need to answer.”Your mid-century house, and mine – just like 13 million solid ranches, tidy Levit cottages and charming post and beam homes built across the US between 1945 and 65 – might not strike you as “public housing.” But they ARE our country’s solution to a housing crisis.
You may be aware we’re having another housing crisis right now. But so far … we do not have another big solution.
Continue reading “Public Housing and Our Mid-Century Homes”40 min readPassive solar design has been around since forever. It just means that a builder makes siting and design choices that use the sun and shade to keep a building warm or cool.
Your mid-century house might be blessed with a great passive solar design or it might have a wall glass facing full west. If you know, you know!
For anyone in the later situation you may be looking for some mcm appropriate ways to shade your over-sunny living room in the evenings or to let a little more light into a shade-locked space! With a smart remodel, you can!
If you can set up your remodel plans to IMPROVE the passive solar potential of your home while also jazzing up it’s looks and streamlining the flow … you’ve got a win win win!
Continue reading “Keep your mid-century house cool with passive solar”38 min readI finally met Aletha VanderMaas, of True Home Restorations! Aletha is a talented designer and one of the OG tastemakers of mid-century Instagram.
Do you remember the first person you encountered who validated that your mid-century house was great and that you should LEAN INTO its charm when updating it to suit your own life?
That’s such a magical feeling. To realize that you’re not alone in wanting to steer clear of the HGTV “paint it white” world. Today I want to introduce you to one of MY OWN first sources of great Mid Mod inspiration.: Aletha VanderMaas
Continue reading “Mid Mod Design Details with Aletha VanderMaas”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 …
Continue reading “How to Choose Window Treatments for Your Mid-Century Home”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.
Continue reading “Mid-Century Furniture you can aspire to”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.
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 …
Continue reading “Getting to a Plan for Your Remodel”
