Mid Mod Remodel

Mid Mod Midwest is hiring a designer. We're looking for a creative, practical, and mcm-obsessed architect or architectural designer to join Mid Mod Midwest as we grow.  This is an asynchronous, fully remote, part time (to potentially future full time) position, perfect for someone who wants more flexibility than a traditional firm can offer but wants to leave their (Mid-Century Style) mark on...

Let's wrap up the bathroom season with all my best advice! In today’s episode you’ll hear: Where to find all my best bathroom related content.  Which questions to answer before you begin a bath remodel.  The three reasons to remodel a bathroom.  Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/2 50 7 Like and subscribe at Apple | Spotify   Want us to create you...

Mid-Century bathrooms are pretty dramatic. They are complicated spaces with bunch needs jammed into a very small footprint. A bathroom has to have storage, work surfaces, multiple plumbing fixtures, a variety of lighting…and it all has to look beautiful. PLUS it has house all of that in a space with fluctuating levels of humidity and temperature changes. Today I’m pulling back the curtain on how t...

So, how many bathrooms does your mid-century house really need? Let’s start with some history. (You knew that was coming, didn’t you?) In today’s episode you’ll hear: When did indoor bathrooms become a thing? How did we get to SO MANY BATHROOMS in new homes?  Why mid-century houses are a perfect for a “less is more” bathroom philosophy.  Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://ww...

Even if you are currently a hale and hearty person with zero mobility issues, planning for universal functionality in your bathroom is a massive win. Anyone can break a bone and age is coming for all of us.  Unfortunately, when most of us dream about updating a mid-century bathroom, we jump straight to gorgeous tile, sleek lighting, and the ultimate vintage aesthetic. And accessibility or other co...

Sometimes people yelling "DO NOT ruin that vintage bathroom" at you on the internet brings a smile to your face. Especially if, like Dana and Colin of un.flipping, you just finished remodeling that bathroom.  Listen in today for all the details on how they unflipped their teeny, tiny en suite and replaced it with a woodsy Usonian dream bath.  In today’s episode you’ll hear: How to unlock...

Even those of us who are now professional mid-century designers have skeletons in our closets (and in my case, basements). My fellow designer, Aletha Van der Mass of True Home Restorations, and I have both walked the design regret path.  And now we both spend our time helping others avoid making the same mistakes.  So today, in the interest of community (and laughter through tears) we are both sha...

Welcome to Season 25…all about bathrooms! If you’re craving a tactical, "do-this-then-that" checklist, hold tight. We’ll get there. But before I talk about materials, layouts, or fixtures, I want to start with something more fundamental. Philosophy.  Today I’m challenging you to stop asking how and start asking why. In today’s episode you’ll hear: Why asking the right questions about you...

Any Pinterest or web search on “mid-century kitchen” is going to yield a plethora of open plan kitchens featuring a central island. But as we learned a couple of weeks ago from friend of the pod (and mid-century houses everywhere), Atom Stevens, a mid-century kitchen is a room with four walls. So where did this “open mid-century kitchen” myth come from? I’m wrapping up our kitchen season with a de...

Do you ever find yourself wishing that someone would just tell you the right choice for every finish in your remodel? Between the tile, the fixtures, and the endless cabinet options, the sheer volume of decisions is EXHAUSTING. I tell my clients that there isn't one "right" answer. I tell my students that there isn’t one “right answer.  Because your perfect mid-century update depend...

Does your garbage disposal give you a thrill? Maybe you take it for granted. But you know who did not? The folks writing ad copy to sell our grandparents their new build mid-century homes. That's just one weird, wonderful detail that came up in my kitchen conversation with Atom Stevens.  Atom is a Mid Mod Remodel regular and real estate agent who specializes in mid-century and modern homes in...

What’s a mid mod remodeler with a small kitchen to do? If you’re living in a home built in the early part of the era—or even a more "generous" late-60s ranch—you’ve likely realized that mid-century kitchens were designed for a different way of living.  But you don't always have to knock down walls or build a massive addition to find relief. In Today's Episode You'll Hear:...

Join me on a journey through kitchen trend trends over the last 30 years, from the classic maximalist Nancy Meyers kitchen of yesteryear to the sleek, modern minimalism of today’s invisible kitchen.  In Today's Episode You'll Hear: Which kitchen trends we’re seeing right now.   What pop culture kitchen are saying about culture.  How (or if) trends might fit into your mid-century kitchen....

Kitchen design is a hands-on endeavor.  That's why my friend mid-century Kitchen Designer Aletha VanderMaas takes every one of her clients on a field trip as part of her design process. And while my virtual process doesn't allow for IRL shopping trips, I encourage every client to collect physical samples and "meet" their finishes before choosing them.  In Today's Episode Y...

Do you need a better kitchen work triangle? Maybe…or maybe it's completely wrong for you and already the cause of your problems. In Today's Episode You'll Hear: How the kitchen work triangle became a thing.  Why it could be the source of your kitchen flow woes.  When a traditional kitchen work triangle might just solve your problems.  Get the full show notes with all the trimmings a...

Spring is officially here, so you should be getting outside and right down to it with some yard tune ups!  Or, no, maybe you should not?  Jim Drzewiecki of Ginkgo Leaf Studio is going to walk us through what should happen when for a Midwestern landscape. And this news, as always, is what I can personally use. In Today's Episode You'll Hear: Why you should let nature guide your spring gar...

If you adore the yards that get featured on the cover of atomic Ranch, but you don't live in Palm Springs, are you just out of luck?  No, you can still have striking plant structures and beautifully composed outdoor spaces. Listen to my most recent conversation with Jim Drzewiecki of Ginkgo Leaf Studio for some great strategies.  In Today's Episode You'll Hear: Why Jim doesn’t gener...

If you are not already a huge fan of the Instagram account, Homes with Max, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you that you've been doing your algorithm wrong. Let's fix it.  In Today's Episode You'll Hear: Which house(s) Max loves most. Why wall to wall carpet is going to make a comeback. How to find and tour great time capsule homes.  Get the full show notes with all the tr...

Planning the right update for a mid-century bathroom is about space planning and the right product picks, sure. But it's also about your lifestyle, your morning routine and your five-year plan.  So let's talk through some of the most pressing issues you can nail down to create a good mid-century bath update for you and for your house and for your style.  In Today's Episode You'...

As a designer, it's so hard to pick a favorite project, but one I'm talking about today has certainly got to be at the top of my list. I recently covered this house on the YouTube channel, because it's a perfect case study of getting the 90s out of a perfectly nice mid-century home. In Today's Episode You'll Hear: Why a master plan was the right choice for Michelle.   How...

Are you familiar with Kerf Design kitchens or bathrooms or wall mounted shelving units? If you've ever been on mid-century Pinterest, the odds are that you are. And if not, close your eyes and imagine the world's most elegant and simple, yet playful modern plywood box built-ins. To quote Kerf’s website, “Good joints should be admired. Construction should be simple and honest. We tinker,...

A bit about me.  I love answering questions and I truly don’t mind answering the same questions a bunch of times. BUT I’d much rather talk about your mid-century house. And your life. And your hopes for your remodel. I hate going into a conversation about a significant purchase without enough information to feel prepared.  And I suspect many of you are like, “Yes. Same.”  This one is for you.   In...

So much of the advice out there about home improvements is focused on the bottom line, treating your home as a commodity.  And sure, remodeling always has a cost. There are financial factors involved. But I firmly believe that return on investment and resale value are the absolute last things you should be thinking about when you plan a change to your home. Hear me out. In Today's Episode You...

How a master plan can help you plan your remodel depends on your house. And how you want to live in it. But there are some common benefits that I see over and over.  In Today's Episode You'll Hear: Why doing the most won’t always get you the best outcome.  When to dream big in order to right size your choices.  How the process of design can get everyone on the same page.  For Buzzsprout...

You may be already using AI to get input on many areas of your life. And you may feel like the convenience outweigh its many negatives. Maybe. But here on this podcast where we talk about making right choices for your home, let me assure you, you will not get good advice or even peace of mind about your options by asking AI. In Today's Episode You'll Hear: Why I’m so irked with AI. How A...