Mid Mod Remodel

Find a new, lazier 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. All of the pr...

This week we’re revisiting the best of our 25 days of design in hopes of sparking your sense of wonder about your home, boosting your remodel confidence and providing concrete advice on making your 2023 remodeling dreams come true.   'Tis the season! Around the holidays, everyone likes to add a little charm to their home. Shortening daylight makes us think about how to maximize the comfort an...

I want you to use your holiday prep time to plan your remodel.  Okay, Before you tell me, Della, that's crazy. The holidays are when I'm busiest. I can't be picking out tiles and solving problems and calling contractors during this period. You're right. Of course you can't. You know me. I wouldn't ask you to make your life harder when it's already full. Instead,...

Design used properly can double your remodel dollar. Focusing on design can make every purchase more effective and every change more magical. Using design means considering everything you could do as part of an update or project that might improve your home down the line, bring it back to into alignment with its original style, or provide economies of scale for layout tweaks or other changes.  Whe...

Buying from small businesses is about more than just making yourself feel good about yourself to support small businesses, to keep jobs and dollars local.  It’s straight up fun, but it also comes with the real benefit of building your community of design resources.  So while you’re hunting for great reproductions from modern craftsmen who care or amazing vintage pieces that come with a story, the...

This week's episode is a classic from the Mid Mod Remodel archive.  The common wisdom is that you should save up money for a remodel and then plan one that fits your budget.  Wrong. I want to pitch an alternate plan. It os better to let the design drive the budget, rather than the other way around. Let's talk about diving into your master plan before you decide what your home update shou...

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 yours...

Today’s podcast is a chat with Denver Area mid-century Realtor, designer and advocate, Adrian Kinney, on what he’s learned restoring SEVEN Cliff May Homes and helping match mcm homeowners to so many more.  Adrian shares his mcm origin story, all the deets on his favorite projects and some surprising insights from a decade of mcm remodeling. Listen along as two true mid-century super fans dish abou...

Stress-free is a big promise.  Of course, there will be some stress in a remodel.  You can worry about labor and material costs. You will feel the pressure of timing. You might rack yourself over design details.  But you can cut stress out of the remodeling process in as many places as possible! Today we're talking about the value of the (often overlooked) pre-design phases to help you avoid...

This week, I've been talking about style guides inside the Ready to Remodel program. On our architect office hours call on Monday, I talked this cohort of homeowners through the value of distilling your personal style.  Everyone starts with a fuzzy big picture concept like time capsule cute versus mid-mod contemporary, and then we gather ideas through the process of collecting design inspirat...

Mid Mod Midwest has a LOT of news to share! From format changes to new faces, we’ll cover everything you need to know in this tiny but mighty mini-sode! First up - our team is growing! Mid Mod Midwest is hiring a designer to create amazing schematic designs for mid-century remodels.  This was going to be Mid Mod Remodel Season 10 (!) but instead, we've decided to be all podcast all the time,...

This episode goes out to all the homeowners waiting to plan, or dream about home improvement projects until you’ve saved up the home remodel budget.  I hope you’ll take this the right way when I tell you … you’re doing it wrong. I know … you’re being responsible.  You’re waiting to plan util you’ve got the budget in the bank.  But … ACTUALLY it’s more responsible for you to plan your remodel now,...

What should you do when you can’t make up your mind?  When finding a mid-century faucet seems impossible? The abundance of choice is a HUGE factor in getting in over your head when you are trying to choose finishes for your home update.  With the entire internet at your fingertips … or even the plumbing supply showroom that your plumber directed you to … you can feel like anything is possible and...

First,  are you signed up for the Free Mid-Century Master Planning Masterclass on August 27th?  If not?  Why not!?   Hope to see you there! When HGTV Home Depot every contractor you’ve spoken to so far and some of your friends and family are all questioning why you like that feature of your mid-century house, it can feel like maybe they’re right and you’re not. You can ask yourself,  am I wrong to...

Do you worry that you could never cut a hole in your house or expand an opening without consulting a design expert?  Today’s episode is for you!  If you’re afraid to move a wall in your home … or to put a new hole in one, I hope you’ll feel less so at the end of this episode! True, there are some areas of your house you don’t want to carelessly change - for fear of bringing down the whole house! ...

Here’s how you can get the best value in a remodel … you can supercharge any remodel using adjustments to your home’s layout.  By the way ... this episode is the PERFECT preamble to this weekend's Mid-Century Design Clinic. Listen up here and then go save your seat for the Workshop ! Look, beautiful finishes can make your life so shiny and pretty.  You can wake up in the morning and smile bec...

Make sure you sign up for the Mid-Century Design Clinic by July 31st to grab the early bird pricing!  See you there! Today’s question is actually one I don’t get asked often enough. Here it goes: How can I get started now on my fun mid-century home update plans when I have this feeling I should do maintenance before I remodel? I don’t get asked because  way too many people assume it’s the wrong qu...

Last week was all about starting small. This week we’re talking about how you can plan dramatic changes for your home without erasing its mid-century character . This episode is for people asking, how do I keep my BIG remodel Mid-Century while I tweak ... or transform? My friends, I've got the answer for you Today, I'm introducing a new framework I've been working on for a while: th...

How can you start the remodel process without getting in completely over your head? Today, let’s talk about how to stick your toe into the kidney-shaped pool of mid-century home updates. In Today’s Episode You’ll Hear: How to get started on making your mid-century house into your home EVEN if you don’t know where to start. What levels of a home update might be right for you (now and in the future)...

The right color isn’t one that’s specific to the period or style of your house. It isn’t the color that looks so great on the house down the street. It’s the color that expresses the feeling you want your home to create in you and in others.  Choosing a color scheme for your home is one of the most effective ways to put your stamp on a house and start the process of making it your home. But before...

Bonus Episode! Keeping a home update on track from start to finish is no easy task.  It’s so personal, expensive, long term and generally overwhelming that you’re sure feel stressed about it from time to time.  But you can push back on those feelings if you are anchored to strong remodeling goals. Let’s talk about how to set your mid-century remodel on the right course, right from the start with a...

Baby steps, my friend.  Take your remodel one step at a time and just skip right past the classic remodel overwhelm - that moment when it all becomes too much.  Planning a whole remodel at once - deciding on every detail  - is crazy difficult.  But if you focus your planning on one step at a time, you can cut the crazy in half.   Sign up now for the  “Plan an MCM Remodel to Fit your Life(and budge...

Don’t sit around waiting to be ready to plan the perfect remodel for your home … remodel right now now.  Meet yourself where you are and plan a home update that fits your life today!  There’s a right scale for your remodel.  Let’s figure it out together!  There are simple and fool-proof ideas you can use to make any mid-century home feel spiffier, brighter and more like the place you want to spend...

Once you’ve got your style plan in place, you’re ready to graduate to tracking the items you want for your home in a set of remodel planning spreadsheets.  These are going to make everything easier, and may even save you money! There are so many moving parts in a home remodel.  The master plan method is all about taking your planning in the right order and putting the right level of detail into yo...

Here’s the kicker.  I can’t tell you the right way to update your MCM kitchen;  the right choices you make in a mid-century kitchen update are going to be based on your life, your home, your needs. So … are you ready to make those calls for yourself?   Today I’m sharing some quick background on mid-century kitchens and how they came to be the way they are and then my go to design strategies for im...