What is the best mid-century flooring for your house?

My answer to you, to my clients, to my students and to everybody who asks me this is, it depends. Now, when I answer this way, I'm not hedging or hesitating. 

I do have opinions about and experience with many types of flooring in all sorts of applications. And strong personal preferences of my own! But when people ask “What's the best mid-century flooring?”, what they actually mean to ask is, “What's the best mid-century flooring for me and for my house?” And that's where it really does depend. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:  

• Which homeowners are most likely to strike MCM flooring gold in the form of original hardwood. 
• Why luxury vinyl plank flooring is anything but luxurious and never The Best Flooring choice.
• Which materials might just be The Best Flooring choice for your home and how decided what to install.  

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1702

How long will your remodel take? Well that depends on you, my friend. 

This week's episode kicks of a full season of listener questions. First up? Timelines. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• All about the remodel schedule venn diagram. 
• Where it is easiest to exert some control over your remodel timeline. 
• How to get ready to create the remodel schedule you want for your project.

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1701

In the last episode of our HGTV season we’re talking about what we can learn from looking at other people’s houses.  Despite its shortcomings, HGTV offers glimpses into remodeling and design processes and practical lessons for would-be remodelers.

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why HGTV might not be all bad. 
• How to use HGTV and mainstream shelter media to your advantage. 
• Where to find more mid-century friendly inspiration. 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1613

White paint on wood? Well, that depends. 

Today's episode is going to be a love story to the wooden elements of a mid-century home. The main takeaway? Leave your original mid-century wood alone. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why paneling is not the place for paint - white or otherwise.  
• How mid-century hollow core doors are different than their modern cousins. 
• Where paint can be great! 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1612.

Today let's talk about why slapping a coat of white paint on your mid-century brick, stone or concrete block is never the right answer.

Even if your house is entirely brick or entirely stone, there are still meaningful things you can do to change the feeling of your house without large quantities of white paint.

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why painting it white is so tempting. 
• Who that white paint is for. (*hint*, it's not for the homeowner) 
• The first three materials you should NEVER paint.

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1611 

There are key difference between cottages and mid-century ranch homes. Your ranch is not a cottage, so steer clear of cottage style updates.

In many ways American homes changed more between 1930 and 1950 than they have since.  Part of the reason I find ranches so interesting is how modern they are in their essential nature.  Dated fixtures and finishes aside, a ranch built in 1952 is essentially a modern home. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• How ranches and cottages are related. 
• Where the two styles came from.
• The hallmarks of cottage design that do not belong in your mid-century ranch.   

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1610

The culture we live in is selling us doublespeak that you must remodel your home to make it your home. You can't just take a house as it is. And there's only one right way to improve your home. 

Let's interrogate this modern urge to change your life by changing your home.

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• When a tiny tweak can feel transformative. 
• Why you and your house are great, as you are. 
• How to plan a remodel that can actually change your life. 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1609. 

Do you have objects in your life in your house that you would categorize as clutter? Probably you do. I know I do. Decluttering sometimes feels like our national pastime, or problem. And HGTV has multiple shows devoted to the topic. Or if you prefer your Marie Kondo straight from the source her show is on Netflix.

I've talked in the past about how to manage clutter in your life with design. And that's all well and good. But today, I want to talk about this from another angle. First, is the so-called clutter in your life, actually a problem you want to solve? And if and only if it is, what is step one, to solving it?

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why we feel so bad about our clutter. 
• How to reframe decluttering and the items that fill your life and home. 
• Ways to apply master plan thinking to almost any project…even decluttering.

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1608.

A surprise reveal is a mainstay of remodeling TV shows and it's basically a jumpscare. Your ideal remodel should include few to no surprises. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why a surprise remodel reveal is worse than your average jumpscare. 
• When remodeling related surprises are a GOOD thing (hint, it’s way before construction begins)!
• How to avoid remodeling surprises and love everything about your remodel.  

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1607

Today I am future you’s best friend. 

Do you know who is not future you’s best friend? HGTV. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why trendy remodels mean more waste and less joy. 
• How to stand strong in the face of before and after photos. 
• Where to embrace trends you love for a remodel that will stand the test of time.   

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1606

Want to know how to have a BIG fight with your partner about your remodel? Or even a series of many smaller fights that blur into each other and become frustration and resentment? 

Welcome to the Valentine’s Day episode of Mid Mod Remodel!

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why all those couples on HGTV seem so MAD.
• How to design your drama free dream remodel.
• Which tools will help you create the most remodeling harmony along with the best results. 

 Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1605. 

The modern mid-century dream kitchen isn’t the kitchen that Lucy Arnez or Donna Reed or Carol Brady had. It also isn’t the kitchen you might find in vintage kitchen ads. And it certainly isn’t the kitchen you’ll find in most builder grade ranches. 

So what exactly is it then?

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why you are the most important design element of your dream kitchen. 
• The (very few) universals of good kitchen design. 
• Quick kitchen fixes to try if your big remodel is still a ways off. 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1604

Aspirational mid-century kitchens influenced the kitchens we live in and love today. The kitchens that served as backdrops for our favorite mid-century TV families often included features missing for the builder basic kitchens of the time (and still missing in many of our ranches!). 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• When the kitchen shifted from work zone to social space. 
• All about features of some of the OG aspirational mid-century kitchens.
• How aspirational kitchens of the past can inform your kitchen remodel. 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1603

Want the most reliably biased remodeling advice around? Head for HGTV. In fact, pick up or turn on any mainstream piece of home and garden media. Now, try to separate expert advice from paid content.

What you’ll find is a strong push toward well funded trends that dominate the industry. Certain elements seem to make it into every renovation. Think gas stoves, stainless steel finishes, professional grade appliances, countertop materials like granite and marble, luxury vinyl flooring. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• How gas (and granite and stainless steel) came to seem like our only options.
• The question to ask every time someone shares THE solution for your remodel.
• Tips for bucking trends and designing a timeless remodel.

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1602

This season, I'm pushing back on the default remodeling advice that we all encounter on television and in online magazines, see manifested in big box home improvement stores and hear echoed in the mouths of run-of-the-mill general contractors. 

But you know I'm not about negativity! 

Instead, you are going to get all the positive, encouraging, actionable advice to help you make timeless choices tailored to your home. 

In short, this season's theme is "The remodel advice you will never get from HGTV." 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why HGTV’s universal advice isn’t for us (mid-century homeowners). 
• The motivations behind many HGTV design recommendations. 
• How to forgive ourselves for past HGTV influenced design choices.

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1601

If you've been following along this month you know the four cornerstones of a great Mid Mod design ... but how do you make sure that you're going to bake them into your own home and plans?  Before you start calling contractors and deciding what to do first ... I want you to hit pause for just a moment.  

The best way to make the most of your mid-century remodel is to use the Master Plan method! 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1505.

When we think about gorgeous mid-century homes, many of us picture a glass wall separating the living room from a patio and lush backyard. Or a sunken living room that flows from the formal entry. Glass. Open spaces with exposed structure. Screens that allow a peek through to the next space. Stone that seems to continue seamlessly from the exterior through to the central fireplace.  

This amazing flow from one space to the next and out into the yard is definitely a feature of high-end mid-century homes. But it can also be a feature of your (and my!) simple, builder-grade ranch. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• How to improve flow without blowing out a wall. 
• Why it’s important to bring the outside in. 
• Where materials can make the difference. 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1504

Your material and finish choices can make or break a mid mod remodel. Choose correctly and you'll enhance your home with lovely, long-lasting materials that feel period-appropriate and yet somehow timeless…and don't break your budget. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• When to save original materials. 
• How to combine mid-century and modern materials in your remodel. 
• The secret to making every material choice easier. 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1503

You'll find simple shapes everywhere in a mid-mod design - from the basic triangle of a gable roof  to the gentle curve of a kidney shaped swimming pool. The simple playful shapes of mid-century design put the focus back on the materials they're made from and the overall balance (the asymmetry) of the design. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why simple shapes became possible in the mid 20th century. 
• How simple shapes actually make life easier.
• When using shapes that date your house is a big yes, instead of a no-no. 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1502

Asymmetry, in a nutshell, is about balance...instead of matching. 

In previous eras, impressive home design showed its classiness with repeating, matching elements along a central line. These elements feel formal, weighty and grand.   
The mid-century aesthetic challenged this formality. Mid-century design is about being off-center and less structured, but still balanced. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why asymmetry is a cornerstone of mid mod design. 
• How balance can be more inviting than uniformity. 
• Where symmetry makes sense. 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1501

Let’s talk about a revelation I recently had about planning  your remodel - the importance of the cycles in your life as you tailor your home to match your lifestyle.

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why laundry may be the best allegory for cycles of life. 
• How to plan for now and also make great choices for future you. 
• And why catering to the messy, chaos-ridden parts of your life might make your remodel better than you could have imagined.

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1413

This episode originally aired on December 8, 2022. 

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, make your future life easier by harnessing all of the satisfactions (and frustrations) that are part and parcel of the celebratory times in your house during this season of madness and fun.

Get the episode and show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1412

In the chat you've all been waiting for...Susan Halla of Make It Mid-Century and Della dish on mid-century design. 

Listen in as the creator of the Master Plan Method meets the creator of Sparkle Lam to talk about architecture, how to listen to your house and why you should NEVER paint your brick. It's a meeting of similar, mid-century loving minds full of great advice, retro and modern resources, and holiday gift ideas. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• About the crime lab/mid-century kitchen connection.
• How to deck out your door for all seasons.
• Sources for great gifts for the mid-century stans in your life. (Yes, that includes yourself!)

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1411

I know you've been daydreaming about your perfect mid-century remodel for months (years?), but somehow reality just hasn’t caught up to your Pinterest board. Sometimes it can feel like your remodel planning has gone completely off the rails. Or at least dropped off your radar.

So, how do you get your remodel on track once it feels off? 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• When the fluffy fun part of a process is also the most valuable. 
• Why the secret to getting your remodel back on track is simple. 
• How to stay calm in the face of rapid-fire decision making. 

Get the full show notes with all the trimmings at https://www.midmod-midwest.com/1410. 

Think your remodeling timeline is too tight for a master plan? Think again! You can get (most of) the benefits of a master plan in just 30 days of planning. 

In Today's Episode You'll Hear:

• Why some things are worth half-assing. 
• The one thing that is sure to slow you down…and fast!
• Why you don’t have to pick no planning or all the planning.