Understanding what's unusual about some of those original features - and also the history and the reasoning behind how they were built - will help you identify what's rare, cool, quirky, or valuable about your home. And in other cases, it will help you know when something about your home isn't that important to its overall character and you can modify it with a clean conscience.

In today's episode you'll hear ...

• The basic form of a ranch: garage, living space, and sleeping area all tucked under one continuous roofline. Plus, why the original MCM builders chose gable roofs over hip roofs and vice versa. [3:40]
• How to check your own neighborhood for interesting additions using google maps [4:45]
• Common cladding types: wood siding, brick and stone (spoiler alert: its mostly wood around here). [6:29]
• Window shapes [7:12]
• Mid-century front doors and what to do if yours has been replaced [9:05]
• Materials that tie in from outside to inside the house ... and why [10:37]
• WOOD ... structure, trim, flooring, panel and built ins [11:25]
• Built ins and privacy panels [12:55]
• Picking MCM appropriate paint colors [13:23]
• Why you might like to use my DIY Home Assessment Workbook to get to know the great features of your own MCM home and record all of it's key data points in one place. Become the expert in your own house! [14:53]

Find full show notes and links to resources mentioned at midmod-midwest.com/104