Mid Mod Remodel, the podcast to help you match a mid-century home from your modern life starts November 14. Join architect Della Hansmann, weekly. Don't forget to subscribe!

Remodeling a ranch or other mid century home can be so rewarding but it IS a bit of a challenge.

Today, I introduce Mid Mod Remodel - the podcast. We'll uncover why MCM remodels can be an up hill slog and end with a pep talk about why I find your mid-century ranch to be so darn lovable!

Key takeaways

• Mid Mod remodeling is EVEN HARDER than regular old remodeling. But don't let that stop you. You're a champ for taking it on and I've got your back.
• The home remodeling industry, in general, is marching to a different drummer than we Mid Mod aficionados are (and than most homeowners, really) but with planning and preparation we CAN get achieve a dream remodel.
• Ranches, and other MCM homes, are the best! Ranches are the right size and so livable. They're often located in walkable near-center locations. They are well-built and easy to add onto. Plus, even the most modest ranch has some MCM charm we can build on. Let's get started!

Find detailed show notes at midmod-midwest.com/001

This week, lets get into the history of mid-century ranches in the midwest. After all, it helps to know where we’re coming from before we plan where to go next.

The main message here is that history happens in a context. The materials, style, choices, and culture that add up to a mid-century ranch all come from somewhere.

We'll cover:

• Why MCM history matters to a Mid Mod Remodeler
• Where the term "Mid-Century Modern" comes from
• How International Modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright set up the style
• The basics of the Post War Building Boom
• The dark side of MCM history (it's racism)
• The culture war of modernist vs traditional designs in the Mid-Century mind
• Cliff May and the California ranch
• The basics of any early Mid Mod home
• How to learn the history of your home and region

Knowing the history, helps us recognize what’s still important about our homes (and what might not be). Knowing what’s important to you will help you streamline decisions about remodeling your house.

Find full show notes and links to resources mentioned at midmod-midwest.com/002.

We aren't the same people our parents and grandparents were, so we need to tweak their homes a bit to make them facilitate a modern lifestyle.

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

• What some of my Mid Mod Instagram community has done to upgrade their mid mod homes. [02:31]
• Some people are more interested in preserving their mid-century homes and others want to update them. Learn more about where you fall on the preservation - update spectrum by taking the Mid-Century Style Quiz to find your personal style! [04:50]
• Kitchens! [06:21]
• Garages and mudrooms [10:00]
• Bathrooms [12:01]
• The secret weapon of a midwestern MCM home ... the unfinished basement. [13:44]
• Common hazards of older homes: Asbestos, Lead and older wiring [16:08]
• General building technology has also improved. Consider upgrading your windows and improving your insulation any time you are doing other work on an MCM home [17:39]

Find full show notes and links to resources mentioned at midmod-midwest.com/003

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

Want to make sure you've thought of everything when you design a ranch remodel? This easy three part remodeling framework will make sure you are covering all the bases in your MCM home update!

People remodel for many reasons. Some homes need pressing maintenance, others just aren't working right for their owners and still others might need an aesthetic overhaul.

Whatever YOUR reason, it is easy to fixate on that initial impulse. Don't let that be the driver of the whole remodel project.

If you're going to invest your time, money and enthusiasm into a remodel, you might as well get as much out of it as possible. This simple framework will help you make sure you've covered all your bases before you get started!

IN TODAY’S EPISODE YOU’LL HEAR …

• How the ideas of Roman architect Vitruvius still guide designers in our analysis of good buildings. The Vitruvian triad of firmitas, utilitas and venustas reminds us to consider buildings qualities of structure, usefulness and beauty. [2:59]
• Learn how this three part framework - structure, layout, and aesthetic - helps you plan your own perfect remodel [5:09]
• A side step into more theory with a great book recommendation: ABC of Architecture by John O'Gorman. Seriously its a favorite and its only 107 pages long! [6:01]
• STRUCTURE: make sure you're planning for nuts and bolts of your remodel, not just the shiny finish! [7:15]
• USEFULNESS: a remodel should be about more than instagram pictures - take the opportunity to design a house that improves your life [8:20]
• Check out three handy visualization exercises to help you make sure your remodel goes below the surface of things! [9:34]
• BEAUTY: and a remodeled home should also be stunning. Quick tips on how to search out and catalog the best design inspo for your remodel [12:38]

Get detailed show notes (with pics and links) at midmod-midwest.com/105

Do you know your own ideal remodeling level? It’s important to figure out how involved of a renovation you really want to take on long before you start! Consider your home’s condition, your lifestyle needs, your budget, and your willingness to deal with chaos.

Are you looking for a few bite-sized updates, a list of semi-involved DIY overhauls, or a gut remodel that changes the layout, reconfigures spaces and generally involves months of work by a general contractor and you evacuating the area for the duration?

As always, there’s a spectrum, and you’re on at somewhere.

Your preferred remodeling level is something you want to be aware of from a very early stage in your design thinking. Once you know how deep down the remodeling rabbit hole you plan to tunnel, you can start to tailor the kind of inspiration you’re looking for in the world and on the internet, the list of professionals you want to engage with, and the budget you’re keeping.

So let’s figure out where you fit!

IN TODAY’S EPISODE YOU’LL HEAR …

• Not all MCM updates work the same way. It depends on you and on your house. Being aware – right from the start – of how in depth you want to go with your mid-century house remodel will help you calibrate your whole design and remodel process! [1:09]
• Get access to a special offer – the newly improved Mid-Century Solutions design package available at the old price. Only until the end of 2019 [2:57]
• Level One remodels – what they are, why you might want to choose one and how to make this a strategic first step to later work! [4:07]
• Sometimes that’s all you need to make a vintage MCM house into your modern home. Or sometimes you want to take on some Level One work while you plan and prepare for more dramatic changes in the future. In that case your remodeling level might be either a Level Two or a Level Three update. [7:42]
• Get inspired by this great renovation documented by the instagram account @a_renovation_story! [12:10]

Find links and complete show notes at midmod-midwest.com/106

It is so easy to get overwhelmed at the start of a big, planned renovation, especially if you're a first time home buyer. Adding the stress of a home renovation can be a lot. You CAN do this, though. Sit down and plan a mid-century renovation that SUITS you. Your masterplan will clarify what you want, and steer the path to your ideal future home.

Today's episode is devoted to walking you through the crucial elements you need to address when you plan a mid-century renovation. Do this ... and set yourself up for success.

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

• Why it is even more than usually essential to plan a mid-century renovation (hint: avoid making [3:02]
• What you need for a great mid mod master plan [4:42]
• Know your home [5:46]
• Develop a vision for the direction of your reno [8:33]
• Prioritize - before someone else does it for you [9:22]
• Gather ideas and inspiration from the world around you ... and the internet. Document and annotate like CRAZY [11:59]
• Start pulling together the design in rough floor plans and sketches [12:34]
• Boil it all down to a mantra you can repeat to keep yourself on track through the whole process. You'll need it! [13:12]
• Do you need help with more than an outline for your plan ... I'm here for you? Reach out with your design questions and lets see if you need a Mid-Century Master Plan from Mid Mod Midwest! At a reduced price through the end of 2019 [14:28]

Find links and complete show notes at midmod-midwest.com/107

Learn about the Mid-Century Solutions Package at midmod-midwest.com/solutions