When I am interviewed for stories involving mid-century houses, reporters almost always ask, “Why do you and your readers love mid-century houses so much… What is the appeal?” In today’s sound-bite age, the pressure is on for a snappy answer. But for me, the reasons I have grown to love mid-century houses are multifaceted. Golly six years into the blog, and it’s only now I am writing this down? Here goes — 12 reasons to own and love a mid-century house, based on my experience including interacting with thousands of readers. In a kinda sorta order:
1. Mid-century houses often were built in locations that today, are desirable:
Location location location — I am very conservative about big-money purchases. I am a believer in the classic real estate maxim that the three most important factors to consider when buying a house are, yes: Location, location, location. Fortunately, in many cases, mid-century houses are in good locations. They can be in mature, well-tended neighborhoods with wonderful character, caring neighbors and friendly-sized neighborhood shopping areas nearby. In addition, American suburbs often were developed, over time, in proceeding concentric rings around towns and cities. This means the mid-century neighborhoods can be relatively close to town and city centers, making them easy to commute from; they are not typically remote “exurbs.”
2. Mid-century homes often were built with outstanding quality materials and workmanship that have, and will continue to endure:
Good quality workmanship — Golly, many of these houses were well made. Mud-set tile… Steel kitchen cabinets… Gorgeous vintage lighting… lovely paneling… and more, in many houses. Yes, there may be some refreshing needed. There may be hazards such as lead and asbestos etc. and other not-to-today’s-code issues that you need to get educated on and invest in handling appropriately; consult with your own properly licensed professionals, for more info see our Be Safe / Renovate Safe page. And, there can be ugly surprise maintenance costs. But my sense is that new construction can have its own problems and even nightmares… and that in general, wonderfully crafted mid-century houses still exist by the hundreds of thousands — even by the millions.
3. Mid-century houses — and especially, mid-century modest houses — can be found at relatively affordable prices:
Price — Mid-century homes tend to be smaller than new construction. This is the first reason they may cost less than new or more recent constructed houses, which today average much larger than 50 years ago. In addition, the finishes used inside mid-century homes were typically not what the mainstream market today would consider high-end — no granite or marble or the like. That may put the brakes on their current sales price. And, because original features may read as “dated” to many buyers, the relative purchase price may be better, compared to new construction or to homes that have been “updated” <- now, there’s a word we are wary of here. Finally, even an old house that’s a “fixer upper” in need of repairs is more attractive to me and Kate — we don’t want to pay for someone else’s recent “upgrades” that we don’t like. We would rather get the house at a discounted price and take the chance that we can do the remodeling on budget in way more pleasing to our period tastes. All of these issues suggest you might be able to ‘get in cheaper’ versus buying a newer house.
Of course the overall “better pricing” equation may not be true depending on the market you’re in — in many hip-to-the-vibe locations now, mid-century houses with their original features intact have become more desirable, with the trendiest architectural examples selling quickly.
4. Small mid-century houses can cost less to maintain and remodel:
Size and unpretentiousness = Long term affordability — In addition to costing less because it’s small, a smallish mid-century house will likely scale to require fewer expenditures happily ever after. Small can mean: (1) Less house to pay to maintain, (2) Less house to heat and air condition, (3) Less house to furnish, (4) Less house to pay taxes and insurance on, (5) Less house to clean. Kate adds that a ranch style house means (6) Easier to DIY roof repair$ and hou$e painting and $uch. All of this, by the way, means the less you will need to work to pay for it all. Also, the fact that the authentic period finishes on these house are not ‘fancy’ by today’s standards, means that materials required for restoration may be less costly. For mid-century houses we are talking: 4″ bathroom tiles… resilient flooring… plain cabinets… simple sinks and tubs… and many of these items can be purchased vintage, at ReStores and the like, for rock bottom prices. Peoples, I am telling you: Turn away from the siren song of keeping up with the Joneses and the everlasting gobstopper American marketing machine that works ceaselessly to burrow new-new-new-buy-buy-buy messages into our brains… keep the finishes in your mid-century house simple, which is architecturally appropriate anyway, and squirrel “the savings” into your retirement.
5. Old is the new Green:
Embodied energy — These houses already exist. Buy one — and as possible, practical and advisable, retain its original features — and you likely will be helping to avoid additional energy and natural resource use versus building or buying new. Of course, when it comes to energy and environmental features of our houses, each one will need to be assessed on its own; that said, I continue to find it impossible to mentally process the suggestion that we can consume our way out of a consumption process — that is: the implication of “build a green house!” and “buy this green product!” stories that imply that by abandoning our old housing stock in favor of building all-new “energy efficient” housing structures — or, by gutting existing houses and replacing still-functional stuff inside — we would be setting ourselves up for a better environmental future. I flat out find this impossible to believe; I need to see the calculus of how much carbon, water, forest, etc. this massive reworking of our housing stock would chew up.Waste distresses me, so I intensely favor buying existing houses: Use it up, wear it out, make it do. Note: At the end of January 2014, there were 1.9 million existing-built homes for sale in the U.S., the National Association of Realtors reported. The NAR considers this a 4.9-month supply, at the existing sales rate (which was slow in January), under the approximately six-month supply generally recommended. That said, there are now 10,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 daily. Additional houses will be heading our way soon enough….
6. Mid-century was a heyday of architectural inventiveness:
Great architecture and features — Mid-century America was a period of immense innovation. Merchant builders built houses that were stylin’. My sense is that there were lots more major manufacturers in the marketplace supplying products, so there was a lot of competition, which meant a lot of proud invention — amazing stoves! sparkle laminate! cork floors! amazing tile! Homeowners did wicked awesome things like build tiki bars in their basements. And again, quality of workmanship was often wonderful. All this adds up to discovering many wonderful features in mid-century houses. There was interesting design, outside and in.
Another thing we Retro Renovators have in common, I’ve typically found, is that we are highly visual. Once we own or live in a mid-century home, we can easily become fascinated by the aesthetics of the period. That said: All design is highly visual, so I think you could be a highly visual person and be into any interior design style. But I think that our highly visual nature, combined with all the other factors on this list, make the mid-century period a particularly appealing one for us.
7. As cozy as Grandma’s kitchen, hey it is grandma’s kitchen:
Warm fuzzies — Our definition of mid-century houses includes both “mid-century modern” and “mid-century modest.” Interestingly, while “moderns” and “modests” may have been designed to look very different on the outside, on the inside they often shared many many design features — namely, use of unpretentious materials, interesting design features, and similar pastel bathrooms and colorful kitchens. Mid-century modern houses: Hard not to get gaga over the fabulous lines of these houses. Add color, and they are so fun. Mid-century modest houses: These can be so00000 cozy. The ceilings are not super high. The homes envelop us.
America is such a mobile country — so many of us needed to move for jobs — our roots may be far away. We love our mobility, but hey, we miss our kinfolk, too… and the cozy features within our mid-century houses remind us of our Grandma’s house. My grandma had a kitchen full of knotty pine galore, a den with a wall full of family photos, and bathrooms with sunny tile. Happy happy memories, easy to channel if you own a mid-century house.
8. All the modern amenities:
“Modern” living — My sense is that for the mass of America prior to World War II, it was a hard-knock life. But the economy boomed after World War II. And houses from that point on began bringing all kinds of “modern” amenities to the largest generation of families ever… Modern conveniences like: electricity, indoor bathroom plumbing, central heating [and with it, larger windows], “fitted kitchens”, larger flowing rooms, and more. Today, all these same features continue to comprise the fundamental requirements for contemporary homes. Not a lot has really changed. Today, homes need better amperage… windows are double-paned (although not likely made better)… the materials we use to build homes or fit them out may differ… ya got yer low-flow toilets and Energy Star appliances (again, likely not made with as much quality as back in the day)… and certainly many superficial “fashion” choices may be different. But even if you live in a mid-century house that is 50 years old, you are likely living in a house that still is almost entirely suitable to contemporary 21st century living.
Hey: Because a mid-century house may be smaller and cost less to purchase and maintain, it may be MORE suited to 21st century living, if you are concerned about climate change and having the money — in a less stable economic and jobs environment — to maintain it and even to hold on to it.
9. Great for aging in place:
Floor plan: Mid-century houses often were ranch-style houses or Cape Cods with bedrooms on the ground level. Single-story ranch houses, in particular, are great for aging in place. Having lived in several styles of homes, I would go a step beyond and say that ranches — with those bedrooms close at hand and nice circulation and flow — are more livable for virtually anyone and everyone — although I do miss all the exercise I got going up and down stairs 800 times a day when I lived in two-story houses. Sort of. Note, I do acknowledge: Ranch style houses require larger lots – and obviously, the larger and more sprawling the home is, the more land will be required; my understanding is that building up, if you need space, is more economical along a number of dimensions.
10. Getting trendier every day:
They’re hip(ish) — When I started this blog in 2007, there already was a market for mid-century modern houses — the architect-designed confections, with impractical roof lines, especially on the West Coast. In the six+ years since, interest in these mid-century modern houses has really exploded. Meanwhile, flash back to 2007 and mid-century modest houses were not much on the fashcionista radar, they were disparaged, even. But then came Mad Men (Betty had a knotty pine kitchen) … and in general, 50 years passed and there was a new generation of buyers without any baggage…. and all the kids are wearing retro anyway… and more Baby Boomers were retiring, and they were nostalgic and downsizing and wanting ranch houses… and there was a Great Recession, and small, affordable houses were sort of appealing again… and I’ll even suggest there was the internet, including this blog, connecting folks to mid-mod alternatives and resources… and before you knew it, the world began to see the charm of the simple tract house. Today, there’s much more interest in mid-century houses — modern and modest alike — with lots of readers telling me that they are searching for old houses from the era to call their own.
11. Multi-generational neighborhoods:
Neighbors from the way-back days — Live in a mid-century neighborhood, and chances are there are original owners in their original houses nearby. Theirs may be the last generation in America not to move nine times (or whatever) because of job changes. It’s so nice to have some grandma and grandpa-aged neighbors around, to tell us what the place looked like from the start, don’t you think?
12: Wonderful stories, and Polaroids, too:
The stories — This one is related to #11 … and is one of my favorite “unexpected surprises” about the joy of owning a mid-century house: There are folks still around who can tell us first-hand stories about our homes, including who built them, who lived there and why. I am sure there are wonderful stories about Victorian and Arts ‘n Crafts houses, etc., too. But we can longer hear those stories first-hand, and there likely aren’t many photos. Readers with mid-century houses, on the other hand, report experience after experience of meeting the original owners, or their children, of their houses. The original owners share information and stories and photos and architectural drawings…. In my house, the grown child of early, longtime owners showed me where he stashed his teenaged Marlboros (they are still in their hiding place; he searched; yes, they were there, and then we put them back – a little time capsule.) He showed me where his beloved boyhood dog chewed the door molding at the top of the basement stairs — and I now treasure that boo boo. He showed me where the dog was buried in the backyard. His mother sent me photos taken in the house in the 1950s — weddings, Christmas, the original kitchen…. It’s all so heartwarming, I could bust. I am just the latest caretaker of this treasure of a house. Which there are oh-so many reasons to love.
What do you think, dear readers: Did I capture the big reasons we love our mid-century houses?
And for sure: I would love to hear — in great detail — yes! — the exact reasons that you chose your home!
LauraRG says
Nailed it!! Especially the bits about multigenerational neighborhoods and size.
One other benefit I have found is that when it does come time to ake modifications it can be much more affordable. Smaller rooms mean buying less hardwood, tile, etc. Modest exteriors mean there are plenty of style options when it comes to creating outdoor spaces. No need to build a monster deck 12 ftr off the ground when the living space is all ground-level. And reused/repurposed materials are often cheaper and are pefectly at home in our mid-century homes.
Amy Dietz says
I’m too young to remember the era, so it seems new and exciting to me. Realistically, mid mod’s popularity will eventually fade. Simple, clean design, good location, and affordability will always be in style.
Maureen Bajeyt says
Agreed! We bought our home because it was less expensive…it was a beat down foreclosure. But, since it’s small, remodels and decorating have been affordable, and I don’t shop as much because I don’t have space to put lots of “stuff”! A win – win!
Kim Mulligan says
Thank you for making such great points. Mid Century homes generally speaking were built better than spec homes of later decades. To think they did so much without our modern power tools to boot! I live in one and can appreciate the quality materials that are time tested and enduring. It’s about time the spotlight is aimed at these. Less truly can be more!
Kim says
And of course, I forgot the huge back yard!!! What a joy to watch my grandsons run and play in the big yards like I did as a child!!!
Kim says
My mid-century red brick ranch was built in 1960. I live 5 doors from the house my father built in 1963. I love love my house. The floors are just gorgeous. Nothing quite like the beauty of period hardwoods. My red brick fireplace backs into the kitchen and there is nothing more inviting than a red brick wall in the kitchen. It complements the knotty pine kitchen cabinets beautifully. Not to mention the knotty pine paneling in the den. Someone “pickled” it many years ago and did a good job. That deep reddish stain is gone but fortunately they left the integrity of the wood. I have had many people walk into my kitchen and ask if I was going to replace the cabinets. I must have a look of horror on my face since I can’t imagine tearing out the solid wooden cabinets to replace them with fast growth wood. That would be nuts. My Godmother left me all her mid-century furniture 20 years ago, she bought it new in the mid-20th century. I have a shelving unity, tables, lamps etc. I am sure the furniture and the house appreciate being reunited!! Love mid century modern, the last slow growth furniture and houses every built!! We are all fortunate!!
pam kueber says
Yup: Slow-growth hardwoods. THE WOOD WAS BETTER! Golly, something so basic — and so wonderful!
MCM is Grand says
Our 1955 house needed a window replacement…I asked the carpenter, as he was taking out the old window, if there were any termite rot in the frames. Answer: NO. They used redwood. Not a bug in sight! 🙂
Mary Elizabeth says
People don’t ask IF we are going to replace the knotty pine cabinets. They ask us WHEN we are going to replace them. Sigh!
Rebecca prichard says
That is so rude and annoying.
RD says
And here I’ve been haunting the local ReStore in hopes of finding some knotty pine cabinets.
Mary Elizabeth says
You rarely see them for sale, do you? You can still buy knotty pine plywood, though, and DIY or get a carpenter to give you an estimate. The knotty pine plywood is more expensive than the plain plywood (of course!) and you have to order it from a specialty lumber store. But my DH and I have built a kitchen island from knotty pine and also replaced some doors with drawer fronts and stained them to match our cabinets. Also, there are some new knotty pine cabinets available. Search on “knotty pine kitchen cabinets.”
Of course, most of us in this conversation would prefer to find old cabinets we can refurbish and reuse! So keep hunting.
RD says
I made a deal with myself that I would not rip out our existing cabinets unless they get damaged or I can find my “dream” cabinets, previously used. It’s a combination economy and environment thing. It makes no financial sense to replace something for aesthetic value alone and it certainly makes no environmental sense. But my existing cabinets were put in when the kitchen was redone in the 70s and they are really unattractive. They are also not as functional as they could be, as some of them are quite narrow. After living with the kitchen for 6 years now, I feel that the house is telling me that it wants a knotty pine kitchen to go with the rest of its 1952 “early colonial style” bones. 🙂
pam kueber says
I had the same issue. I had 1970s cabinets in my 1950s house. In general they were “fine” functionally, but they were very dark…Once we were into the house and started using the kitchen pretty heavily daily, bits and pieces started falling apart — the cabinets were made of melamine. In the meantime, I, too, had begun looking for vintage replacements and also, began contemplating the remodel. It took me FIVE YEARS of searching to find my current cabinets, 1963 Genevas original finish salvaged from a cooking school once run by nuns. This kitchen story is also the story of the start of this blog… I had collected so much information in those five years about how to remodel a mid-century kitchen that I decided to share out my findings on that new thing called a “blog.” Ta da!
RD says
Your kitchen story was actually my inspiration for waiting to find the right cabinets. I’ve already waited 6 years to figure out what I want to do. Now that I know, I can wait some more! 🙂
Sara of WA says
You are so so right! My husband comes from the timber industry and he is a Realtor. He’s always talking about the quality of the wood in the 1950s/60s verses now. Also, people took real pride in their work and knew that the quality of their work would be around to enjoy for a very long time. A builder’s reputation was on the line. Our small town has a few home built by one such builder and the mention of his name invokes confidence even decades later. A craftsman who was a real attention to detail person as well.
Robert @ Live Better Electrically says
Now when people ask me why I love my house the way I do, I will just send them a link to this article.
pam kueber says
🙂
Mary Elizabeth says
Just what I was going to say! The DH and I have had so many people ask what the heck were we thinking, especially since we raised our children in a condo community and retired to our ranch house. It’s nice to just send links to this site in general, but this article explains most of what our thinking is on the topic so we don’t have to explain over and over.
But I think the tide may be turning. We had a couple of newlyweds over for dinner, and they declared our house “totally perfect”!
tammyCA says
I think you hit the nail on the head. I live in a very modest 1954 Calif ranchette, not in the best, nor the worst location. Real Estate here is a bad scene & $$$…we bought this one 15 yrs ago after seeing tons of houses in a very large radius. We were looking for a house that wasn’t a total junk place that would cost us more $$, needed 3 Br/2 baths, a garage (you wouldn’t believe how many converted garages to living quarters), a newer roof and some yard for our dogs (another rarity as most have cemented over all grass and/or have a pool)…it was very discouraging. Of course, I desired certain things, like any charm, a certain feel, original wood strip floors, light filled windows, but we needed the first things first. When we came to this house it had just gone on the market the day before & already had an offer. I walked in and said, “I think this is the one.” Wood floors, windows all over, an original red brick fireplace & wall (yea!), and 2 baths (with worn but original cool color tile that I also got excited about)…it just felt right.
It had some original charming features; the diamond pane windows, front door, & original light fixtures.
I am a visual person (B.A. in art) but also very sensitive to my surroundings..in other words, I can really appreciate Modern lines visually but I need that cozy/comfort so smallish houses suit me..similar to my childhood house…but, not suffocating small as I also have bad claustrophobia..geez.
I would cry if I had to live in a contemporary place with stark white straight up high 20 ft ceilings…I feel like I’m in a manhole. I like regular ceiling height.
BUT, I love MCM houses with angled ceilings with warm wood paneling & wood beams if they come down lower at one or more sections to give a cozy feeling..does that make sense?
I also don’t like the open concepts, like the “warehouse loft design” in contemporary…BUT, I like flow..and, walls. Our house has a circular flow, living room, dining, kitchen (the previous owners pushed back a wall to create this & it was a very good design idea)..so its still cozy but not confining. I think the t.v. show “Bewitched” has a great flow, you can open the shutters to the kitchen or not…and all those windows and doors..oh, yeah!
I love the “granny houses and also the sleek Mad Men”, but I also love the ’40s cottage design/style and if I won the lottery I’d probably want that 1940s Cedric Gibbons designed movie home…and, also a tree house studio! 😀
Roundhouse Sarah says
Another great point of living in an MCM house for me has been meeting and talking with other like minded people within the retro community. Wether it be through this site, estate sales or in my my situation, finding other people who live in the same model home as mine. I’ve made such good friends through my house.
pam kueber says
That’s a good one, Sarah!
Jacki Anderson says
Loved this article. I commented on another recent post, that the “coziness” of my 1965 ranch house kitchen with its knotty “heart pine” paneling is just one of the things that made me fall in love with the house when I bought it in 1996. WOOD doors, pocket doors, nice size bedrooms, ceramic tile bathrooms, hardwood floors. When I’ve had to have repairs done under the house or in the attic, I always am told how well this house is built. Guests also comment that while it does not look that big from the front, it is a large roomy house inside, and always cozy and welcoming. I live it a small, still some-what rural town north of Charlotte, NC. While not in neighborhood, it is a house built close to the “center” of town, and yet I have a large backyard, and the house is so “noise-proof”. While I do have neighbors, we are not right on top of each other, and though a small subdivision now backs up to part of my backyard, there are still trees that separate and provide privacy. There are many big, splashy neighborhoods that have come up over the years, and there is a large, man-made lake in the area bringing lots of million-dollar homes, but I know I did not have to go broke to furnish my home or update the landscaping, And because it is a mid-century home, there are always little projects and improvements that I CAN do, but not very many that I have HAD to do. I feel like I have the best, kept-secret in town by owning a mid-century home, and I feel the value will continue to grow. Thank you again for such a wonderful website dedicated to the love of Mid-Century life!
Virginia Faust says
You might enjoy finding others of the design era near you at:
ncmodernist.org
Search by architect or under Charlotte misc.
If you find some we have missed, let me know!
VF
Kelly says
I live in a 1917 Tudor – not a mid century, but a house with history. Some of the basics were re-done, counters, new appliances, and an addition was built, but it’s hard to tell where that begins. This is a house with history. We are 5 minutes from downtown Macon, GA. We live on a dead end street with neighbors who love living here. We have trees and sidewalks and a wide street and a mailman who still walks and puts the mail through the slot on my door. I have an “eternal flame” gas light in my front yard and a cute little dormer window in my attic that looks down on the street. When we walked into this house my daughters and I immediately felt at home. I am there alone a lot at night and have never felt uncomfortable or afraid. The floors are original narrow oak in the main areas and wide plank pine in the bedrooms. To me their flaws are just “character.” Yes, I love my Disneyesque cottage!