“Mid-century Modest.” I coined this new term in 2009, recognizing that while there may have been 1 million “mid-century modern” homes built in postwar America, there were about 29 million “Mid-Century Modest” homes. And, while some observers today consider the vernacular mass-market postwar designs all too “kitsch” and pretty much discount “tract” houses and all they stood/stand for, I say: Let’s celebrate Mid-century Modest, too – because this era of American housing and all it encompassed were really quite fascinating and special. So, here is my “Mid-Century Modest Manifesto”:
The Mid-Century Modest Manifesto
NO QUESTION, we love Mid-Century Modern homes,
the high falutin’ designer kind.
BUT IN POSTWAR AMERICA, while we built
maybe 1 million mid-century moderns –
we built some 29 million Mid-Century Modest homes.
MID-CENTURY MODEST:
Mainstream. Main Street. Mass produced. Middle Class homes.
ROYAL BARRY WILLS Cape Cods at one end of the architectural spectrum.
CLIFF MAY Ranches on the other.
AND YES, a dose of Contemporary increasingly thrown in, too.
AND OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS –
a gazillion prosaic, vernacular melting-pot variations in between.
MID-CENTURY MODEST HOMES ARE: Small –
1,000 square feet for many years running.
“SMALL” TODAY– but to their owners starting in 1946,
they were the culmination of the American Dream.
Following years of economic Depression and WWII,
these little homes were an amazing gift.
HOW DO WE LOVE THEE, Mid-Century Modest homes?
Let us count the ways…
- Built with love and immense gratitude.
- Wonderful features – pastel bathrooms, fitted kitchens, livable layouts.
- Knotty pine paneling – installed by Gramps.
- Lots of ingenious Americana
like Nutone exhaust fans, Hall-Mack Tow’lscopes, and Dishmasters. - Wallpaper and pinch pleats and pull-down kitchen lights.
- Boomerang cabinet pulls and wagon wheel lights and braided rugs.
- Indoor plumbing.
- Unpretentious. Exuberant. The first taste of true material comfort
for many millions of people. - Our houses have stories…
Stories about the beginning of a new American era still playing out today. - Did I mention small? Yes. But small is — green.
- Small is quite often: “enough.”
THERE IS MUCH TO APPRECIATE in our Mid-Century Modest homes.
And certainly nothing to apologize for.
GRANITE countertops? Who needs ‘em, especially when they come with
a home equity loan that stresses our family finances beyond our limits.
What silliness. What Insanity.
SHHHH! Don’t tell anyone, but our Mid-Century Modest homes,
because they are so unpretentious by today’s standards,
can be much more affordable to buy and to renovate.
RETRO RENOVATION is very much about the “Re”:
Reduce. Re-Use. Recycle. Restore. Re-Store.
Returning to the source of “The American Dream”…
And in the process, re-thinking what we want it to mean for us today.
OH YEAH, and Retro style has a happiness-quotient that is off the charts.
WE LOVE our Mid-Century Modest homes
in all their glorious simplicity and optimism,
and cherish the opportunity to safeguard their history and heritage.
That’s the: Mid-Century Modest Manifesto.
Copyright © RetroRenovation.com 2009
Stacey says
You are my hero! I thought I was alone in my love of the humble ranch. When I was young, I renovated a brick ranch built in ’52. That was a lot of work that frankly, I don’t think I could live through again! Now I live in a later mid-century ranch built in ’76 – only 1400 sq. feet and covered in vinyl siding, but we love it for so many reasons. I’d like to see a little love thrown to the latter-mid-century ranches as well. Anyway, I love the way this site thumbs its nose to granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, etc. I’m right there with ya.
A few days ago I was researching ranches on the internet when I found your NYT article. That same day I also found these wonderful reports from the Historic Preservation Division of the State of Georgia:
http://georgiashpo.org/historic/housing
Scroll half way down and check out all the great info on the houses and architects under the Ranch Houses heading. Funny, I have lived in and around many of the neighborhoods in these reports – it’s like reading my life in architecture. But now I know what to call each and every style. Enjoy!
Hippychic823 says
Just purchased my first house, its a 1928 Colonial in Southern Illinois but was “remodeled” by the previous owners in 1961. Before I looked at the house the Realtor told the kitchen “needed lots of work”. When I walked in I heard angels sing and almost fell to my knees. Aquamarine Formica countertops and Aqua metal cabinets. The most AMAZING aqua, yellow and green Sunburst-ish pattern wallpaper (HEART, HEART, HEART!!!!!!!!) and Avacado Green stove and fridge (probably more 70’s than 50’s but whatever). But the BEST part….A NAUGAHYDE UPHOLSTERED NOOK!!!!!!!!! I could NEVER replace this fun, funky, amazing kitchen with granite and stainless steel!!! Let the HGTV’ers have their “sterile operating room” looking kitchens. I HEART my “kitch” kitchen and I heart this site!!!!!!
hannah says
OH YOU LUCKY GAL!!! I want to see PICTURES!!
I love how the realtor said “the kitchen needs some work…” 🙂
Peggy says
LOL, yea the same thing happened to me…I live on a very popular street in my town…and was w/a friend at the community center where the gal that was volunterring happened to be a realor….she asked where we were from etc…I told her I lived in town …and what house…and she goes…”oh. Yea I know that house. ….it hasnt been “updated” since it was built..in 1952. lol
hannah says
Oh man, it’s still a WIP (work in progress). We’ve only been in 6.5 weeks! But, I did just friend RetroRennovation on FB, I have a few albums up there of before and after pics and purchases. … [ pam edited out links as they don’t work... ]
The kitchen and bathroom won’t get painted out until winter. 🙁
hannah
pam kueber says
hannah, the links don’t work. if you have some time you can send me the photos directly at retrorenovation [at] gmail [dot] com
hannah says
Hi Pam. I sent you two emails from my gmail account. About 6-8 pics each. Keep in mind my house is NOT sleek by any stretch of the imagination, but it IS quite ‘funky MCM-ish”. A mish-mash with intent. 🙂
hannah says
Your manefesto is beautiful and made me tear up a bit. Aging baby boomer here (57). Just bought my first house in April. A 1961 Ranch in Maine. 825sf, so smaller than your 1,000 mentioned. I’d sure love to have that extra 200ft!! But our yard is twice as big as the house so lots to nurture and do.
I have found most my MCM at flea markets, online (etsy and eBay) and antique shops and Craigslist. I looked around the house the other day and noted that everything was second hand save for a few things (fridge, washer). For years I had lived with my late mothers coffee and end tables, dishes, flateware etc. I opted to find them a new good home and have replaced it all with period furnishings. My goal is to take this little house back to it’s ‘hey day’.
I even found locally a FULL Heywood-Wakefield bedroom set for $600 and purchased it from the original owner. Trudy was kind enough to sing the bottom of one dresser drawer for me, she bought the best first in 1948 and added pieces as time went by.
I play ‘period’ music when I’m cleaning and cooking and nothing makes me happier than this house and all that’s in it. As a friend at work is fond of saying when you ask him how he’s doing “Livin’ the dream!”….and so I am.
Your site is wonderful and so much fun to read.
hannah
pam kueber says
Thank you for this lovely note, hannah! Send me some pics of your 825 s.f. castle!
javagirl500 says
I am thrilled to find you all. I just bought a 1951 ranch in North Miami. Modest sweet and original except for the bath. It even has its full set of clamshell awnings. Granite and stainless are sooooo boring. I look forward to finding design ideas and resources here. I won’t be a fanatic about accuracy to the period… but I want to keep the best features. People think I’m nuts but I’m going to paint the exterior a light lavender…
Terri B says
I love this site! I am 9 months into a retro renovation for a 1952 mid-century modest house in south Louisiana. The exterior of the home is the traditional “double shotgun” style that has been found to be tried and true in the gulf coast humidity. But once the doors opened, I instantly fell in love with the mid century modern/modest interior. I knew right then that I had to have this house! I am hooked!
I recently found this site and I have used your resources to buy my laminate countertops and trim and other things as well. Thanks so much for your inspiration!
I live in a rural area and it seems like I am the only person in 6 parishes (counties) interested in mid-century. Most people think that I am crazy when I tell them that I am installing 1950’s metal cabinets! lol
Kathy Vaughn says
My mother still lives in the house she and my father bought in 1958. They added a den with a fireplace in the 60’s to “modernize” the house. She wanted it because it was across the street from the high school were she taught. The school built in 1952 had to be torn down in 1999 because of sick building syndrome. But all the houses that surround the school are still there. Neighborhood remains the same. I think its funny how with the fancy new building came fancy attitudes that had not existed before. I remember one time my father thinking of selling our house to the school board, who would have turned it into a parking lot. I was long out of the house, but my immediate comment was, “I did know hell had frozen over.” Needless to say, he kept the house. Even today, 13 years after he has gone, she won’t think of leaving. I don’t want her to. That is what I consider home. My husband’s mother still lives in his childhood home as well. There is something about that generation that just did not move around like we have. Says a lot about them and lot about us.
pam kueber says
Yup, Kathy. Thank you for sharing these lovely, lovely memories.
Rose says
It is sooo great to read this about mid-century-modest since we live in a 1950`s, 900sqft home which we bought from the orginal owners. The house is full of character with keyhole arches, a pink bathtub, and various builtins. One of the coolest features that everyone loves is the rec room in the basement. It has real wood part way up on the walls that look like logs. There is a bar and wine storage cupboard. They even left the dartboard and orginal darts. It had an old gas fireplace which we replaced for a wood one. (was worried that the house would blow up if we used it) Everyone loves to hang out in this space because it has warmth and character. I am researching on how to update my kitchen and still keep its character and that is how I discoved this sight. I love all the great ideas and am glad to realize that wanting to keep your homes style is OK.
Tami says
Here’s an antidote to all that high-style mcm stuff:
http://unhappyhipsters.com/
Enjoy.
pam kueber says
@Tami, even though it’s mean – yes, it’s pretty wicked funny.
Aitch says
yeah, that is excellent…
Aitch says
I have been in heaven driving around Mid-Century Modest neighborhoods in Denver all weekend. We have a LOT of them!
My brother-in-law enviously lives in Arapahoe Acres in Englewood CO–a historically designated MCM neighborhood — homes now going for 350k and up–
But the MC-Modest truly has it own unique charms and beauty. I will post photos of some of my finds on he Flickr account.
I am not a snob.
so thank you for your wonderful blog post
And tract housing from the 50s rocks!
And now i will keep reading!
Love,
Aitch CS