Mid-Century Modern (MCM) is an aesthetic many people want right now, but with inventory levels the lowest in history finding a classic mid-century-modern is hard… and even more difficult is the flurry of offers often surrounding such rare finds.
Every week I scour new listings for mid-century-moderns. I don’t get them all, but every week I share a link to a representation of what I find in current listings. I also look beyond what could be called ‘genuine’ mid-century-moderns to homes that reflect that aesthetic by their use of features that give a MCM feel. Sign up for my weekly HomesMSP Update at the end of this post to receive my weekly list of mid-century/modern listings, along with market updates and other information.
I work with a lot of people looking for mid-century-moderns. Some of them want something authentic and unadulterated from the period, but many are really looking for certain elements which can be found in homes of different eras…
- Large windows, sliding glass doors and expansive panes of glass letting in light from many angles
- Clerestory windows high on the wall touching the roof, letting in more ambient light and keeping homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer… and leaving more wall space for art and built-ins
- Vaulted ceilings, often wood
- Flat and shed roof lines
- Integration with nature, with natural materials and outdoor views bringing the outside in
- Open living area floor plans… with changes in elevation creating different depths of space
Many of the precepts of mid-century-modern architecture were influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright who came before with a wide range of ideas from small to large…
- Abandoned the idea of multiple rooms for different purposes… and opened floor plans for flexible living that were both functional and artful
- Low buildings with flat planes, stacking multiple horizontal layers
- Soaring roof lines and walls of glass expressing the interior main room as a veil of the enclosed space
- Modest homes of wood, glass and concrete, with big windows and open plans
- Open the corner, with corner windows expanding the space outward
- Wide overhangs continuing the interior space outward and framing views, creating a relationship between inside and outside
- Bringing outside light in, but integrating interior artificial lighting as a part of the house
- Overall function of the house was to bring everyone together to eat, learn, make music, socialize… resulting in grand yet flexible living space where you could just be together while also surrounded by views of nature
Architectural design is a continuum, and homes built since the MCM era have been influenced by all of the above. If you are searching for MCM, ask yourself what is it about mid-century-modern architecture that you love and seek those features in other eras… you could be surprised at what you may find.
Every week I scour new listings for homes that are genuine mid-century-moderns, as well as other homes that reflect a more modern, clean aesthetic. Sign up to have my weekly HomesMSP Update delivered to your email inbox each Friday. I promise I won’t bug you, but am here to help and answer questions whenever you need it!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com
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