Congratulations on your new home. Before you rip down the wood over the FP stone, you might want to be sure the stone goes all the way to the ceiling. Or at least be prepared to cover with something else. Odds are, the stone is not flush with the ceiling.

One way to de-MCM the home would be to add some classic crown molding, beef up the door/window casing, and add higher baseboards throughout the house. I would also paint out all the wood doors and trim. As for furniture layouts and TV placement, we'd have to see dimensioned floor plans to give any solid advice.

My first thought was remove the wood valance over the stone. Please hurry.

Thanks so much everyone! I want to mention that my husband has 8 years experience in building fine homes. So he’s pretty handy. The question about the stone has already been addressed and has been installed floor to ceiling. Whew! Can’t wait to paint and get that wood out of here!
We also have plans to purchase new interior and exterior doors, trim, hardware throughout our home. Right now they’re hollow and dark and beaten up. Window replacement will have to wait along with a new kitchen.

I will get the floor measurements.

I think your home is gorgeous!, but I love modern design. I don't think you are limited to strictly mid century modern furnishings. Modern, Shaker and some transitional pieces could be selected to create a beautiful setting. In your photos I didn't notice anything that fit these styles(except for dining room able/chairs. i'm no pro, but IMO keeping the furnishings in one style or similar styles looks better than mixing them. Room and Board has a large selection of furnishings that I think would look good, Crate and Barrel, too. I'm with you on ditching the TV, but I understand that dilemma. Wall mount or media cabinet.

Thanks.
Our couch is from Ballard Designs, the Graham. Dining room table and chairs came from Crate and Barrel. The mirror cam from Pottery Barn. We also have a chandelier but it’s sitting in a box.
The little tables are from Ballard Design and coffee table is from a local furniture store. All of it was just placed here when we moved. I have no idea what my style is. I can say I love wood but it’s hard on my eyes if it’s a lot and too dark. I like leather but not a lot of leather haha!
Thank you for input. I am looking forward to hearing what others have to say.

I love your house, most especially your fireplace, though that scalloping at the top doesn't fit the style. I have two Ideabooks, one called MCM and the other "Ranch" that might have some photos that show how to work with the midcentury style in a transitional way. The bare bones of your house are wonderful--beautiful floors, the fireplace, windows, wood trim, are the essence of the midcentury style. It doesn't need add-ons that would detract from the clean, open, light-filled space. I hope you'll embrace some of what makes your house special. Incredible lighting, furniture choices, and art could bring out your house's character and make it yours.

Do a search for "renovating a midcentury house" and you'll see lots of interior and exterior inspirational images--some that adhere exactly to the MCM style and others that take off from it in ways that bring out MCM's great qualities.

As for the TV, consider this setup--floating the sofa; wood shelves to the side and the TV to the right or left of the firebox, chairs facing your wonderful windows.

@housegal200 Thanks so much. I agree. We purchased this home because it had great bones. We appreciate all that it has to offer. Definitely appreciate the limestone fireplace but have no interior design skills to bring out her beauty. We just need direction in design and flow. I will definitely checkout your boards.

@ groveraxle Thanks. We don’t plan on doing anything but playing up it’s beauty. We love wood and appreciate the limestone fireplace but need design direction. As far as the wood goes we’d prefer lighter wood with dark wood as accents.

The wood around the base of the floor has a gap 1/4 in around the wall and we have to change that to get rid of the ugly 3/4 moldings throughout the home.

I'm not sure what taking the wall between kitchen & LR half way down means. Do you mean removing the top 1/2-ish of the wall horizontally and creating something of a large pass through? Or do you mean removing 1/2-ish of the wall vertically and creating a walk thru from the front door? Without seeing a full floor plan and the kitchen layout it's hard to recommend either one but the pass-thru type set up is going to make furniture layout more difficult and I'm not sure the light sharing is going to be a big enough factor to offset that. You aren't going to get a lot of light from your south facing LR to enter the kitchen with either option honestly.

.Just to give you an idea of how to start transitioning while still using what you have and just living with the house as it is right now:

--Keep the wood doors for now to get used to the flat wood style. I know you said they were in bad shape, but wood doors are very much characteristic of MCM. If you get new ones, avoid, avoid "colonial" raised panel styles. This is what groveraxle means by "muddled."

--Replace table and floor lamps with something like these transitional ones. The table lamps pick up the gold floors and gold wood trim of your coffee table.

Sam Table Lamp · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/sam-table-lamp-prvw-vr~94928478)

Light Accents Tripod Table Lamp Natural Wooden Base With Linen Shade, White · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/light-accents-tripod-table-lamp-natural-wooden-base-with-linen-shade-white-prvw-vr~87550197)

Pendants very simple but with curved shapes to balance straight MCM lines:

Stilig Saucer Criss Cross Pendant Lamp, Medium · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/stilig-saucer-criss-cross-pendant-lamp-medium-prvw-vr~120328984)

Three Light Pendant, Heirloom Bronze · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/sea-gull-lighting-3-light-pendant-heirloom-bronze-prvw-vr~82524984)

Tripod Floor Lamp Cotton Lampshade With Wood Color Oak Stand, Wood Walnut · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/tripod-floor-lamp-cotton-lampshade-with-wood-color-oak-stand-wood-walnut-prvw-vr~85095714)

Art just to give you an idea of how to pair MCM styles/colors in rugs and art work. MCM has some great colors--turquoise, orange, lime, but also grays, yellows. Keep in mind that your floors are a fourth wall. Area rugs should pick up a big of gold and gray from the fireplace but add bold contrast as well.

Abstract Meditation #5, Original By Krystle Cole, Art · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/abstract-meditation-5-original-by-krystle-cole-art-prvw-vr~80178622)

Rugs:

(I like this one because of the shapes. The colors pick up gold floors, gray fireplace, and add a punch of MCM colors and lines.)

Pink Pyramid Mid-Century Geometric Area Rug, 7'6"x9'6" · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/pink-pyramid-mid-century-geometric-area-rug-76x96-prvw-vr~111497399)

Vibrant Chevron Rug, Multi, 5'x8' · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/vibrant-chevron-rug-multi-5x8-prvw-vr~42031849)

Starbursts are very much an MCM icon. Here's a rug and art pairing.

Catalonia Area Rug, Royal/Ivory, 8'x10' · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/catalonia-area-rug-royal-ivory-8x10-prvw-vr~79510594)

Art:

"Waves" Original Artwork By Ilana Greenberg · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com/products/waves-original-artwork-by-ilana-greenberg-prvw-vr~56141823)

^^^^YES YES YES^^^

I'm thinking more about an alternative layout for TV watching while also keeping the amazing fireplace as a focal point. Since your front door opens right into the living room, then your current placement of the sofa is good. The back of it creates a passageway into the house kind of like this:

For an entryway table against the wall or sofa back, a simple slim wood console table on hairpin legs would give you an "entrance" to put down keys, mail etc.

Chairs could be set in front of the windows with a low table in between for plants. Chair would face an MCM style credenza with the TV and art over it. You can find knockoff consoles at West Elm but amazing originals on Craigslist.

I have nothing to add other than to say I love your house. It reminds me of some of the MCM gems that I often stay at in Palm Springs. Btw... check out Rejuvenation.com.

Erica, I disagree with your asessment that you have no design skills. You chose a really beautiful house and you love it's "bones" I'd say that indicates that you get it". Go slowly, one area at a time, stick to the "modern" styles and buy what you love and I think you'll end up loving your home more than you could now imagine (it's really really beautiful!.

@housegal200 Thank you so much for your thoughtful post. I dug in last night and have decided that I absolutely love MCM and have no idea why I am just figuring it out! I will obviously have to start with knockoffs and work on my husband a bit.

I found several things I liked and am prepared to start making purchases soon.
I jumped on to Crate and Barrel, Joybird, Room and Board, One Kings Lane? RH and a few others.

Now that I am over whelmed with my new excitement of MCM design. Idk what to do. Start buying furniture? Paint this cream colored tinged house walls an Sherwin Williams Alabaster? Lol!

Who knows?!? Maybe I’d like to start with selecting a exterior door. I’d also like exterior lights. I’d like a new front MCM door with windows in the door, new light fixtures out front and inside. I’d like to find a dining room light my husband might like. He’s pretty easy going but he’s not sold on MCM style YET!
I am working so still no measurements of rooms.
I did like the idea of using half horizontal wall for possible TV location. Still keeping the fireplace focal point.

He thinks it’s outdated and old. So I might have to give a little here and there.

Thank you again! Everyone is helping me navigate through this and hopefully I won’t purchase anything without it offering beauty and functionality to our house.

We’ve been adjusting well to our new home. We’re loving it!

My husband is busy finishing our basement. I work from home and need this space done ASAP. Drywall is up and more permits for an Egress is in the works. Almost time for deciding on tile and carpet.

Our living room is still untouched. I am loving it! The dark trim and even the way the old fluorescent lighting hits the stones at night! ;)

I’ve started removing nails and staples and filling in the remaining holes from carpet strips.
We’ve ordered a new garage door and exterior door. Removed all of the large shrubs. We have plans to tear out two brick flower beds (in the fall) installed in the 1980’s. A new roof will be installed in 2019.

Here’s our new exterior door. It’s the black one. Our garage door is the same except the windows are off to the right of the door with an obscure view.

I need advice on selecting door finishes for both the new exterior doors, the knobs. Should I start a new thread for this?

Also our interior knobs, hinges, etc. the inside door knobs are all different sizes, finishes and rusted out. Any suggestions?
We’re keeping of our dark flat doors, windows and trim. Not sure what we will do in the rooms the previous owner painted.

Reading this over makes me crazy. Sorry about run on sentences! Whoa!

I'm glad to hear you're embracing the MCM vibe. It is such a fun period. You might get better responses by starting a new thread for specific topics like hardware for the front door, which I love - so cool. Where the previous owner painted the trim, see how well they prepped it. Maybe you'll be lucky and it will be not well so their coat will come off easily. Otherwise you can just keep the painted surfaces in those rooms or replace the trim.

I think this door might have period hardware. Love the light and the mailbox. Interesting walkway.

Like the hardware (and the numbers) on this door.Like the lever handle.

Erica, I'm relieved to see you've learned to love MCM and that you've picked a very appropriate front door and (sounds like) equally appropriate garage door.

If you keep in mind the maxim that "less is more," it will help you achieve an appropriate look for your vintage house while still availing yourself of all the latest features. So with regard to hardware, Schlage has some entry sets that will fit well with your new door. You can even do the keyless entry if you like. Just remember to keep it simple, no unnecessary curves or doodads.

https://www.schlage.com/en/home/products/product-listing.html

Here’s what our new garage door will look like. The windows on the right. The listing photo with tree and shrubs.

Also I have measured the space but unfortunately I have no idea how to put it onto paper layout. I’ve tried. Lol. Please don’t eat me alive here! Haha!

Our plan is to open a horizontal view of the wall to allow more open concept from kitchen. Not a walk through kitchen. We’d also like the idea @housegal200 had about a new media location.

I love your limestone fireplace...we have the same stone but only half wall. Also, "behind" the fireplace in the kitchen its a full wall. Hope to see lots of photos when you're finished

You know the shutters have to go...and that odd tree on the corner. You can keep the hedges if you trim them below the windows.

Now, if you're in Palm Springs, you can keep the tree on the corner if you do this to it:

;-)

You could paint your windows black to match your door and garage:

Oooo.....thank you! I love the shutters gone! Poof & look there are my new doors!

We’ve already taken out the shrubs and tree. Those were the very first thing after calling HVAC to replace the 30 year old units.

You're way ahead of me.

@ sonni1 I’ve been collecting photos of things that catch my eye. I am not sure what my true style is but I was surprised to find I really do like modern looking stuff. Here’s a few things I can see us purchasing or similar items. Not sure about colors but mainly the styles. I do like the mixed finishes on the lighting and looking to purchase a dining room light very soon.

I will also be keeping my teak dining room table and chairs.

I also have a huge farmhouse type mirror. I wonder if I could do anything to it to make it fit my new home and style? I was thinking of painting it all matte black (?) and trimming the inside out in gold. ???

I have some black lamps with white/cream stained glass shades. Any ideas about new shades to take them in a new modern direction or do the have to go?!
Also I am thinking of replacing all of my interior door hardware with black matte or bronze finishes. Does anyone have thoughts on that? Idk I love these light fixtures. Am I in the right ballpark guys?

groveraxle, that tree, I'd have to get a chainsaw...

Erica, you're adapting well. You're totally in the ballpark. West Elm has lots of MCM stuff. Just look for clean lines, simple shapes, little to no ornamentation. Simplicity is the hallmark of mid century modern.

The other place to look at MCM furnishings is Design Within Reach, a misnomer since nothing there is in reach. But use it as a jumping off point to look for knock offs. So you can pony up $7k for the original Eames lounger...

...$1300 for this knock off...

...or $599:

Whoa, I am so glad. I don’t have a style, or do I? Lol.
I‘be just always bought what I liked.

So my thing is...I have a husband who I love and respect very much and what he thinks matters. He’s not opposed to my decisions but he’s not sold on all of the modern .....yet! So I have to ease into this new found love slowly. ;) I’d like to stay happily married another...at least 23 years!

Any suggestions on these old pieces? Can I do anything to keep them and make them work?

I will be looking for a low, low media and a new seating arrangement as suggested by @housegal200 arrangement for the TV placement so we can keep fireplace open.

I love your house. I am so glad you are embracing the MCM aesthetic . My husband and I just replaced all our hardware on our old flush doors including the hinges. It is not hard at all and has improved both the look and function on all our doors. We purchased Baldwin hardware. Get it online as it is significantly cheaper. We went with a streamlined modern handle. The mirror can work. The lamp looks more mission to me so I would relegate that to a less public area, perhaps a bedroom. Love the chandeliers you are considering. Sputnicks and urchin could work as well. Your fireplace is beautiful and a low media cabinet is ideal for a his room. I am excited to see what you do with it.

The mirror and lamp might both be worked into an MCM scheme. Don't give up on them yet.

I was wondering if I should paint the mirror all black except for the black trim just outside the mirror and paint that gold or faux gold leaf?

Maybe shades can be replaced on lamps.

Take your time, The most interesting & beautiful homes evolve over time. As I stated in an earlier post, I think your home is beautiful. Good luck!

A few updates! We’ve been here a year! We’ve ran into a few things that pushed our plans back and costs us money!
We still have that unsightly wood valance in the living room ha!
We went with a sectional my husband liked at Crate&Barrel. I don’t love the layout but it’s working out fine.
We had an Osborn high efficiency stove insert installed and we love it! I painted the room alabaster by SW. Redid the wood floors.
We’re NOT getting new windows. I’ve started to restore them! We are getting New storms though.
Before and after basement photo.

Basement still needs a few things but we’ve come a long way. My husband has worked so hard. I am so appreciative.

Hopefully adding some color with art and decor. I’d like a new side board and a bar cabinet.
Valance coming down when husband plans to add recessed lighting. I’d like a center lighting fixture but not sure.
We got a new ProVia patio door. It’s beautiful and we’ve decided to keep all the original trim. We’re still planning on replacing the interior doors with flat solid wood doors and black hardware I purchased last year. They’re beautiful black solid brass knobs.

Also I’d a sideboard for dining room.

Our new patio slider

Also as you can see the ottomans don’t match our furniture. Lol they’re very functional though. For our dog.

Update! Guess what’s finally gone! Poof! Bye-bye ugly wood valance!

We took the iron hardware off of our mirror and used a French cleat to hang it. I think it looks great! I am glad I didn’t get rid of it!

It’s finally starting to feel like home!

We had our old ottomans reupholstered and I totally love the texture they bring into the room.

Do you like the fireplace now? I think it looks fantastic with the changes you made!

Wow! The addition of the colored throw pillows made such a difference in the energy of the room from your Aug 2 pics to now. The slider looks great.

It comes through in your posts how happy you are with the room. Thank you for keeping us up-to-date on your transformation.

Everything looks great. Especially the dog.

Thanks guys! I enjoy reading updates, so I had to do my own. :)

I must have been dead to think this was an ugly stone wall! I absolutely LOVE IT! What a dang fool I was! Ugh!

We are loving the look! We have purchased 9 metal frames. We plan on selecting 9 of our favs and making gallery above the little table in the entryway.

We ordered our new storm windows this week. We went with sandstone ProVia storms. That color will be like the mortar in between the brick. Come spring we will get a new (black) charcoal roof, paint the gables, gutters and downspouts in sandstone as well.