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Go Mad for 7 Midcentury Modern Homes

Clean lines, simple design, indoor-outdoor connection — these throwback homes have it all

Mitchell Parker July 25, 2016

Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.

Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More

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We’ve reported before about how nostalgia, a desire for simpler times and the popularity of Apple products have helped lead to a resurgence in midcentury modern design. Modern architects of the mid-20th century continue to be household names, and their projects are often thought of as treasures to be hunted out and fought over. To satiate your hunger for the throwback style, let these seven homes tickle your midcentury bone. Who knows, maybe one will inspire you to buy and remodel your own midcentury masterpiece — and perhaps even fill it with authentic Mad Men memorabilia.

BUNNYFiSH studio

Photo by Francis and Francis Photography

1. Viva Las Vegas!

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Ian and Shanna Anderson, their two kids and two dogs
Location: McNeil neighborhood of Las Vegas
Size: 2,800 square feet (260 square meters); four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Year built: 1960s

Furniture dealer Ian Anderson and architect Craig Sean Palacios turned a burned-down Las Vegas house into a bright and open H-shaped house.

Here, a Brazilian walnut fence blocks views from the street into the glass entryway.

BUNNYFiSH studio

Photo by Francis and Francis Photography

An extra-long kitchen island table takes the place of a formal dining room.

Large-format charcoal tile creates a durable floor for the family of four and their two dogs.

BUNNYFiSH studio

Photo by Francis and Francis Photography

The living room reflects furnishings in line with the homeowners’ careers spent working for modern furniture companies.

Builder: Trinity Haven Development

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2. Phoenix on Fire

Houzz at a Glance
Location: Phoenix
Size: 2,178 square feet (202 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Year built: 1956
Original architect: Charles and Arthur Schreiber

Designer Cavin Costello was able to take a fully gutted Charles and Arthur Schreiber house in Phoenix, create a more open floor plan and add a 600-square-foot master suite without losing the original look or feel of the structure.

Midcentury Living Room Midcentury Living Room

Costello sanded and restained the original wood beams, which he then made stand out more by filling the interiors with furniture in neutral colors.

Knocking down walls opened the kitchen to adjacent dining and TV areas.

Cabinets: Abtrakt in high-gloss gray, Ikea; quartz countertops: White Zeus Extreme, Silestone; backsplash: Ona in natural, Porcelanosa; farmhouse sink: Kraus via Build.com; 36-inch range: Verona

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Kimberley Bryan

3. Cool in California

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Danielle and Jose Gomez; their children, Chloe, 13, Devin, 10, and Sebastian, 3; and their dog, Jack
Location: Del Mar, California
Size: 2,200 square feet (204 square meters); four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Year built: 1958

An exterior of gray paint and natural rock allows this Southern California home to blend in to its surroundings. A vibrant orange door pays homage to the home’s midcentury design roots.

Siding paint: Granite Boulder, Dunn-Edwards; front door paint: Jubilee, Frazee Paint

Kimberley Bryan

The living room features an original floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace surround, concrete floors and unpainted wood ceiling planks.

Planter: Grounded; chairs: Herman Miller; Dora Maar vase: Jonathan Adler

Kimberley Bryan

Metallic wallpaper in a large pattern perks up the master bedroom.

Gun lamp, Philippe Starck; wallpaper: Hygge & West; Eames lounge chair: Herman Miller

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Webber + Studio, Architects

Photo by ArcherShot Photography

4. Awesome in Austin

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Karen Knight and her three teenage daughters
Location: Westlake Hills neighborhood of Austin, Texas
Size: 3,000 square feet (279 square meters); five bedrooms, four bathrooms
Year built: 1968
Original designer: A.D. Stenger

Architect David Webber updated a dark, compartmentalized home on a tree-filled quarter-acre lot in Austin, Texas, to feature an A-frame tower. Locally sourced cedar replaced painted wood siding on the exterior and carries into the interiors.

Webber + Studio, Architects

Photo by Andrea Calo

Knocking down walls and tall cabinets allowed the homeowner to see from the kitchen sink to the front door. Walnut laminate counters complement cedar walls and pebbled floors. Formica countertops bring in the popular midcentury orange color.

Webber + Studio, Architects

Photo by ArcherShot Photography

A red steel staircase connects the second floor to a rooftop deck.

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Identity Construction

Photo by Scott Sandler

5. Party Time in Phoenix

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Kristy and Scott Smith — she’s a training manager; he’s in product development
Location: Phoenix
Size: 1,750 square feet (163 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Original architect: Al Beadle

Midcentury modern homes are known for their good bones and clean lines. But often they have been repeatedly remodeled over the years, making them a hodgepodge of good intentions with poor function. And this single-story masonry-block home in Phoenix was no different.

The new owners kept many of the home’s defining features — such as the deep metal fascia and brise-soleil concrete element that helps block sunlight on the exterior — but renovated it to create a more open floor plan and better indoor-outdoor connection.

Decomposed granite, metal planter boxes and drought-tolerant plantings define the new front landscaping.

Identity Construction

Photo by Scott Sandler

An intensive landscape plan replaced an all-dirt backyard with an entertainer’s dream that includes an extended covered patio, a swimming pool, a deck and an artificial-turf lawn.

Decking: Trex

Identity Construction

Photo by Scott Sandler

The reconfigured kitchen features bamboo lower cabinets and lacquered upper cabinets from Ikea. The space now opens to the living and dining area, and has a large island for prep and entertaining.

Appliances: Monogram, GE; counters: Silestone; sink: Kohler; faucet: Hansgrohe; pendant lights: Vibia

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LimeLite Development

6. Whoa in Washington

Houzz at a Glance
Location: Sammamish, Washington
Size: 1,500 square feet (139 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1965
Original architect: Milton Stricker

Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Milton Stricker built this Washington state home, which sat neglected for a number of years before a design and build team restored it with a few modern updates.

Indoor-outdoor connections, overhanging rooflines and an L-shaped floor plan remain intact. A combination of mulch, river rock and shade-loving native plants replaced an original overgrown lawn.

Landscape design: Root of Design; landscape installation: Leonardi Landscaping

LimeLite Development

Original shelving and a banquette wrap the living room.

Cushions: HM Duke Design

LimeLite Development

New custom elm cabinetry and a waterfall countertop modernize the kitchen.

Countertops: Pental Surfaces; bar stools: Area 51

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Wise Design

Photo by Mhari Scott

7. DIY Refresh in Portland

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Annie and Eric Wise and their two young sons
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 1,144 square feet (106 square meters); three bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms
Year built: 1954

These homeowners in Portland, Oregon, did most of the renovation work themselves, spending just $15,000 to update the kitchen, living and dining spaces.

They painted the exterior gray with white trim to highlight the clean exterior lines. A red door helps the entrance stand out despite its awkward location.

Wise Design

Photo by Mhari Scott

Wise Design

Photo by Mhari Scott

The front door opens into the living room, which features new custom millwork, a refurbished knotty pine ceiling and a refinished red oak floor.

Sofa: Perch Furniture; glass vase: Italian; floor pillows: CB2; throw pillows: Urban Outfitters; lamp: Crate & Barrel; hairpin-leg table: Craigslist