apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

love this! reminds me of edward scissorhands.

Love it.

Realistic, authentic, and not too stuffy. :) Allows people to take more affordable routes and have more fun too!

...and another thought- I'm one who LOVES mid-century modern, but I think my latest project falls much closer to mid-century modest ;) If anything, it's a big diversion from my eames chairs and nelson lamp lol

http://cozylittlecave.blogspot.com/2010/03/guest-bed-before-after.html

Haha, I like this idea. I inherited my grandmother's dining set, which she purchased in the 60's, but would NEVER be called modern - modest fits, however. That definitely works for me.

Love the reuse of steel cabinets. Not much around anymore since we lost the steel manufacturing in the US.

There is nobody quite like Pam. I am blessed to have her for a neighbor and blogging friend; so glad to see you share her practical-mindedness and talent here.

ahhhhh, i just featured her FABULOSO bright, cheery kitchen on my blog on monday! it's BEYOND! bravo and golf claps from me! i don't have the spunk to pull it off (we lust for neutral tones) but turquoise is one of my FAVES so i'd love to just join her for a cup'o tea one afternoon and talk mid century design! cheers - http://www.casacullen.com

Can't wait to see this at home (no soudn allowed at work) -- love the turquoise kitchen -- the huge window is wonderful!

I question the statement "Everyone is on a mid-century modern kick right now (and while that's great) not every house is meant to be that way." Are you saying that only a mid-century home should be furnished with mid-centuy pieces (modest or modern)? If so, I couldn't disagree more.

I appreciate the idea hereand I like Pam's kitchen, but it is too much of a time capsule for my taste.

I live in a 1958 ranch and have tried to give it a mid-century modest sense some 7 years ago. I renovated our kitchen that still had GE metal cabinets. I bought up more cabinets and did a new layout. I then gave the brown, yellow, pink and white cabinets a Mondrian look by mostly using white glossy paint with a few doors and drawers painted red, yellow and aqua. I definitely now have a 21st century operating kitchen with a 1950s look.

I like this idea a lot for many reasons, a big one is that many of the mid-century modern houses I've visited are overcurated to a point that they lack personality.

rosejj- I'd love to see your kitchen! Do you have a link?

"most people strive to acquire as many mid-century modern pieces as they can"

Really? I understood this was "Apartment Therapy", not "Apartment Uniform"

Huge fan of camp. I'm going to Bisbee, AZ in April with my boyfriend, and can't wait to take home bunches of corny desert-themed stuff from the middle of last century. I love mid-century modern, but can't always afford it... and anyway, I like my home to be comfortable rather than a showcase.

I couldn't agree more with you, djs.

And as for ironic decor ("your friends won't know what to think. 'Is she serious?'") no thank you. I want my space to be personal and meaningful to myself and my family.

Sorry, but she takes herself way to seriously to the point of having no design aesthetic. At least that is how the video comes across.

The kitchen is cute and with all the modern conveniences, the rest of what was shown, meh.

@djs - No, I obviously did not mean that only mid-century modern homes could be decorated in mid-century modern. I'm not sure how you derived that from that sentence. I was simply commenting that there's nothing wrong with decorating your home according to the era in which it was built.

@idontdobeige - Yes, it is called Apartment Therapy. I was commenting on the mid-century modern trend right now. There's nothing wrong with it (I happen to love it), but we've been seeing a lot of it over the past few years. Simply expressing my opinion.

@idontdobeige I agree with you. I personally loathe mid-century modern. It feels so dated.

I think rather than saying "most people" "a lot of people" would have worked without ruffling my feathers, even "many people" would have been better.

Every so often, reading AT, I think "Man, what am I doing here? Don't these people do ANYTHING besides Mid-Century?" And this just felt like one straw too many.

I'll confess, mid century modern is starting to bore me. Nelson lamps, Eames Chairs, it all starts to look the same to me. That said, I'm not a huge fan of this mid century modest incarnation. Some of the pieces are decent, but need refurbishing and refreshing. I loved some of my grandparents' furnishings, but I'm not interested in recreating their living rooms, and that's what this looks like to me. But, I'm more eclectic in my tastes. Can't stick with just one style.

I hope "modest" doesn't have to mean "tacky." I lean toward modern, but have a modest budget.

@Tiamat_the_Red - you said: "Don't these people do ANYTHING besides Mid-Century?" and that's exactly the point I was trying to get across. There's nothing wrong with decorating your home with pieces that aren't mid-century modern and it seems that lately people are forgetting that.

When I said most people strive to acquire as many mid-century modern pieces as they can, I meant because it seems to be such a huge trend right now.

Not every aesthetic that is talked about on Apartment Therapy is going to be loved by every reader - everyone has their own taste.

Well, there is nothing modest about that audacious paint color in the kitchen. It is not to my taste at all. No offense to the homeowner, she is obviously entitled to paint her kitchen in the style that suits her.

As for midcentury 'modest', I think you have to be careful about making sure your 'modest' decorating does not come off as looking intentionally dated.

Unfortunately some people 'gunk up' a nice mid-century look with 1980s upholstered couches that just "appear" mid-century because of their basic shape, but really have no design aesthetic at all, and then put the 'mid century modest' label on it. I'm a fan of mixing periods, but please do so with some sense of style, thanks!

Despite the heavy emphasis of midcentury modern on AT, I really enjoy the period and the values it embodied, and after searching for months and months trying to figure out what my 'style' was, I realized it was mid-century modern (with a few exceptions, namely, those fiberglass rockers... dislike). Putting a name to my personal tastes -- so I could shop appropriately for pieces that I love -- was invaluable, so I have AT to thank for that. :)

@cherrybomb --

I have to disagree w/ you about Pam's lack of design asthetic - If you read her site, she certainly has one.
I believe her asthetic is in line with an appreciation for the quality and slightly quirky items that already exist - such as Colonial kitchens and Pink bathrooms - things that just need a cleanup and a paintjob to make as good and functional as when they were new. When you think about it, it's not so different from the "LOOK! I painted an old dresser turquoise!" posts here...

To me, it's refreshing to see these things and appreciate their continued usefulness rather than yet another ode to brand-new HGTV-Big-Box-Generica.

Anytime you begin to decorate based solely on a trend - whether current or retro - you've stopped asking yourself if you really LIKE what you are buying. Even though those turquoise metal cabinets may be authentic to the original house, does she actually like them? She hinted that a lot of the nic-nacs are actually just a joke - for an insiders crowd of one.

@home body --

If you read her site (www.retrorenovation.com) or watched the film, you'd realize that those turquoise metal cabinets were not original to her home at all.

Pam searched for years to find a matching set of metal cabinets in sufficient numbers & types for her home, had them repainted in the color you see and installed in her new kitchen - replacing that dark 1970's kitchen in the video.

So my guess is that Pam loves her kitchen.

@Tiamat_the_Red, actually I generally like Mid Century Modern, it was the ""most people strive" style of wording that just rubbed me up the wrong way.

@ kristen lubbe, I don't object at all to your noticing and commenting on trends, but your wording did convey quite a different attitude to your later clarification of "it's a huge trend right now".

@ STURGEONGENERAL
I hope you see this before you go to Bisbee AZ ! Make sure you take a trip to the shady dell trailer park! You can stay in a vintage airstream trailer! It's a mid century modern dream come true!!! It's where I spent my 22nd birthday (many years ago) and I still dream about that spot. (and why the reason my web-name is bisbee!)

http://www.theshadydell.com/

@homebody: Nothing wrong with pleasing oneself. Who are you decorating for, in the end?

"Okay for you, but not for me" came to mind as I read this article. I think Mid-Century Modest, like Mid-Century Modern, is fine if you really like it, but I would not want to live with it for long.

Great, the Sarah Palinization of design.

I'm kinda glad so many people like MCM or MCm (that's a modest "m") because I don't, and it makes my home unique! Plus I never get suckered into buying some hideous Danish credenza for $8000. So ha. ;)

Pam is correct that most people didn’t live with MCM design – most had more mainstream tastes. And American architecture reflects that. For every 1950s modern house, there are probably a million “main street” homes. She is simply pointing out that there are other options under the mid century style umbrella – and frankly, those are often more affordable. (A little learnin’ never killed anyone!)

If you want to see a well executed MCM home, look no further than this AT post from today:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/boston/a-modern-home-with-history-house-tour-109948

One of the reasons this is so interesting is because it is not a slave to MCM style. I love its incorporation of regional styles -- there are more than a few Early American and Colonial inspired elements in this house, including the soapstone counter top. The mix is beautiful and organic.

This is probably one of the best tours AT has ever featured, and it fits within the MCM framework… yet only 11 comments as I write this. You should check it out.

paintitbright and home body: Your comments about ironic décor are kind of ironic (ironically). So what if the joke is only recognized by the residents? Isn’t pleasing yourself the most important consideration when decorating your own home?

I thought this was interesting to watch. But soooo not me since this what I saw at Gram's house - the maple, the eagles, the weird green swivel rocker lounge chairs, the plain tables, odd colored appliances, knitted afghans and cutsie collectibles. My shoulders hunch just looking at it.

I watched the video and know the cabinets weren't original but were *inspired by* what might have been there originally, and that she spent years to find them. But I have to wonder if in trying to keep within a style, people go more into the direction of Hollywood set styling than actually choosing things that they love unto themselves. Not just in this instance, but in general. It's a bit like having a collection - after a while you add to the collection just because you have the collection, not because each individual piece is something you like.

It would be nice if other's would not assume what one should or shouldn't like. A lot of people decorate in modern styles because it suits their sensibilities and their lifestyles and are not following any trends. Personally I find traditional to be tired and boring and could never live in such a house. We live in the twenty first century and I like to live like it. I would never come into a house tour and precede to trash someone's home simply because it's not "my" style.

Allow me add my voice to the "I detest mid-century modern" crowd. Granted, I'm no super-decorator, but while I can appreciate the skill that went into the pieces, I can't stand the aesthetic for the most part.

Kristen: Thank you so very much for your kind words and for featuring this video. It is so fascinating to read the divergent opinions. What can I say - I am nutso about mid mod -- the modern stuff and the modest traditional stuff, too. And, I find the whole era immensely fascinating from a design perspective. Commenters @bepsf and @arroyo do a nice job further explaining what my site is all about -- thanks for the help there! :)

I love what Pam is doing and love the whole Mid-Century design gamut. A thoughtful, colorful, and playful personal space is always a welcomed sight to me.

Using terms like "most" will get a writer into trouble. I don't think "most" people are striving to collect as many mid-century pieces as possible. Apartment Therapy is a snap shot of design conscious homes, not the average home. Trends show that "traditional" (read: colonial, farmhouse feel) style is still the most popular design styling among Americans. Apartment Therapy is in an insulated bubble that "most" of this country is simply not a part of.

ILove the video and I like this mid-century style, but I'm sick of Saarinen chairs and amoeba coffee tables. I guess I'm not like "most" people.

CozyLittleCave, I don't have a link to any pictures - sorry. In a McCall's journal, late 1950s, I found a kitchen designed by Paul McCobb and that used blocks of color like Mondrian. I don't really think I took my design of my kitchen far enough though. But I now have ample storage and work space.

I have to admit, I am a big Pam fan. I see her site as one that embraces with open arms everything that went on during the period, with a positive attitude about it all. Many people lived through the mid century, not all of them in an Eichler ranch. Many, (I'm afraid to say MOST for fear of getting nitpicked), lived in cape cods, colonials, bungalows or whatever, and were decorated modestly. It's OK to give your house what feels comfortable for its style and what is comforting for you.

My home is a mix of mission and mid century. A Curtis Jere metal sculpture hangs over a mission settle. A Harris Strong lamp sits on a Limbert taboret. Might not work for you, but it works for me. Give it all a chance, don't just like what you've been told to like.

Oh, and if you dig through Pam's site you can see a couple examples of the Mondrian type kitchen cabinets.

@ Kristen Lubbe

Can you site the data that supports "most people strive to acquire as many mid-century modern pieces as they can"

No matter what your style is, I think we can all agree that reusing existing materials and spaces is the best form of "green" design. Mid century modest embraces that concept. Why tear down great homes from a bygone era and replace them with subpar new construction? "Love the home you're in"

Calm Down Everyone, Omg! Pam loves her kitchen and did a lot of research and provides her sources to others interested in that style. It is usually a good idea to keep your home's decor in a style appropriate to your home and its architecture and character, ie: 1920's bungalow with mission style furniture, Famhouse with traditional or Colonial pieces, and 1950-60 Ranch with mid-century pieces. I wouldn't necessarily use mid century pieces in a plain, cookie-cutter suburban house on a cul-de-sac or a McMansion, generic "homes" like that can be a decorating free for all.

I always thought of AT as more of an individual approach to style and the best part of the site was in the sharing and constructive criticism.

Yes there is IS lot of mcm and too much of it revolves around Eames chairs which I can see why people get sick of it. But isn't it a nice counter to say, the PB manhattan chairs of a few years ago or the granite/ cherry/ stainless steel of 2-3 years ago?

I don't see anything wrong w/ respecting the style of your house be it ranch and loving it (you can find an article titled the death of the ranch house) or an industrial loft. Not sure why there's so much negativity against a lot of the AT mcm posts which tend to be people furnishing their homes with thrift store finds and hand me downs, NOT running off to purchase the entire DWR catalog.

I really liked this post and it's too bad that so many people found it so upsetting... ?!

So what if your nic-nacks express your sense of humor. Or if you love the nostalgia of a retro home. Or if you buy everything you own at Urban Outfitters or Ikea or West Elm or Whatever because you love it! To each their own.

This site focuses on many different styles, it's all about picking and choosing! No one is forcing anyone to like anything. Just because you don't understand how someone could have such differing tastes from your own doesn't mean they are silly, pretentious or a blind trend follower. :)

I loved the great information about the period and the tastes and norms, and I love to see a different point of view expressed so well! Thanks so much for sharing your insights, Pam!

i wasn't sure what to expect before watching the video (i agree, "midcentury modest" is pretty genius). i have to say, so much knotty wood is not my cup of tea, but i did love her tchotchkes and will be obsessing on her kitchen for the rest of the day! i doubt i will ever grow tired of the MCM look, but i the key to any decor is adding your own personality and sense of humor. mix it up and have some fun!

"Most people strive to acquire as many mid-century modern pieces as they can..." Really? That seems pretty broad. I don't personally know one person who strives for that. But maybe that's just me.

I think that's a kick-ass kitchen, though!

First, let me say that I think Pam's kitchen is lovely. Unique, stylish, personal, fun, etc. However, the reason that people don't typically covet the mid century "modest" aesthetic is because it was then, and is now, simply bad design. If you love it, and it feels good to put it in your home, and you can find a way to make it personal and "right" for you, that's terrific; that's what Pam did. She "elevated" what might have been bad design in its day. But to decorate with the sole purpose of being ironic, that's just a waste of good irony. And real estate. Worse, to intimate that a modest mid-century home is only deserving of modest, mass produced mid-century cr*p is very narrow minded.

After viewing Pam's video, it's hard to understand some of the intense reactions to this post. Although I wouldn't duplicate this look in my own home verbatim (I too shudder at afghans and colonial furniture--though am surprised to discover that I wouldn't mind one of those eagles), I appreciate and admire Pam's spirited take on what is, after all, simply another design style. Like the Mid Century Modest style she champions, she's unpretentious and a little quirky and still relatable. She's not advocating wholesale return to your Great Aunt Matilda's decor circa 1958, just noting that there are other versions of mid-20th C style other than the Eames and their ilk. An added bonus: this style also fits the criteria of "green design" by reusing, repurposing and keeping things out of the landfill. Thanks to Pam for sharing her vision and home.

Yikse! a lot of very defensive people on here! I too get a little sick of the sterile looking MCM museums that we often see on here (though I do love seeing MCM pieces used well too!), so it was fun to watch this video and I LOVE Pam's kitchen (minus the electric stove :-P). Thanks for a different perspective!

creative license why would you say it was and is bad design? That is just an opinion and you say it like fact. I like some of the modest decor, the mass produced/modest items of today are no better. I'm not going to say it is good or bad though even though I may appreciate the style more.

atomicranch79, you're absolutely right, whether something is or is not aesthetically pleasing is a matter of opinion. The quality of some these aforementioned "modest" items, however, is not. Many of the mid-century items that people lust after were not only aesthetically pleasing, they were functional and well-made. That's why many of these designs are still being produced today. Much of the so-called "modest" decor items, on the other hand, have become a cliche of bad postwar design. Not only that, in many instances, they were poorly made. I'd like to add that I'm certainly NOT saying that the only good designs were modern designs. On the contrary. There are a LOT of beautiful old furniture sets floating around out there, very well-made and beautiful (in my opinion) as well. But the modest lines sold by stores like Sears? Not so much--in my opinion. But everyone has their own taste. What might have looked horrible in an All in the Family rerun might look lovely in someone's present day home. I marvel at the creativity and talent of many people featured on this site and others. My problem was the idea that a modest home deserved only modest, faux traditional mid-century mass produced decor. If that's what someone loves, fantastic. If someone wants to put together a room in a clever, creative way (as Pam did so well), I applaud them. And if you like some of the modest decor that Pam mentioned in her video, there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just saying that if you live in a modest postwar home, you don't have to feel constrained by modest postwar decor.

I have followed Pam's blog for a long time. What I love about her passion for modest living is the focus on "making do" and loving the home you have, no matter how modest. These are good values for anyone, I would think. I also like that the aesthetic she favors leads people to infill neighborhoods where post-war ranches and Cape Cods are the norm. I can honestly say that it is because of her site that I broke my addiction to the Arts & Crafts style and now live in a fabulous small house built for a soldier returning from WWII. I am surrounded by similar homes, all modest but all with stories to tell. Because most of them were built in the '40s or '50s, their quality is better than what many of us grew up in--'60s and '70s ranches with cheap framing and hollow-core doors.

I do agree with creative license that a lot of the mass-produced furniture of the MCm era is poorly constructed. I bought a Broyhill Brasilia dining set sight unseen from eBay because I thought it looked cool. The quality is much less than I had hoped.

I don't like aqua much but I do love Mid-Century modest. I find straight up West Elm and DWR to lead to expensive, cookie-cutter, designing-by-the-numbers rooms. Okay, here's your streamlined sofa, your Noguchi coffee table, your Eames chair, the trendy wall color and the wenge, thank goodness, you have a whole living room and sure it cost thousands of dollars but at least you didn't have to think at all!

And I like what other people deride as "time capsules" as "cohesive" - I like distinctly Craftsman rooms, distinctly Art Deco rooms, and yes, distincting quirky THE SHINY FUTURE post-war rooms.

This post gave me a lot to think about.

@bisbee Didn't see your reply until now, but I DID stay in the Shady Dell (just last weekend), and it was my second visit there. LOVE IT! We stayed in El Rey and two years ago I stayed in the Crown. Next time it's gotta be the Tiki Bus :)