Scott and I have lived in condos for years, back in the Chicago area and for the last nine and a half years in Portland, Oregon. We were lucky to have the opportunity, even in this real estate market, to purchase a home not even a mile from where we lived.
3301 is a smallish brick ranch in built in 1964. Some may call it a time capsule house, as it hasn't had any real updates or modifications in its 50+ years. It's not Mid Century Modern, although it has many cool features. We're calling it Mid Century Modest.
Our plan? Fix the serious structural issues, catch up on all the required maintenance, update the mechanicals and highlight the cool features of our new home. We did a lot of research on design, period influences and materials. We are influenced by the Mid Century Modest Manifesto penned by Pam Kueber (check it out here) and an article called Mid Mod Remod Dos and Don'ts. Unfortunately the article appears to have been taken down. After all our research we've settled on the following guiding principles:
1) Try to stay period appropriate whenever possible.
2) Energy and water efficiency over vintage.
3) Use economical, readily available materials.
4) Use materials that will last for another 50+ years.
5) Have fun with the design, the work and the results!
So that's it. You can find the blog at www.3301retroranch.com. I'll post a page with the to do list and we'll keep adding to it and checking things off as we go. And there will be pictures in the blog, before and after, for every project!