Focus on Kitchens

For the next couple weeks, we’re going to add new images to our 1940s, 50s, and 60s kitchen galleries. There are so many cute mid-century kitchens; they are often small and a perfect starting point for our modern tiny kitchens. Not everyone is looking for a gargantuan footprint with all the standard high-end finishes. Take for example, the peg board backsplash shown in the image (right). Julia Child made it famous when she and her husband created her ninth kitchen in 1961 (now housed at the Smithsonian).

Other little projects include more style descriptions and new images, so stay posted.

New Books

1939 New Liberty Homes, by Lewis Manufacturing

Homes and Planning or Dreaming? Homes, by the Home Building Plan Service

Research Designed Homes: Living Units by the Small Homes Council at the University of Illinois, 1951

Home Plans: 126 Five Star Plans, by Better Homes & Gardens, 1960

Research

Send us an email if you have research questions! We’re always happy to look through our materials for answers to your questions about your mid century home.

What you’ll find here

We’ll explore the design, homes, and lifestyles of the mid-20th century through house plans, interior designs and styles, color schemes, and advertising. Though we love Mid Century Modern, we’ll also look at other styles that were equally popular, including the influence of Colonial style on the more informal Early American with its famous knotty pine paneling, the then contemporary style, and even Western. We’ll provide book links to useful reading so you can learn more. Eventually, we will offer a marketplace of products and services that you can use to feather your own nest in the mid-century style that suits you. Have fun, and don’t hesitate to contact us with research questions or comments.