I have known, like many of my readers, that modern homes are on the rise. Here are some key and overly enticing reasons as to why. But first I wanted to reach out to my friends and fans to see why THEY thought modern homes are on the rise.

Like us on FB to join the conversation!

Here are some of their reactions:

Tarun Tejpal said,
“Deleveraging: the culture of being in debt until you die is over. People cannot afford to buy huge houses and fill up each room with useless stuff. In addition, you get more for your money from older homes that are built better and stronger. The last 10 years builders were mass producing homes with cheaper materials and labor with lower quality.”

Shannon Raffetto DiPadova said,
“Out with McMansions with loads of wasted space and in with timeless, well thought out and functional design.”

Brian Hook said,
“Two words: Mad Men”

Indu Vaidyanathan said,
“Time to go back to basics! learn from the past! clean….simple, functional and efficient!”

Stephanie Taylor said,
“let’s see…. it is the rare breed with all the shoeboxes across the land… the creative types who appreciate true design desire these homes the most!”

Gregory Frisbee said,
“One word: sustainable.”

Sue Ann Davis said,
“I love my mid century!”

1. MORE FOR YOUR MONEY
As Tarun said above, our modern day culture does not want to have a mortgage for the rest of their lives. People are looking to purchase smaller houses, but with a smaller house you still need an open feel. (Even rich celebrities are picking up on this! Check Tori Spellings new home) This is where modern homes come in. Gregory is also right when stating “sustainability.” There are a lot of homes out there that are being wiped out to build (as Shannon said) McMansions. In the long run it is more lucrative to purchase a MCM home and put in a few key renovations for upkeep.

2. OPEN FLOOR PLAN
Our generation is full of creative individuals. They are looking for clean, simple, functional and efficient (As Indu said). This is where the open floor plan of a modern home is invaluable. An open floor plan leaves more room for light, a good flow of energy through the home, and easier access for many people. When researching modern home plans, a lot of people choose open floor plans in the contemporary style just for the sake of sheer convenience. When they have small children, it is easier to see across the home and make sure that their children are safe without having to constantly be in the same room. There are plenty of reasons for choosing a floor plan that is open, but this is actually a popular reason. Read more about Open Floor Plans Here.

3. ENERGY EFFICIENT
Modern homes are built with energy efficiency in mind, with their sleek designs. If you’re buying a new modern home they have the advantage of the most up to date building materials and fixtures. Some new modern homes even have energy-efficient features such solar panels to run the HVAC system and to heat hot water. Check out this home that runs completely on solar power!

4. NOSTALGIA
There’s something of a revival of interest neighborhoods built in the 1950s and 1960s, which are hitting the 50-year mark when they can be considered officially “historic.” Because of this midcentury buildings are starting to have a nostalgic draw. The draw with historic homes, like the MCMs in the years following WWII, is that our economy was booming. It was a time where the latest technology was becoming common in every household and every citizen was becoming a home owner.

5. POPULAR MEDIA
Like Brian said, Mad Men. We cannot deny the media influence in the past decade. We have all, in a way, become infatuated with a time and place. Popular culture has rediscovered midcentury design, with the rise of shelter magazines such as Dwell and the popularity of TV shows such as “Mad Men” and “Pan Am” glamorizing the era. Not to mention many many more which you can find here:  Buy A Modern Home and Become Famous!

Take a look at these famous modern establishments!

THE BIG LEBOWSKI
The modern house in Malibu occupied by Jackie Treehorn in the classic film ‘The Big Lebowski’ is located in Los Angeles. Designed by architect John Lautner, who has homes often featured in film settings. An example of American Organic Architecture, the residence is built into the sandstone hillside of Benedict Canyon and intended to mimic a cave. This home also appeared in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and Bandits.

THE INCREDIBLES

The adorable movie, The Incredibles, is one of the finest examples of mid-century modernism in animated cinema. Every detail in the architecture to the furniture to the decor is an idealized depiction of an American suburban residence in the 1960s. If you haven’t seen this movie with MCM in mind go ahead and check it out again!

CAR COMMERCIALS

Car commercials have a healthy obsession with modern homes. Modern homes are featured more often than you can imagine! Above is for the new Chrysler.

Here we have a Nissan where they feature a good portion of the interior of the home.

And here we have Hyundai!

Yet another example by Lexus! And I’m just showing you a taste of the homes used in car commercials!

TWILIGHT – THE CULLEN RESIDENCE

Yes, you may be tired of the whole Twilight Saga as am I, but you cannot deny the incredible design of The Cullen Home, which is in Vancouver, Canada. The five-bedroom home was designed by Arthur Erickson and was completely renovated in 2001. It has a rooms with 20-foot ceilings, massive picture windows and lots of blonde wood. The modern kitchen has a curved fireplace and gleaming countertops. The master suite includes a bathroom with a soaking tub and glass cabinet shower. For warmer weather there is also a pool outdoors. The movie is almost worth watching to catch glimpses of this home!

So what do you think now? Would you like to own a home that you could get PAID to show off? If you don’t believe me check this out…

HOMELAND

Homeland, winner of two golden globes, is filmed right here in Charlotte, NC. Actually, I know the person who is paid by the creators to use the home.

Here in this video clip from a couple weeks ago you can see the home used in Homeland.

Are you interested in seeing your home in a commercial, print ad or a movie? There are helpful sites like Filming Locations which connect the film industry to home owners.

What unique media outlets have you seen companies use MCM? Tell me about it on Facebook, mention it on Twitter, or share it on Google+!

This is the largest Modernism event in the world and has already sold out many of it’s tours and parties.

Modernism Week is filled with a variety of events including architectural tours, films, lectures, an architectural symposium, educational events, and chic, fun parties in cool mid-century modern homes and boutique hotels.

The events are lavish and exciting. Here are a few events, films, lectures, parties, and tours that look to be fun and interesting. Enjoy!

Opening Night Cocktail Reception
Arthur Elrod House, 1968, John Lautner, architect

One of the most remarkable houses in America, the Elrod House on Southridge in Palm Springs has panoramic views of the San Jacinto mountains. Its conical concrete roof hovers above the circular living room and provides a dramatic space from which to enjoy the desert below. The west glass facade opens electronically and bisects the pool, famous in a scene from the movie Diamonds are Forever.
READ MORE… 

Sunnylands Tours

These guided tours of the historic Annenberg Estate and grounds provide the first public access to Sunnylands. A limited number of visitors will experience the 1966 residence designed by A. Quincy Jones and restored over the last two years and will explore the 200-acre estate with its nine-hole golf course.
READ MORE… 

Mid-Century Mermaids: A History

Vintage Roadside, the husband & wife team of Jeff Kunkle and Kelly Burg, have spent years researching, documenting, and sharing the history behind America’s mid-century mom-and-pop businesses. For Modernism Week 2012 they debut a new presentation focusing on a 1960s phenomenon – the mermaid attraction! They will be joined in their presentation by friend and aquatic performer extraordinaire, Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid. For a show-stopping finale Vintage Roadside will present a true Modernism Week first – a live mermaid and fire eating performance by Marina!
READ MORE… 

Bird’s Nest: Herzog and de Meuron in China
(2008, Directors Christoph Schaub and Michael Schindhelm, 88 minutes)

Many events for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games took place in the brand new 100,000-seat National Stadium. Design plans for this massive structure began in 2003, when Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron were selected by the Chinese government to design the new stadium, which because of its curved steel-net walls was soon dubbed by locals as the “bird’s nest.”
READ MORE… 

Modern Tide: Midcentury Architecture on Long Island 
(2012, Director Jake Gorst, 82 minutes)

Reception With Director at TRIO Restaurant following film
*Screened in glorious High Definition

Modern Tide: Midcentury Architecture on Long Island explores the work of the region’s best post-war architects and designers, including Albert Frey, Wallace Harrison, Herbert Beckhard, Frank Lloyd Wright, Horace Gifford, Edward Durrell Stone, Marcel Breuer, Andrew Geller, Philip Johnson, John Hejduk, Charles Gwathmey, Barbara and Julian Neski, and others. The film features interviews with architects and historians, as well as friends, families and clients of these influential designers.
READ MORE…

Preserving Eichler Houses
Lecture by Alan Hess, architect, architecture historian, and writer and Susan Secoy Jensen, architect

Combining the talents of some of the nation’s leading modern architects, new technologies, mass production techniques, and progressive ideas about diversity and community, Joseph Eichler redefined developer’s housing.  Today, the spirit of community is back.  A new generation of owners have found that these mid-century modern icons are timeless in their ability to engage their occupants in indoor-outdoor living.  Hess and Secoy will discuss historic and current trends relative to mid-century modern residential design.
READ MORE…

COLOR + MODERNISM
Lecture by Paul Aferiat and Peter Stamberg, architects

The built environment was highly colored from ancient times through the early years of Modernism. Paul Aferiat and Peter Stamberg discuss color theory, the history of color in architecture, why color disappeared from architecture and ways in which they use color in their work.
READ MORE… 

PSPF Retro Martini Party

The Maranz House, also known as the “Gull Wing House,” was designed by architect Val Powelson in 1960.  Sited on the Tamarisk Country Club, the home’s three-pointed star floor plan is a midcentury architectural wonder rarely open to the public.  The Maranz House appears on the cover of the book Palm Springs Weekend and became part of television history in 2003 when it served as the backdrop for the reality TV show “Boy Meets Boy.”
READ MORE…

PS ModCom Iconic Open House
Ship of the Desert
Architects Earl Webster and Adrian Wilson

Built in 1936 the house was christened “Ship of the Desert” by artist Millard Sheets in the 1937 cover story for Sunset Magazine, calling it “one of the most interesting new homes in the west”.
READ MORE…

Interior Guided Tours of the Vintage 
Airstreams & Trailers

Tour the interiors of this amazing collection of one of a kind, restored vintage travel trailers! Trailer owners will be on hand to talk about their trailer’s history, restoration, and travels. This show will also feature a variety of fun retail booths with travel trailer related gifts, art, T-shirts and jewelry. The Vintage Trailer Show is brought to you by Airstream Life Magazine & Modernism Week.
READ MORE…

I really wish I could make it this year because all of the events, tours, parties, etc look amazing! Who knows… maybe someone will surprised me with a belated birthday gift in the form of a round trip ticket to Palm Springs.

Have you ever been to a Modernism event? Have you ever attended Modernism Week?? Tell me about your experience on Facebook, mention it on Twitter, or share it on Google+!

While looking for a lunch spot in Raleigh we stumbled on this new construction modernist gem that the owners invited us in to have a look. Boy, people in Raleigh sure are friendly. This home was designed and built by Tonic. The Jonathan and Ilsy Chappell Residence is a beautiful and great example of the kind of work that Tonic does. Here is an inside look of this home. Enjoy!

The couple had recently moved in, so Ilsy was trying to do some last minute arranging.

The suspended ceiling light fixture was actually from the mind of Ilsy, who saw something similar when she was in Las Vegas.

Loving her closet. Who wouldn’t love all that closet space??

A big “Thank You” to Jonathan and Ilsy for letting me into their home to satisfy my modernist appetite. I hope you enjoyed this home as much as I did! What was your favorite aspect? Be sure to post which one was your favorite on Facebook, mention it on Twitter, or share it on Google+!

FOR SALE: 1069 5th Ave CT NW, Hickory, NC 28601 – $239,900

In the Hillcrest neighborhood lies this clean lined Mid-Century Modern Home designed by, Hickory Architect, Jim Sherrill. Remodeled over the last few years with all Bamboo flooring, wood blinds throughout, and zodiac countertops in kitchen.This home is adorned with Louis Pousen lighting above the breakfast table & dining room, California closets in all bedrooms, all replaced windows (2007-2009), new stainless appliances, new landscaping and new concrete driveway. This Hickory home is loaded with character and architectural presence featuring a butterfly roof. To truly appreciate this house it is a “must see” in person. But for now enjoy the pictures!

Listing courtesy of
Donna Austin at Coldwell Banker Boyd & Hassell
MLS# 9562384

Share this with your friends by clicking the links below!

Northcrest is, a couple of miles up I-85 off Northcrest Road, a little architectural secret full of mid-century modern homes. The neighborhood is a sprawling, swim/tennis community with beautiful pines and azaleas. Enjoy!

Vanessa has literally transformed this neighborhood into the jewel it is. She lives in a refurbished MCM and has renovated a few others. Through her marketing she has brought buyers in that are giving these homes a new fresh look.

Here is a new construction gem in Northcrest. The architecture appears to be one that will not go unnoticed.

I’m a sucker for decorative blocks. As you can see from one of my previous posts.

I couldn’t pass up this mail box when I saw it. I love the unique build of it. It was hard to not notice it!

I hope you enjoyed these homes as much as I did! Did you have a favorite door color or unique siding? Be sure to post which one was your favorite on Facebook, mention it on Twitter, or share it on Google+!

Stay tuned for our upcoming feature on domoRealty & Vanessa Reilly!

I had noticed multiple Mid-Century Modern homes for sale in Salisbury. I was curious about the homes and wanted to check it out. Come to find out there are a lot of great homes there and the town has a proactive historic preservation society.

The homes in Salisbury are worth checking out. You can spend as little as $300,000 on a beautiful MCM home right by the golf course! Check out my Modern Home Search to see the homes listed in Salisbury – You will be amazed!

Here are some of the homes I captured by the golf course in Salisbury. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed these homes as much as I did! Did you have a favorite? It’s hard not to with all of these great homes. Be sure to post which one was your favorite on Facebook, mention it on Twitter, or share it on Google+!

Did you know that the Raleigh Triangle area has the third largest concentration of modernist homes in the country? According to George’s research, Raleigh is indeed third with L.A and Chicago being first and second. Who knew? No one until George illuminated this fact for us. Thanks George!

First off, while looking for a lunch spot we stumbled on this new construction modernist gem that the owners invited us in to have a look. Boy, people in Raleigh sure are friendly. This home was designed and built by Tonic Design. Check out our upcoming blog about Tonic and interior shots of this homes.

From there we explored North Hills and the adjacent Carolina Country Club area inside the 440 loop of Raleigh. Enjoy!

No road trip is complete without a unique find! Here is a fun combination of a lamp post and mail box in one!

I hope you enjoyed these homes as much as I did! Did you have a favorite? It’s hard not to with all of these great homes. Be sure to post which one was your favorite on Facebook, mention it on Twitter, or share it on Google+!

FAVORITE BLOG:
Modern Cabins

Are you dreaming of escaping off into the fall colors, surrounded by nothing but nature or the sound of bubbling brook?  Are you thinking of buying a little piece of land nestled in the mountains and building a private little modern getaway?  Modern cabins are starting to pop up all around us.  Here are just a few that I ran across – WOW. READ MORE… 

CLIENT OF THE YEAR:
The Galindo Family

My relationship with Lowell and Kristen began in 2008 when they relocated to Charlotte from DC. They wanted an “Atomic Ranch” and we searched high and low in the Madison Park area. We found a great house close to Southpark. They completely gutted the home and did a tremendous job making it into a modernist statement. The home was featured in the 2009 Modern Home Tour.

Two children later, they needed a larger home. Their home flew off the market and I found them a home in Stonehaven which they also updated. Lowell got an offer for his dream job that would relocate them to Austin. They hated to leave what they called “their forever home” but the offer to be the sportscaster for the Longhorn Channel was just too good.

Kristin and Lowell were not only fun to work with but also have a wonderful modernist aesthetic.  It has been such a pleasure working with them and getting to know them! I will miss them and their beautiful children!  READ MORE…

BEST VALUE SAVER:
7101 Terrace Drive

My clients had an unexpected job relocation and only had a few weeks to get the house on the market. I agreed to work with their relocation company and submitted my Comparable Market Research report to them with my listing price. They felt it was too high and sent out 2 other real estate agents to price the home. Those agents also priced the home for less than my clients paid for the home in 2010!!

My clients chose to forego the relocation package and went solely with Modern Charlotte Realty. I am happy to say that I saved my sellers over $50,000 and we went under contract within the 90 day period the relocation company wanted. (We sold the home for 96% of the list price) As a result, my seller’s employer did pay the commission costs and closing costs.

The lesson to be learned is always go with an agent that knows the comps, the neighborhood , and the type of home. Just goes to show you that no one knows the modern market like Modern Charlotte Realty! READ MORE…

Also, See how Modern Charlotte can help sell YOUR home! 

BEST SUCCESS STORY:
726 Hempstead Place Saved From the Wrecking Ball

“We’ve lost a lot of good [Mid-Century Modern homes] to the wrecking ball, unfortunately,” Jodon said.
One of Charlotte’s historic homes has been saved from the wrecking ball after modernist style enthusiasts made a push to find new inhabitants for the house south of uptown. READ MORE…

2011 HIGHLIGHT:
Modern Home Tour

As the chair for this event, I had a busy year helping line up homes for Historic Charlotte’s second Modern Home Tour! The 2011 tour was a huge success and had a line-up that beat out the previous years. We featured 8 mid-century modern homes as well as a few new construction modernist homes, creative renovations and classic atomic ranches! READ MORE…

FAVORITE LISTING:
TIE: Nancy Creek & Columbine
When it comes to my personal taste and style it undoubtedly came down to 3306 Nancy Creek and 3847 Columbine Circle. I love all the homes I list for sale but these 2 homes were my favorites for 2011. They both exemplify thoughtful modernist design with an emphasis on seamless connections to nature.

ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR:
William Crutcher Ross, AIA (1930-2011)

I got to know Crutcher back in 2009 during Charlotte’s first Modern Home Tour. One of the homes featured was my listing on 3847 Columbine Circle which Crutcher designed. He pulled up in the driveway in his vintage BMW one day as we were preparing for the tour and introduced himself! Crutcher had a swell time on the tour and visiting some of his other designs. It was great to see him at the tour reception where he met some of the new owners of his designs.

My client that purchased the home on Columbine was introduced to Crutcher and they went over the original house plans. We were all so happy that Crutcher had a chance to be apart of that process.

I introduced Crutcher to George Smart of Triangle Modernist Houses back in 2009. George and Crutcher became fast friends and Crutcher’s body of work is now archived on George’s site TriangleModernistHouses.com .

Sadly, Crutcher passed away this past summer but happy to say that his legacy lives on in Charlotte and his homes are in the hands of owners that met him and will insure responsible ownership! READ MORE…

In our Christmas perusing we came across some great items from these stores that we thought you may enjoy… and may even want to snag up before someone else does!

SLATE [WEBSITE|FACEBOOK]

Slate Interiors is a collection of more than 50 artists, merchants, and designers who offer a wide and ever-changing variety of quality and carefully selected art and home furnishings.

Slate is a unique collective which offers a wide variety of styles and tastes.

Slate is located on 1401 Central Avenue, Suite 102, Charlotte, NC 28205.

HONG KONG [WEBSITE|FACEBOOK]

Hong Kong, true to the nature of many things in Plaza Midwood, isn’t your typical vintage store.

The whole store, even though it identifies itself to be vintage, had a lot of modern aspects. Very clean color scheme while also sorting all items and clothing by color as well.

Hong Kong Vintage is located on 1514 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

CITY SUPPLY CO. [WEBSITE|FACEBOOK|TWITTER]

City Supply Co. is a store of unique, classic,  and modern home furnishings.

They provide well designed, and well made products that are timeless and affordable. They strive to maintain a consistently fresh inventory of unique products scoured from around the world.

City Supply Co is located on 1219 Thomas Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205

Have great findings from your shopping trip in Plaza Midwood? Post them on Modern Charlotte Facebook, mention us on Twitter or share on Google+!