Mid Century

For homeowners on a budget, the Internet is your best bet when making upgrades. “What we should all really be excited about is how much access we have to furniture and accessories at any price,” Berkus said. “I started my design firm pre-Internet and now we source 85 percent of what we use online because we have so much incredible access online.” Berkus recommends shopping globally by scouring websites like ebay.fr for more unique pieces of furniture that will stick with you for many years. 1stdibs and One Kings Lane are other good options. Pictured is a mid-century modern living room renovation designed by contestant Lukas Machnik> in Palm Springs for American Dream Builders. Photo courtesy NBC.

In Week 2 of American Dream Builders, Lukas was the team leader in charge of renovating a midcentury modern home in Palm Springs. Lukas divvies up assignments amongst his teammates, giving himself the living room and the outdoor dining area. While midcentury modern is not Machnik's forte, we see his potential as a designer and a team player, as he turns a neglected midcentury mess into a modern masterpiece. Photo courtesy of Lukas Machnik.

A pair of mid-century Martz lamps flank the Parsons bed from Room & Board in the master bedroom.

Design tomes, a salient message, mid-century ceramic.

Look behind the mid-century facade, and a back patio offers an unexpected 180-degree view of the Los Angeles basin.

Mid-Century Modern Complete by Dominic Bradbury, $125 from abramsbooks.com Between penning stories for Dwell, writer Dominic Bradbury has created the definitive survey of midcentury design. Divided into sections on furniture, lighting, glass and ceramics, textiles, and more, the book covers an impressive number of practitioners ranging from the well-known to the more obscure. Essays on collecting design and the role of textiles in the midcentury home are not to be missed.