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We’ve gathered 20 of our favorite homes that maintain their midcentury flavor without sacrificing 21st-century modernizations and updates.

23 Beekman has been featured in fashion shoots, TV shows, and movies—including a memorable fire drill scene from director Wes Anderson's 2001 cult favorite, "The Royal Tenenbaums."

A view of the exterior of the home.

“It’s the biggest one you can get,” says Patrick Powers of the shipping container he revamped and moved to Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Steel frames hold ample glazing, including a pair of custom 2,000-pound sliding doors.

Crosby built his estate, 70375 Calico Road, during the Golden Age of Hollywood—and it looks the part. The home also comes with a storied past: an attached two-bedroom casita with a private entrance and its own kitchen, dubbed "the JFK Wing," is rumored to be where JFK and Marilyn Monroe had their infamous 1962 rendezvous.

Built in 1949, Byrdview is one of four residential homes designed by the famed midcentury architect William Pereira, known for his futuristic designs that include the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.

The three Left-Twist Cube's are by Frank Gehry.

A former factory for Alexander Thomson & Sons Pattern Makers—a company that made wooden forms which were then cast in metal for propellers—this old building now has a new second floor and an excavated cellar, which has increased its floor space from 3,500 square feet to a whooping 8,500 square feet.

A massive concrete hearth, placed just off center, anchors the living room. The Douglas fir floors have been painted a creamy white.

After: Wood beams and concrete walls emerge from cutaways in the drywall, revealing the building’s industrial skeleton. The custom steel-and-oak dining table is by Ohio Design.

Topped with a copper roof, the round house is the largest of the property’s three homes. Gleason affectionately nicknamed it “The Mothership.”

Built by Robert Marx for the inventor/founder of Tastee-Freez in Rancho Mirage, the Maranz Residence is one of the most iconic homes in Rancho Mirage, a desert resort just east of Palm Springs. Designed by Val Powelson, the plans were based the hyperbolic paraboloid roof, a principle that was at the peak of engineering innovation in the late 1950s.

In an effort to keep costs within budget without sacrificing looks, the fully gutted and renovated kitchen features IKEA cabinetry framework with shaker-style fronts by Semihandmade. The cabinets were painted Farrow & Ball Pigeon.

Set on 21 acres at the top of the Snoqualmie Valley, the 3,200-square-foot Maxon House represents a major lifestyle change for the Maxons, who previously lived in a split-level in a planned subdivision. "When you’re here, you just sit and watch what’s happening outside," says Lou. "It’s like the Weather Channel. We don’t even need the TV." Kim adds, "In spring everything explodes." Cedars, hemlocks, and vine maples shoot up from the fern-covered hillside.

The property is a picture-perfect postcard of American pop culture and 1970s style.

The residents furnished the interior themselves, even hand-picking the exposed reclaimed beams from a barn in Pennsylvania. The dining table and shelving unit are 1970s vintage and the sofa is from Design Within Reach (left). The height of the top level varies from around nine to 12 feet.