All Photos/exterior/building type : mid century

554 Exterior Mid Century Design Photos And Ideas

Rather than expand their midcentury home, Anthony Marks and his partner built a guesthouse on the unused half of their double lot, in Denton, Texas. The gated fence borrows from the material palette used for the dwelling. “It’s like an introduction, or preview, to what lies beyond,” says architect Michael Gooden.
A hefty portion of the budget addressed the exterior, including new siding ($30,000), exterior paint ($4500), and windows ($14,000), or less flashy, but important, interventions, like new interior drywall ($8300) and updated electrical work ($14,450).
Located in a quiet neighborhood of Christchurch, on New Zealand’s southern island, the Fletcher House by Hall and Mackenzie Architects is in pristine condition nearly 60 years after its 1963 completion.
1965 archival image
VonDalwig Architecture connects the dots to give a 1967 home in Bedford, New York, a new lease on life.
Front door and reading nook
The 1956 home sits on a tree-filled lot in Connecticut, and was originally designed and built by local architect Cyril K. Smith, who studied under Louis Kahn.
A generously-sized, comfortable deck lines the water side of the cabin.
The “River Cabaan” is just steps away from the Wilson River and a 80-minute drive from Portland, Oregon.
Aalto was not only responsible for the architecture and the furnishings—he also designed the landscaping.
An exterior view of Maison Louis Carré as it delicately integrates into the surrounding landscape.
A side view of the home.
Aalto designed Maison Louis Carré with an immense lean-to roof made of blue Normandy slate, "pitched in imitation of the landscape itself". The facade is built from white bricks and marble, while the base and parts of the walls are Chartres limestone.
The original door was removed during the renovation, restored, and then replaced toward the project’s completion. The carved wood door is 11 feet tall, and Uzcategui says it adds “a distinctive element essential to the home’s history and sense of style.”
The glass-wrapped, upper-level addition came to Uzcategui as an epiphany as he stood on the roof of the home. The “tree room” now grows out of the original brick structure as if it was destined to be there all along.
The home’s original footprint, circular front driveway, and original brick facade were preserved.
As the midcentury era was winding down, architect George Smart was commissioned to design a low-slung brick and glass house at 2300 Timber Lane in Houston’s River Oaks neighborhood. The home would go on to serve as the clergy house for St. Luke’s United Methodist Church for 49 years.
The trapezoid-shaped addition hosts a new master suite on the main level.
The team preserved the deck, but installed a new railing.
The pared-back approach of the remodel begins with the front entry, where horizontal bands of orange-toned cedar were replaced with a refined wood screen.
Located in the sylvan enclave of Innis Arden about an hour north of Seattle, this home soaks up the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. This beautifully maintained midcentury home was designed in 1962 by Seattle–based modernist architect Ralph D. Anderson—who was an early advocate for preservation in the region. A soaring, double-height wall of glass in the living room brings a sense of the home's forested surroundings to its interiors. Character-filled elements of the home's midcentury roots remain—including a slightly sunken living room, a circular staircase, a tongue-and-groove ceiling, wood paneling, and a kitchen countertop crafted of salvaged teak from a 1960s battleship. Updated elements include a renovated kitchen, which kept the original salvaged teak and updated appliances as needed.
In 1950, landscape architect Bill Davies tasked Canadian-born architect John Kewell to design his home in Silver Lake. The charming two-bedroom, one-bath house has been carefully maintained over the years, with minimal updates save for a bathroom remodel in 2014. This has allowed the original home’s connection to the outdoors and midcentury modern design to remain, along with its siting—it sits partly cantilevered off the hillside to take in stunning mountain and city views framed through massive panes of glass.
Built in 1952, this home was designed by architect Albert P. Martin as his own residence after having apprenticed with Richard Neutra. Martin set the home atop challenging hillside terrain and took full advantage of the site's sweeping reservoir views with floor-to-ceiling glass and outdoor patios. When the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home hit the market in 2014, actress Kristen Wiig snapped up the property for $1.7 million and tapped Taalman Architecture and The Archers for a thorough renovation. The design team preserved the original elements of the home for authenticity while upgrading the facilities to meet modern needs.
When Wexler and Harrison’s steel homes first hit the market in 1962, they were competitively priced between $13,000 and $17,000. Shown above is Steel House #2.
Originally built in 1957, this Twin Palms home was designed by William Krisel. Recently, the home was renovated with an updated kitchen and bathrooms that remain true to the residence’s midcentury character.
A yellow facade adds character to this recently renovated 1961 home on a corner lot in the heart of Vista Las Palmas, another Alexander subdivision.
A post and beam entry plus a delicate brise soleil make up the entrance to 572 W Santa Elena Road.
The dramatic home features a striking black and white facade.
We’ve gathered 20 of our favorite homes that maintain their midcentury flavor without sacrificing 21st-century modernizations and updates.
In addition to lovely native landscaping, the front entrance features crisp midcentury lines and a beautiful butted glass window.
The elongated midcentury facade of 946 W. Ceres Road is classic Palm Springs and features beautiful native landscaping by a local landscape architect.
"The exterior is Deep Caviar by Benjamin Moore, but with a slight twist,” says Wei. “In order to create subtle variations throughout this sprawling exterior, I played with the darkness level of Deep Caviar and also changed up the sheen of the paint.”
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.
Usonian homes were Frank Lloyd Wright’s solution for middle-class, affordable housing in America that he started designing in the 1930s. Designed in 1955 for the Pappas family—the original and only owners to date, the historically registered home is one of only two Wright-designed buildings in all of St. Louis.
Chicago–based Eifler & Associates Architects leads a painstaking renovation of the rarely published home located in Barrington Hills, Illinois—overseeing everything from a sagging roof to a Wright-designed dining room table.
After narrowly escaping demolition in the 1990s, Frank Lloyd Wright's Thaxton House has been respectfully restored and updated—and it just returned to the market for $2,850,000. The house is one of only three Wright-designed homes in Texas, and it's the sole Wright residence in Houston.
Love Eichler homes, but not interested in taking on an extensive renovation? This 1957 model may be for you. Located in San Rafael's lower Lucas Valley, this 1,805-square-foot midcentury home is completely remodeled and modernized.
Built in 1962, the four-bedroom, two-bath home has already been spruced up with modern features that respect the home’s original midcentury modern character. Highlights include updated bathrooms with Carrara marble and walnut cabinetry, a private backyard, and a renovated kitchen with a pretty impressive "edible garden" off the side.
On the market for the first time in over 30 years, this five-bedroom Eichler home is a midcentury modern gem with heaps of potential. The 2,177-square-foot residence, which has been mindfully expanded, features five bedrooms—including two master suites—and three baths.
Located on a quiet cul-de-sac in Walnut Creek's Rancho San Miguel neighborhood—an East Bay subdivision home to 375 Eichlers—this 1959 atrium model Eichler stands out with a low-slung midcentury post-and-beam profile and period-appropriate interior updates.
Designed by architect Claude Oakland, this 1969 home is one of just a handful of the Gallery Eichlers—which are also known as the "Super-Eichlers." It's located in Walnut Creek’s Northgate enclave, which is the last tract of Eichler homes to be built in the East Bay. These models are coveted for their generous and well-designed floor plans—and 252 Clyde Drive is no different.
Set in the southwest hills of Portland, Oregon, this 1965 home was designed by noted local architect William Fletcher and entirely renovated in 2008. The low-lying home with a bright blue door was customized with elements that complemented the original midcentury architecture, including updates to all bathrooms, opening up the kitchen and adding cabinetry in Oregon black walnut, and transforming the car port into a dining room.
Originally designed in 1939 by Roscoe Hemenway, the Burton House was once home to famed artist Verne Tossey, who was best known for his campy pulp fiction book covers throughout the 1950s and 60s. Recently, Portland-based designer Benjamin Silver and builder Oliver Olson have completely renovated the home, transforming the property into a modern interpretation of Hemenway's original design.
Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, with project manager and lead designer Emily Kudsen Leland at the helm, remade a Portland abode with a crisp paint palette: Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron for the cladding and Venetian Gold for the front door. The home was originally designed by Saul Zaik in Southwest Portland, complete with a wood-clad exterior, in 1956. As part of the renovation, landscape design was completed by Lilyvilla Gardens.
To preserve the character of their home midcentury home originally constructed by well-known local architect Roland G. Roessner, Tracey and David Hime wanted to sensitively update the structure to meet their needs. The Himes hired Paul Clayton and Emily Little of Clayton & Little Architects on the recommendation of a relative. Architect Emily Little’s involvement was particularly fitting—her childhood home was on the same street, and she had been familiar with the house most of her life; in fact, her parents were friends with the original owners. As part of the renovation, the entryway was updated and altered; photovoltaic panels were added above the carport and the new guest "casita" behind the carport. The tall sconce at the entry is an original light fixture.
When Austin-based firm Matt Fajkus Architecture was tasked with renovating this classic midcentury home, they sought to open up the interior—not only by unifying the common areas into an open-plan layout, but also by literally raising the home's roof. This strategy increased the ceiling height on three sides of the home, allowing for the insertion of clerestory windows to create a bright and airy open living space. "The raised ceiling maintains the original pitched roof geometry to stay harmonious with the existing gabled roof in the private zone," explain the architects in a statement.
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Zoom out for a look at the modern exterior. From your dream house, to cozy cabins, to loft-like apartments, to repurposed shipping containers, these stellar projects promise something for everyone. Explore a variety of building types with metal roofs, wood siding, gables, and everything in between.