Back to the Beginning

When we moved to Rochester, Minnesota in 1997, we bought a modest three-bedroom rambler in a classic 1950s neighborhood. At the time, I had no appreciation for mid-century modern. I just liked the price and quality of the house. And my realtor in-laws told us to buy it.

Two years later, we bought a house across the street as a rental property. With still no appreciation for the era or the architecture, we maintained the original character out of a lack of budget, not for a preservation of history.

As with any investment property, the little rental endured its share of wear and tear. We made minor updates to the kitchen and had the hardwood floors refinished once, but overall, the original vibe, shabby as it is, remains. We never “greyed it up,” a perjorative the mid-mod afficiandos are quick to level upon many contemporary remodels.

As Dave and I approach retirement, we want to downsize out of our 3200 square foot home. With the kids gainfully employed in other cities, we use about one-third of this house. We plan to simplify our lives by moving into the little rental, which is about 1000 square feet on the main floor. The basement is currently unfinished, but will add about 800 square feet of living space once finished.

Through this move, we have the opportunity to fully embrace our love for mid-mod design. Through this blog, you can follow our journey in transforming our little rental into an urban mid-mod cottage.

Urban Mid Mod Cotttage at the Start