The house sold, and according to Esther the new owners have gutted the kitchen to make room for a brand new one that we can almost attest will have granite counters and stainless steel appliances. We have noticed that many folks confuse midcentury modern with new and contemporary modern styles.

According to Esther the original owner – who built and designed this house plus three others – was not an architect, but a petroleum engineer who appreciated good architecture. His name was John E. Garrett Jr.. Esther tells us that Mr. Garrett built the kitchen and office cabinets himself, as well as the built-in shelves in the children’s room.

This is one of those homes many MCM aficionados call an atomic ranch style. The innate characteristics of MCM design are present throughout this house such as the natural light coming into every room, the rich wood, stone/brick accents, and earth tones. In these kitchen cabinets notice the boomerang cabinet pulls, the vibrant turquoise color, and the brick accent wall. In the living room we see the fireplace with no mantel and the post-and-beam construction.

Finding out the kitchen has been gutted comes to no surprise, for most people desire shiny bright kitchens. Lots of inspiration found at HGTV with plenty of encouragement to demolish and gut in order to bring in brand new appliances sold by the TV channel’s major sponsors.

There is nothing wrong with buying new appliances, but it is not always the best option especially if the original ones are in perfect shape and in working condition. When buying a historical and or architecturally significant home it is important to conduct some research prior to starting a remodeling project. Better yet, consult with an architect – through RGVMOD you can contact some of the best in the area who will gladly provide consulting. This option is more affordable than you think and it can save you money and maintain the value of your home.

But how do people know if a house is architecturally significant? Midcentury modern homes don’t look old enough for people to consider them historically valuable. Most of them – if not all – do not have historical markers. For most people, we have come to find out, MCM homes are just plain old and ugly. It is also true that not everybody favors MCM style, for some find it cold, linear and simple; lacking the charm that can come with clutter.

But the perception of MCM houses being old could not be further from the truth, and this is why our goal is to open people’s eyes and see these houses for what they are; the epitome of modernism in America. Midcentury modernism is now recognized by scholars and museums worldwide as a significant design movement.

A very special thank you to Esther for sharing her beautiful former home with RGVMOD – we invite others to share their homes with us and help us inspire the preservation of the Valley’s modern movement.
To see more of Esther’s house please click on this link. For an amazing MCM remodeled kitchen visit houzz