Restoring a Mid-Century Modern Home in NELA

Thinking about buying an MCM in Northeast Los Angeles? There are many to choose from but most need some work and modernizing.

There may just be something right about restoring and altering aspects of a Mid-Century Modern home. Unlike the fussy rules that govern other architectural styles (Victorians, Craftsmans, Tudors, etc.), MCMs were futuristic and about change. All that glass? It was about breaking down barriers in society in the post-War period. All those flowing spaces? They celebrate the movement of life, be it for children or dance parties or rearranging furniture.

So it’s no surprise that Dwell magazine, as well as a number of MCM home blogs, seem quite comfortable with discussing ways to bring those classic 1930s through1960s structures into the 21st century. Frank Lloyd Wright, who inspired the style years before it became commonplace, promoted the idea of blending with natural surroundings, arguably a sustainable idea from a contemporary perspective. The many famous mid-century architects whose work is quite popular in Palm Springs (Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, E. Stewart Williams, et al.), for example, largely understood the challenges of summer desert heat and incorporated deep overhangs to at least block some sun. So why not replace those single-pane windows with something greener, such as double- and triple-paned versions?

There are plenty of MCMs in Northeast Los Angeles, or NELA. Search the listings of homes for sale in Glassell Park, Eagle Rock and Highland Park and you might find some stunners perched on hillsides. A Victorian or California bungalow might have been sacrificed for a sweet low-slung and glassy MCM, and why not? LA is about progressive change as much as valuing a stylish past.

Ideas for renovating found in Dwell include moving interior walls to redirect attention and perhaps accommodate a new powder room and a stairway to a new second floor. With solid post-and-beam construction, there is a lot of flexibility. One rehab had cedar tongue-and-groove panels added to the gently sloped living room ceilings for a dramatic effect. And a kitchen renovation included simply making it bigger and – bargain alert – using IKEA cabinetry fully complemented the aesthetic.

One blog, The Spruce, gently pokes fun at some of the nagging problems with MCMs. Too much glass (poor energy and temperature discomfort), overhanging elements such as cantilevered rooms (they look cool but can sag), huge fireplaces (who uses them much?), no doors (minimal privacy), and flat roofs (bad where it snows or rains heavily). If anything, these are things to consider fixing. Still, those gorgeous stone, room-dividing fireplaces look good to most of us, lit or unlit.

If you’re looking at MCM homes for sale in Highland Park, Garvanza, or Mt. Washington, consider the pragmatic blogs Retro Renovation as well as BuildLLC. These blog authors provide this list of tips:

• Beware of lead, asbestos, and other hazards commonly used back in the day. Demolitions can be dangerous if you don’t wear proper breathing apparatus.
• The era in which MCMs were built included solid foundations that are sufficient to support second story additions. That may not be the case with earlier-era homes. It’s also why moving walls is relatively simple.
• Mechanical systems, if original, might well need replacing. Hey, they’re 60+ years old.
• Updating the kitchen and bath can look bad in 10+ years. Whatever path you choose, preserve as much of what is original and salvageable, and try to make whatever is new complementary to the original features. Imagine the 1950s kitchen that was updated in 1985.