Keep HGTV Far Away From This Mid-Century Modern Midland, Michigan Home
Look, shiplap, "open concepts" and farmhouse style is all well and good but there is just something special about the architecture and spirit of mid-century homes.
Their character, their unique shapes and design elements as well as all the COLOR. They truly don't make homes like they used to and times change but sometimes you come across some true mid-century modern masterpieces for sale that you just hope and pray someone keeps just the way it is.
Masterpieces like a Midland, Michigan 1960's build created by mastermind architect Alden B. Dow we stumbled upon a Zillow listing for and had to know more.
Alden B. Dow: Architecture, Homes and Studio in Michigan
To truly understand the value of this home, we first need to understand the significance of its very existence.
According to the Zillow listing, this home was built in 1960 after, in 1958, Blackhurst Realty enlisted the help of Alden B. Dow to create three different home designs that could be tweaked and duplicated across the area.
So, why Alden B. Dow?
Well, per the Alden B Dow Home and Studio website, Dow was originally going to be an engineer and even went to the University of Michigan for three years to do so in preparation to join his family's company...Maybe you've heard of it, Dow Chemical?
Dow decided that wasn't the route he wanted to take so he went on to Columbia University for architecture. He started building his life from there and actually studied with another iconic designer of the era, Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin in 1933.
After that, construction started on Alden B. Dow Home and Studio in 1934. Now a historical landmark in Michigan, the location itself and other designs around Michigan sealed Dow's place as a highly-regarded architect.
What Do Other Alden B. Dow Homes Look Like?
"By designing structures that reflected the way we truly live as humans, he created spaces that not only nurture and comfort us, but also awaken our minds and help us to develop our own individual creativity," the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio website shares about Dow. "His is a legacy that challenges us to look, examine and question the world, in the focused pursuit of the quality of life."
Dow was also known to make sure his designs flowed well with the environment around them which means they fit into the landscape without intruding on it.
That can be seen with this property listed on Zillow at 5811 Leeway Dr. in Midland, Michigan:
Marvelously Mid-Century Modern in Midland, Michigan
Now, look, we are not trying to diss anyone's interior design tastes. If farmhouse, Pinterest dreams, HGTV trends are what you are into, you do you!
Just know there are purists out there who will be mad at you if you take iconic, history-making designs like the home we just looked at and make them look like every other home you see.