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FOCUS: Landscapes & Architecture Mid-Century Architecture & Landscapes The most popular renovation of the 20s
Focus — Landscapes & Architecture The Midcentury Modern House and Architecture
Nina A. Koziol
Editor’s Note: This ongoing series provides insight into various architectural styles of Midwestern houses over the past 150 years along with the plants and landscape practices in use at the time the homes were built. Our goal is to help you be better informed when discussing projects with your clients. Context-sensitive landscape design that preserves historic character can increase property values.
Take a drive through just about any city or suburb in the Midwest and you’ll likely find many “midcentury modern” houses. These low-slung homes, built after World War II, are generally characterized by flat or low-pitched roofs, wide, overhanging eaves, and exposed roof beams, inside and out. Builders often used natural materials—wood or stone, as well as brick and concrete block. Some of the houses feature expansive glass walls, clean lines and wideopen floor plans. Large windows and glass patio doors helped marry the landscape to the house.
Looking Back In the 1950s and 60s, magazine covers often featured sleek houses and trim landscapes—no fussy planting beds, no flowering shrubs hugging the foundation—in other words, no frills. Instead, readers saw well-defined outdoor spaces, floor-level patios, sweeping lawns, backyard patios and
The Midcentury Modern House and Architecture
grills— and very restrained plantings.
“The post-WWII years in particular celebrated modernism—including a conscious departure from past styles and ways of living,” says landscape architect Scott Mehaffey, executive director of Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois. “The war brought the country together with a forward-looking attitude as well as new energy and new technologies.”
For homeowners back then, midcentury modern gardens were not about spending hours weeding the borders and dead-heading flowers. Plantings were accents and trees were used sparingly. Foundation plantings were minimal at best, although some showed evergreens hugging parts of the front walls. Indoors and out, the design style was characterized
by clean lines, organic and streamlined forms, and lack of embellishment. Patio furniture had a “space age” look—fiberglas bucket-shaped chairs and satellite-shaped fire pits.
There was a heavy emphasis on hardscape. “There is no doubt that more garden space can be covered with hard-surfaced materials and the rest be both aesthetic and practical,” wrote landscape architect Thomas Church in his 1955 book, “Gardens are for People.” Church’s practice was primarily in California, but his influence on simple, restful, low-maintenance landscape design was evident in home magazines well into the 1960s. His low-maintenance designs included concrete mowing strips along planted borders, which eliminated the need to edge the grass. (continued on page 12)
(continued from page 11) Reinterpreting the MCM Landscape Mid-century modern homes are a favorite of landscape designer James Drzewiecki, APLD of Ginkgo Leaf Studio in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Drzewiecki began his career as an architect before transitioning to landscape design two decades ago. “I’m attracted to the lines and lots of glass on these homes—I think that part of the midcentury modern house makes it so conducive to the landscape. You get the opportunity to do so much more with those projects.” As architectturned-landscape designer, Drzewiecki brings a unique perspective to all of his projects. “I have the construction knowledge from my architecture background and my training kicks in. I focused on historic architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright influenced me.” Wright’s residential designs were a precursor to many of the contemporary homes built midcentury.
One of Drzewiecki’s landscape renovations in Racine was a house built in 1953 by John Randal McDonald, known for his organic approach to architecture, like Frank Lloyd Wright. The existing landscape had been neglected for many years and the owners knew it was time to bring in a professional. They retained Drzewiecki’s firm because of his expertise and understanding of midcentury design ideas.
He took his cues from the dramatic roofline and geometry on the house. Wedge-shaped garden beds surround a new staggered path composed of trapezoidal concrete panels. Beach pebbles fill the runnels between the panels. He also reused some of the existing stone including the boulder in front of the prominent Tennessee sandstone feature on the home.
“It would be very hard not to be inspired by the architecture of a house that looks like this, but it was also important not to go overboard and overshadow the home,” he says. “There are long angles, straight 90-degree corners—sometimes cool has to win over practical.” Some homes built in this period have tile squares, rectangles or starbursts built into the exterior walls. It would be easy to overdo those features mimicking them in the landscape “You can carry it too far—adding starbursts everywhere.”
Because of a grade change between the driveway and entry, he created a low retaining wall of sandstone to match the house. The new landscape complements the home’s architecture, and Drzewiecki describes the look as midcentury modern influenced by Asian and California styles. (continued on page 14)
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(continued from page 12) Patio Features The original free-form patio had wood inlays between concrete panels. “It had that midcentury modern classic California look. And, separate concrete panels were common during the era,” Drzewiecki said. One thing he is not fond of is the use of engineered pavers and stamped concrete that looks like flagstone on midcentury modern landscapes. “It’s completely a clash,” he said. “Although they’ve gotten more realistic, they don’t work well with midcentury modern.”
Looking at original photos from the period, midcentury hardscape was often concrete—sometimes colored buff, tan, brown or warm grey, and concrete with aggregate as well as bands of wood, brick tile or mosaic pebbles. Some brick pavers were used as well.
For the Racine project, wedge-shaped borders and rock beds tie the back garden to the front landscape look. Pebbles and slate chips in coordinating colors, shapes and textures were used in the new design. “The pebbles highlight ornamental grass groupings and they add that Asian-inspired California midcentury modern flavor,” he said. The beds are edged in black aluminum. The grill and dining area are near the kitchen entry. A new seating (continued on page 16)
Planting details (continued from page 14) area let the homeowners enjoy their new gardens.
New steps and material inspired by the home’s interior create a transition from the patio to the garden. “The house has slate flooring,” Drzewiecki said. “So the full range bluestone pavers pay homage to that.” The bluestone extends partway down the runnel between the concrete panels, enhancing the transition between the edge of the patio and the retaining walls. “The raised garden was a weedy mess, but it had potential,” Drzewiecki said. He extended it with retaining walls that match the original Tennessee sandstone, and created a walking garden that runs along the side of the yard.
In keeping with the sleek, minimalistic aesthetic, he said, “Cottage gardens don’t belong in front of a midcentury modern house. And, don’t mimic Palm Springs if the house is in the Midwest.” The mix of plants includes shrubs, grasses and perennials inspired by the clients’ love of bold color and the desire for continuous bloom and winter interest. “I’m all for using natives and nativars but we’re not mimicking nature. Ornamental grasses fit really well and can give you a more modern look.”
Less is More: Pure and Simple “Simpler is better in general with clean lines and simple geometry,” Drzewiecki explains. “I don’t like wavy bed lines.” He replaced the outdated, funky pond in the original patio with slate chips, beach pebbles and a sleek Wright statue as a focal point.
Unless you or your clients are purists when it comes to midcentury modern homes, it doesn’t have to be a 1950s landscape, he said. “If you’re a purist, then you’ll want to include yews. But people update their kitchens so I see no reason it can’t be a 2020 landscape.”
Plants
(continued on page 18)
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Focus — Landscapes & Architecture
(continued from page 16)
One problem Drzewiecki runs into on these houses—overgrown plants. “Lots of yews—the original landscape is still intact. The landscapes are tired or naturally declining. Some of the homes are still owned by the original owners.” But millennials are also interested in this style of home and many would like something unfussy and sleek.
One retro look is recreating colorful front doors. “Bold colors were often used on the house, and you’ll see orange or turquoise doors on some of them,” Drzewiecki said. “And, breeze blocks. I belong to a breeze block Facebook group.” Everything about the fences and the privacy panels have a sleek, minimalist look—then and now.
Mehaffey sees these homes as a marketing niche for landscapers and designers. “Many millennial homebuyers are not doit-yourselfers, so there are definitely opportunities for establishing long-term relationships that pay off over time,” he said. “Clients in higher-income brackets may love the style and the opportunity to create a complete work of art—midcentury-styled landscapes included.”
LA Thomas Church, author of Gardens are for People.
Midcentury Modern Resources
Pinterest key word search: Midcentury Modern Design, Midcentury Modern Landscapes & Gardens, Midcentury Modern Landscape Design, Vintage Sunset Garden Books, Thomas Dolliver Church.
Tumblr: midcentury modern houses, midcentury modern gardens, midcenturymodernhomes blog, midcenturymodernfreak blog, etc.
Instagram: #midcenturymodern, #midcenturyhomes, #midcenturyliving, #midmod, etc.
Ginkgo Leaf Studio: https://ginkgoleafstudio.net
dwell.com
atomic-ranch.com
houzz.com
The MidCentury Modern Garden: Capturing the Classic Style. Ethne Clarke. 2017.
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