Mid-Century Rockford

Mid-Century Modern is one of my favorite looks in both architecture and interior design.  The look really hit it's stride immediately after WWII and by 1965 or so had really morphed into something similar but distinct. Think the Brady Bunch house; sort of Mid-Century Modern, but not exactly. We have a lot of great examples all over town.  Today was overcast and rainy, bad weather for walks, but perfect for taking photos.  Please let me know in the comments if you know anything about any of the homes pictured or have other examples I should know about and share with my tens of readers.  At some point pretty soon I plan on featuring commercial buildings from the same period and in the same style.

This house is one of my absolute favorites and its look perfectly defines Mid-Century Modern. It is right on the Rock River, just a bit north of the Auburn Street bridge.  This photo really doesn't do it justice.  It is beautiful from every angle, beautifully proportioned, a great match for its setting and  both the architect and owners deserve a lot of praise.  The home is appropriately landscaped and well-maintained.  You can tell they really appreciate the gem they have!

This little jewel box blurs the line between Mid-Century Modern and just plain Modern.  I love the contrast you get with this look when it's placed in settings with lots of trees and nature.

This one does a great job showing how important the horizontal line is to Mid-Century design.  I like how it's partially hidden by being slightly lower than street level.  I wasn't sure about the blue color, but now that I get the pics home and take a second look I am giving it a definite thumbs-up.  The flat roof often featured on these homes really require some diligence living here in Northern Illinois.  We get lots of snow and wet weather and you have to occasionally check the roof and take care of problems before they turn into leaks.

This look is a little bit of a departure from the ones pictured above, but you still see the horizontal lines that say Mid-Century.  I suspect this home is a bit earlier than the other ones pictured today; if I had to guess I would say late 40's or early 50's.  There's that flat roof again!  This is another one where you can really tell that the owners appreciate the beautiful home they have!