braxton and yancey: Alexander Homes – Mid-Century Modern Beauties – Part II

Photo by Julius Shulman

Stunning Mid-Century Design Inside and Out

Last time I shared the picture archive and story of Alexander Homes in terms of their architecture outside. We also talked about some interior features that were common, including post and beam construction with visible beams inside, open floor plans, expansive windows, the use of a breezeways connecting the living area and the carport.

As much as we love the design of Alexander Homes outside, I am even more interested in the design inside. The reason for this is, like many of you, the outside of our domicile is kind of set – we live in a 70’s neighborhood full of split levels and ranches, and it would take major work, and major bucks, to transform our beloved AcornHill into a Mid-Century Masterpiece -- plus the villagers would doubtless rise up and burn us down for being heretics if we did so. And so, although we’ve spruced up the outside of our home, it’s probably never going to be a mid-century looking beauty from the street – just cottage cute.

The inside is a different story altogether. Whether you live in an apartment, a condo, your parent’s home, or your own home, the inside décor is a blank canvas, and we can do all sorts of cool and crazy stuff with the inside! Of course, some may have more money to put into interior décor than others, but that only means you may need to scrounge or thrift more, or be more creative, which is fun anyhow.

The pictures that follow don’t rock every room in the house, I’m not interested in ordinary kitchens, baths or basements (which these homes probably lack, they were most probably built on a slab), but the rooms that showcase what the Alexander Home architecture of butterfly roofs, expansive windows, and open floor plans bought for these interiors. I also love seeing the Mid-Century story play out with the furniture and jewelry of these rooms.

Hope you enjoy!
Shine On! Braxton