One of the reason mid mod enthusiasts love era homes is for the memories. Perhaps the sunken living room reminds them of grandma’s house when they were a kid. Maybe they grew up in a home with a turquoise kitchen. In some cases, people even buy homes their parents owned, reliving memories in every hallway and bedroom.
Well, for Allison Ainslie of Seattle, Wash., the best way to connect with her father, Hugh Ainslie, was to build herself a home reminiscent of the one she grew up in—the one her father built. Allison and her brother, Neil, followed in their father’s footsteps, creating their own company, Ainslie-Davis Construction. When Allison go the chance to build her own home, she decided to build one in the Mid Century style for her family, just as her father once did for her.
From the Toronto Star:
“We’re kind of a nostalgic family. My dad is nostalgic, too,” says Allison. “It connects me to my childhood in general … I’m still in Madison Park. My daughter went to McGilvra (Elementary School), and I went to McGilvra. It’s the small town I grew up in, and I’m raising my kids in that small town.”
It’s not exactly the same home. But it is inspired by the original.
“I visited the (previous) house and had it in my head,” says Allison. “I introduced myself to the lady living in the house and told her I wanted to build this house. They walked us around. I came back and drew up the plan view and elevations with some tweaks, and went to ‘Uncle Mick’ (uncle/architect Bruce Michael O’Neill), who drew it up on CAD.”
Sure, it’s not a renovation story, but we think adding a bit of Mid Century style to any neighborhood, especially as an homage, is a pretty sweet tale. Read the whole story here.
