Mid-Century Modern

I am honored to receive the 2025 Top Producer recognition from Bethesda Magazine. Thank you to all my clients and all the mid-century modern fanatics here in DC for trusting me the past 17 years. Also,…

The National Building Museum is hosting an event on the Farmsworth house. The Feb. 13 event will explore many facets of Mies Van der Rohe's Farnsworth House. Architectural historian Michelangelo Sabatino…

The Friends of Hollin Hills is hosting a major symposium on architect Charles Goodman in September. The three-day program, "LIVING MODERN-BUILDING COMMUNITY," will be held Sept. 13-15 and will celebrate…

I just sold this off-market listing, a Pineview model in Carderock Springs. This home is on a quiet, corner lot, and sold via Compass' Private Exclusive network. The Pineview is one of the more traditional…

The DC Historic Preservation Office (HPO) allows you to tour DC's  mid-century modern neighborhoods without leaving your desk. With more and more mid-century modern homes being lost to new development,…

In his book "No Place Like Utopia," the the architect and writer Peter Blake said Eero Saarinen's iconic Womb Chair was named when Blake's wife was sitting in the chair while pregnant. A great story true…

Buying & selling a home at the same time? Unless you are a first-time home buyer, chances are you will be selling your current home while simultaneously looking for a new one. Just thinking about all…

Just north of the Baltimore Beltway sits a major cluster of mid-century modern homes developed by Gordan Sugar from the 1940s to the 1960s. Stevenson is like a Baltimore version of Robert Davenport's Charles…

The market for Bethesda mid-century modern homes is hot right now, and many buyers are thinking about trying their luck on the market. If you’re planning to start shopping for homes in Bethesda in the…

I just listed and sold one of the rare Takoma Avenue Charles Goodman-designed mid-century modern homes in an off-market, Compass Private Exclusive sale. The 3 bedroom/1.5 bathroom home closed at $800,000. The…

Potomac Overlook, the mid-century modern community in Bethesda overlooking the Potomac River, is seeking to become Montgomery County’s first modernist subdivision designated as a historic district…

Talk about a perfect spot for the summer. Take a peek at this custom mid-century modern home designed by Chloethial Woodard Smith. Set on 8.85 acres on Broad Creek in Saint Michael's, the 1959 sprawling…

With so many of this year's typical home tour events cancelled, Modern Richmond put together a brief, socially-distanced drone tour of the Charles Goodman's Highland Hills. This mid-century modern neighborhood…

My listing for this custom mid-century modern in Somerset in Chevy Chase by renowned female modernist architect Chloethiel Woodard Smith went under contract in a week with multiple offers. It was listed…

I am honored to be recognized once again as a Washingtonian Magazine Top Agent. Thank you to all of my clients, family and friends who have supported Modern Capital for the past 14 years. Please reach…

I hope everyone and their families are healthy and safe during this very frightening and difficult time as we all navigate this global coronavirus health crisis together. As valued clients and subscribers,…

The 2020 Hollin Hills House + Garden Tour has been postponed. In light of the recent developments surrounding the coronavirus pandemic we have made the determination to postpone the 2020 Hollin Hills House…

From the low-slung pool house to the decorative breeze block, the Spring Lake condominium community in Bethesda would look right at home in South Florida or Palm Springs.   The community was designed…

If you are looking for a new, modernist home in the city, take a look at this one listed by my Compass colleagues The P&rtners. Built using sophisticated aerospace robotics, this innovative pre-fab…

Fallswood in Falls Church is a small enclave of funky early 1970s contemporaries with Swiss/ski chalet lines. The neighborhood of roughly four dozen homes right between the Beltway and I-66 was designed…

If you missed my first Open House at my listing at 4789 Western Ave. in Bethesda, you can come see it this Saturday, March 23. I will be holding an Open House from 1 to 4 pm. You can also virtually tour…

I just relisted this early 1940s modernist Tiffey Townhomes along Arkansas Avenue designed by well-known Washington architects Julian Berla and Joseph Abel for $799,000. I will be holding an Open House…

The Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF), which made its debut in Washington last year at the National Building Museum (NBM), is returning to to Washington Feb. 21-24. The ADFF is the nation’s…

OregonLive.com The Oregonian’s Bridget Otto highlights Modern Capital as a resource for mid-century modern real estate. Modern Capital is a resource not only for those in D.C. but others around the…

Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend. We are still seeing low inventory and bidding wars on the best properties. In the next few weeks, I will be listing four houses and wanted to give Modern…

With it snowing here in DC today, I thought a little Breuer in Boca would be nice to look at as we yearn for spring to actually start. Marcel Breuer and Robert Gatje designed IBM's North American Research…

Washingtonian: If You Love Midcentury Modern Architecture, You Have to Check Out Reston Michael Shapiro is quoted in an article on the mid-century modern residential architecture in Reston, Virginia…

Go see the fascinating--and tragic--story of Richard Neutra’s first East Coast commission, the 1938 Windshield house. The house was designed for the real-estate scion and art collector John Nicholas…

Do you love Brutalism or hate it? Local journalist Amanda Kolson Hurley makes the case for preserving Washington's bevy of Brutalist beauties.  "It could certainly be that on this side of the Atlantic,…

To celebrate I.M Pei, FAIA, turning 100 on Wednesday, the National Gallery of Art will host a discussion at the Gallery's Pei-designed East Building, which opened in 1978. "Designed at a crucial point…

The custom mid-century modern in Owings Mills I listed closed this week. It was originally designed and built in 1960 by noted architect James Grieves, FAIA, as his own home. It was later (1980s) seamlessly…

Good news for all of you Richard Neutra nuts. The modern master's studio and residence in Silver Lake in Los Angeles was just named a National Historic Landmark. “The Neutra Studio and Residences…

If you have modernist family and friends coming into town for the holiday weekend, there are number of new modern exhibits to explore, including at the recently reopened I.M. Pei-designed East Building…

It is only fitting that one of the most iconic modernist buildings in the world was home to one of the word's most iconic restaurant spaces as well. Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building housed The…

Another excellent Hollin Hills House and Garden Tour is in the books. While overcast on Saturday, the weather held out so all the visitors would not track water and mud through the meticulous mid-century…

Senior county architectural historian Clare Lise Kelly's book, Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1930-1979, is now available in Kindle e-book from Amazon. The book,…

Washingtonian: Before and After: This Midcentury Modern Masterpiece Underwent a Shocking Transformation Washingtonian looks at the before and after of a mid-century modern Charles Goodman renovation…

During the post World War II boom, Montgomery County grew by leaps and bounds. The new, post war exuberance was reflected in not only the modern architecture sprouting up but by the cool roadside signs…

If you don't follow architectural photographer Darren Bradley, you should. His photos of mid-century modern and modern architecture are just stunning. As someone who grew up in New Jersey and still…

With the second of the last seven "Mad Men" episodes airing now, I wanted to make sure everyone saw this interesting piece by Andrew Romano,  the West Coast Correspondent for Yahoo News who lives…

To mark the 75th anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House,  architect Steven M. Reiss has published the book Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House, which tells the fascinating story…

Happy birthday to the the Finnish Embassy, which turned 20 this month. Located on Massachusetts Avenue across from the Naval Observatory, it is the first LEED-certified embassy in Washington. The embassy…

Summer is over but the Washington Post Travel section is hanging on with its review yesterday of the "Doo Wop" style Caribbean Motel in Wildwood, N.J. The mid-century modern motel was purchased in…

It's summer, so time for a good old road trip. The Wall Street Journal has a short piece highlighting the plethora of mid-century modern and modern architecture between Cleveland and Chicago. "Thanks…

If you are thinking about a pre-fab modern home, Modern Capital sponsor Blu Homes has a couple local opportunities to explore the firm's designs. The company, based in Vallejo, CA,  focuses on green…

Sad news to report. Harold Esten, FAIA, one of Washington's leading modernist architects, passed away in February at the age of 94. I was lucky to meet with Hal and his wife Alice before they moved to…

Danish mid-century design is hot. You can get a taste of it right here in Washington by touring the Danish Embassy on May 10 as part of the EU's open house day. The 1960 Danish Embassy is the first…

Want to learn more about how and why Charles and Ray Eames had such an important impact on modern design? The design duo will be highlighted as part of the museum's  upcoming Portraits in Design lecture…

While Washington's Metro has its share of problems as anyone who has ridden it knows, its stunning yet simple brutalist design by Harry Weese still stands the test of time and is a true architectural…

During this time of year, I thought a collection of images of the varied mid-century modern church design seen throughout the country would be appropriate. Here's just a few of the dozens and dozens…

Some good preservation news from Los Angeles. Johnie's Coffee Shop, designed in 1955 by Armet and Davis, was landmarked by the LA City Council last week. The original drawing for the Googie coffee shop…

Today, Rock Creek Woods is known for its park-like setting and explosion of cherry blossoms in the spring. While architect Charles Goodman and the builders sought to keep the topography and trees when…

In early 2012, the 66 year-old American Press Institute in Reston closed up shop and joined with the Newspaper Association of America, which is based in Arlington. The move left API's 1972-1978  brutalist…

Looks like Montgomery County is moving ahead with plans to demolish the award-winning 1964 Wheaton Community Recreation Center designed by Keyes, Lethbridge and Condon. The county is looking to combine…

I spent some time this week exploring neighborhoods in McLean. Most people associate McLean with mega McMansions. While that is by and large the case,  there are many mid-century modern and contemporary…

While recent stories about how the Washington Post is looking to sell its current home discussed the mid-century modern nature of the architecture, they did not discuss who designed the buildings or…

The Washington Post is out with a story today on the efforts of  Montgomery County historic preservation planners Montgomery Modern effort to catalog and preserve mid-century modern buildings (such…

Formica, the staple of mid-century modern kitchens and bathroom counterops is turning 100 and getting some notice. To celebrate its 100 anniversary, Formica has launched a new retro-inspired line.…

The Washington Post's regular "Where We Live" column featured the "1950s vibe" of Raymondale, a mid-century modern community in Falls Church.  The 142-homes neighborhood was first developed in…

Hope everyone is having a happy holiday season. With the weather dreadful today here in Washington and the local market quiet, I was looking through recent pictures from LA. Here are a few shots of…

There are so many mid-century modern churches, synagogues and others houses of worship that dot the Washington area, that I have been trying to force myself to take time to stop and take some pictures…

If you want to squeeze in some DC architecture before the final presidential debate, the Southwest Heritage Project will be holding  a program on Southwest DC's history, architecture and public parks…

When I saw this vacant mid-century modern house in Bethesda come on the market earlier this year, I knew it was likely not going to survive. Surrounded by $1 million+ McMansions, this 1948 one-level,…

The space may now house a Joe Fresh, but it will always be the Manufacturers Trust building, the elegantly, minimalist International Style structure designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings…

I drove through a nice pocket of mid-century modern homes in Alexandria the other day on my way to see Charles Goodman's Severeid House. Turning from North Pickett onto North Pegram, you'll find a…

To mark Memorial Day, I thought I would highlight Eero Saarinen's 1957 War Memorial Center in Milwaukee. The center was designed to "create a new home for two previously separate art collections…

When you walk into the lobby of the former American National Bank Building in Silver Spring you think 'Mad Men.' The preserved mid-century lobby (terrazzo floors and marble walls) evokes Manhattan…