ALETHA VANDERMAAS is friendly, approachable and funny. She laughs easily. but don't let that easygoing style fool you. Aletha is a significant player in the trend in midcentury interior design, both in her home state of Michigan and in social media. I first met Aletha through my wife Elin Walters, curator of Exactly Designs. Aletha and Elin are "design soul sisters" who both have created successful separate interior design businesses in the midcentury design,
Like Elin (I/H Episode 12) , Aletha through her business True Home Restorations is especially passionate about midcentury modern style. Aletha describes herself as a preservationist. She works with clients to maintain as much of the authentic aspects of midcentury homes, including materials, spaces and textures, while also updating them for modern times. We talk about the distinctive qualities that are hallmarks of Midcentury Design, from the rooflines, materials, and architecture.
In our conversation we talk about her approach to midcentury interior design and creating a business as a solopreneur. Aletha started in publishing and then was a wedding planner for 10 years before she found her way to interior design because, she says, she "loved houses." It started with a blog in the early 2000's and has since grown to thousands of followers in social media as well as choice midcentury home projects throughout the state of Michigan.
Aletha is humble, kind, and a lively conversationalist in addition to being steeped in the specifics of midcentury modern and midcentury modest design. Our conversation is a class in this trend.
Links:
Aletha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aletha_/?hl=en
Aletha/MidModMich: http://www.midmodmich.com/p/about.html
Atomic Ranch article on Aletha and Greg's Home: https://www.atomic-ranch.com/architecture-design/curb-appeal/renovation-guide-midcentury-weekend-warrior/
Aletha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alethavandermaas/
Aletha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aletha?lang=en
Emily Henderson/designer: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/
Mandy Moore: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/mandy-moore-takes-ad-inside-her-dreamy-1950s-home
Karen Nepacena of Destination Eichler: https://www.destinationeichler.com/
Website: https://christianrward.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianrward/