I’ve been thinking about Heidi Gardner a lot lately. The Saturday Night Live alum just announced she’d be stepping down ahead of the show’s 51st season, and while I’m so sad I won’t see her on my screen every Saturday night, I’m more curious to know if I’ll ever be able to get more glimpses of her absolutely astounding mid-century modern home in Kansas City, Missouri.
Gardner opened up her home to Architectural Digest, and I’m genuinely obsessed with it. “This house is both a Kansas City labor of love and a New York labor of love, which is kind of like me, my two favorite places in the world,” Gardner said in the YouTube video. For the design build, she worked with Cicada Company in Kansas City, and for the interior design, she chose the New York-based Madeline Hudson Interiors.
“It was really important to me to keep the vibes that I originally saw when I walked in this house with the wood walls and the stone,” Gardner says. “I was like, ‘I’m in the Boogie Nights house.’” (This is one of my all-time favorite movies, and she is spot-on with the reference.)
Why Heidi Gardner’s MCM Home Is a True Gem
It is both my opinion and the pro opinion that all new owners of MCM homes should approach renovation with the idea of keeping those OG vibes, says Ashley Kendrick of Ashley Kendrick Real Estate in Kansas City. “[An MCM home] is a piece of art; it’s an artifact,” she explains. “And I think knowing what belongs in that house to preserve is key.”
MCM homes are “the emotional buy here,” especially when they are redone well. “There’s a limited supply of them in Kansas City, so you get a lot of people willing to pay, I would say, more than market value.” Kendrick says that MCM homes in the Kansas City area can range from $400,000 to upwards of several million dollars.
There’s a good reason that homebuyers are willing to stretch their budgets for MCM homes. “Architecturally, they’re their own animal,” Kendrick says. She notes the wood and stone elements give these homes a “warm Japanese feel.” She cites Don Drummond as one of the key architects who brought MCM to Kansas City; Bob Wendt, David Runnels, and Bruce Goff are among other noted MCM pioneers in the area.
Unless an MCM home has been recently updated, buyers can expect to pay more — sometimes a lot more — for energy-efficient enhancements. Andrew Bash of Sage Sotheby’s International in Kansas City says that the original homes were constructed with single-pane windows. And because MCM homes have no lack of natural light pouring in, it’s a hefty investment to replace the many windows and glass doors.
But don’t dare call an MCM a money pit. “I would liken them to a really nice, amazing sports car that you’re going to probably have to tweak to keep running, as opposed to it just being super efficient right out of the gate,” Bash says.
The Features I’m Most Obsessed with in Gardner’s MCM Home
My favorite things about the home? The over-the-top touches (her disco-ball range hood is beyond cool) and how much original features were preserved. Gardner and her design teams kept much of the wood accents in the home, including the wood paneled walls.
Some might want to tear down wood panel walls in just about any other type of home, but in an MCM home, you’ll actually want more of them. In fact, most of the walls in the home feature light wood, with two notable exceptions: the gorgeous stone fireplace and an office/media room decorated in Gucci wallpaper. “It’s not reasonably priced,” Gardner admits, although she is thrilled with her splurge.
Gardner actually calls this wallpapered room a “snug,” which is a new-to-me term. But I got the vibe as soon as I saw it. It’s a luxurious yet comfortable retreat where she can write, hang with her cats — seriously, she also splurged on the most incredible cat tree you’ll ever see — and even host tailgating parties. (She’s a huge Chiefs and Royals fan.) There are two glass doors that open to the outside, offering easy access to the barbecue and smoker on game days.
If you saw Gardner’s incredible backyard and pool without knowing that she lived in Kansas City, it would be very easy to assume she purchased a home in Palm Springs. It’s amazing to see that it’s possible to blend a coastal vibe into the Midwest. But indoor/outdoor living is one of the hallmarks of MCM homes, no matter the location, although the Kansas City climate allows plenty of time to enjoy it. “[The weather] is amazing from March through November,” Kendrick says.
Many Kansas City homes have pools, some of which were added during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people relocated back to the area, according to Kendrick. Unlike other geographical areas where pools might detract value from the home, pools add value to Kansas City homes, especially with that extended swim season.
As much as I adore my Cape Cod-style house, my new goal in life is to own an MCM home. And while I’m sad to see that Gardner won’t be returning for Season 51 of Saturday Night Live, I can’t help but be glad that it’s a great opportunity for her to spend more time in her glorious new digs.