Tabla de contenidos para Summer 2020 en Atomic Ranch

Growing up in California, it’s hard not to be hugely influenced by Joseph Eichler, the man who brought Midcentury Modern to the masses. And in Southern California’s Orange County area, where I went to school and recently put down roots with my home, the Eichler tracts in Orange are like a proud emblem of the area, a trophy marking our own spot in the grand scheme of mid mod history. When you think about Eichler’s tract developments with architects like A. Quincy Jones and Fredrick Emmons or Claude Oakland, I think you truly see how they embodied the new American dream at the time. They are equal parts innovation and quiet simplicity. Marketed to middle-class America, they were designed to appeal to the everyman. And yet to see them today,…

Taking on the renovation of a midcentury home is always a challenge. In Fullerton, California, there's added pressure when the homes are a beloved local symbol of a bygone era. Fullerton's 'Forever Homes' are a series of quintessentially modern midcentury tract houses constructed thanks to the influence of iconic developer and real estate mogul Joseph Eichler. But when new owners Keven and Alana Stirdivant found termites and then dealt with a significant kitchen design disaster, they started to wonder what they'd gotten into. "There was definitely some fear. We were really thinking, 'Should we still do this?"' admits Keven, who along with his wife, Alana, purchased the home with a full renovation in mind. The Stirdivants are both mildly obsessed with Midcentury Modern homes, design and architecture. So much so,…

David Eichler: Through a New Lens David Eichler Photography, eichlerphoto.com. Focus In Interior design: Urbanism Designs, urbanismdesigns.com. Counter stools: BluDot, bludot.com. Countertop and integrated sink: Porcelanosa® Krion, porcelanosa-usa.com. Cabinetry: Strong Cabinetry, strongcab.com. Backsplash: Heath Ceramics, heathceramics.com. VCT Flooring: Armstrong Flooring, armstrongflooring.com. Sink faucet: Kohler, us.kohler.com. Dishwasher, oven and microwave: Miele, mieleusa.com. Refrigerator and freezer: Thermador, thermador.com. Globe pendants: Original to the home. An Eye for Eichler Architect: Jones & Emmons. LIVING ROOM: Barcelona chairs: Knoll, knoll.com. Side table and vases on fireplace: Jonathan Adler, jonathanadler.com. Noguchi accent table: Herman Miller, hermanmiller.com. DINING ROOM: Turquoise dining chairs: Modernica, modernica.net. Sputnik chandelier: Jonathan Adler, jonathanadler.com. MASTER BEDROOM: Nelson Thin Edge Bed: Herman Miller, hermanmiller.com. Table lamp: Jonathan Adler, jonathanadler.com. OFFICE: Sofa: Casara Modern, casaramodern.com. Louis Poulsen pendant light: Design Within Reach, dwr.com.…

AND IT’S TRUE! This enclave of Eichler homes tucked away in this Southern California neighborhood is remarkably intact. Between 1947 and 1974, Joseph Eichler built an astounding 11,000 homes throughout California. In the city of Orange, where this particular home is located, there are nearly 350 Eichler abodes. The city contains three “tracts” of Eichler homes, found in the Fairhaven, Fairhills and Fairmeadow neighborhoods. The homes were all constructed between 1960 and 1964, and as of 2018, now lie in historic districts. This Eichler home resides in the Fairhaven neighborhood, where you can view 140 midcentury dwellings that have been meticulously preserved.…

Seven years ago, business owner Lex Winger entered a Wisconsin bar thirsty and left illuminated with a striking business opportunity. Lex was looking to reinvigorate Sign Rocket, the printing company he had led for 32 years, and the bar’s sparkling fiberglass pendant lampshades inspired him to start printing and selling his own shades. He created Modilumi to build and design custom lampshades with classic Midcentury Modern designs popular during Lex’s childhood, like starbursts, circles and squares. “The Midcentury Modern style doesn’t just say, ‘Everything’s going to be OK,’” Lex explains. “‘It says, ‘Everything is going to be OK, and it’s going to be really cool.’” THE RIGHT FIT Lex advises shoppers to embrace a little arts and crafts when customizing a lampshade. He encourages customers to either bring lamps in…

The postwar housing boom was the catalyst for many of the most important developments in 20th-century residential architecture. In the 1950s and 1960s, large tract developments of ranch homes first appeared in American suburbs and soon became synonymous with the American dream. While these developments greatly impacted midcentury residential architecture, they were frequently designed to create maximum profit for merchant builders, sacrificing cohesive design and style in the process. Joseph (Joe) Eichler (1900–1974) was the first merchant builder to work closely with architects to develop stylish, mass-produced tract homes constructed with quality materials that gave the homes a custom-designed look. Eichler’s unwavering commitment to quality design and materials produced homes at the pinnacle of accessible and stylish Midcentury Modern residential architecture and are highly sought-after today. USONIAN INSPIRATION Eichler Homes,…

TYPE OF HOME: 1962 pitched-roof Eichler. BACKGROUND: Purchased three years ago, the home was missing much of its original midcentury charm. The homeowners enlisted Pamela Lin-Tam and her team at Urbanism Designs to lead the renovation, with a particular focus on the living areas. COLOR SCHEME: Black, white and warm walnut. INNOVATIVE IDEA: For the backsplash, the design team laid out the half-hexagon tiles in a braid pattern rather than recreating a hexagon. Paired with the slight color and shape variations in the handmade tiles, the backsplash gives subtle dimension to the kitchen space.…