Atomic Ranch Fall 2021

I WAS NEVER THE TYPE TO JOURNAL OR KEEP A DIARY. A decade ago I contemplated being a scrapbooker but got overwhelmed by all the doodads. But today, I’ve decided to start a home journal. Maybe it’s that I’ve gotten caught up in all the baby book pages I’ve been filling out (babies have a way of making you do things you never thought you’d do, don’t they?). Or maybe it’s because the homes we visit in this issue are full of such amazing stories of history and lineage and provenance. When I found my home, my realtor was able to track down some of the original marketing brochures from the 1950s for my tract and included them in my paperwork. I treasure them. The homeowners in this issue have…

Cool Stuff: Throw Blankets Be ready for cooler temperatures with a few well-placed throws that you’ll love to look at as well as use. Curb Appeal: Front Yard Foliage Nothing says fall like leaves’ transformation from one color to another. We’ve gathered up some ideas for trees that will complement your home’s mid mod style and bring a touch of fall to your yard. Get the Look: A Blast from the Past Looking for Mid Century Modern inspiration? Check the mid century sources! Here’s a 1960s flat, and we track down similar objects available today to recreate the look—plus or minus that rooster. Follow us online on Facebook , Pinterest and Instagram daily! Project House Inspiration: Scandinavian Modern Influence What exactly is Scandinavian Modern anyway, and what does it have…

Balance is crucial to an effective room design. And to ensure the success of Project House Austin, designer Christine Turknett, principal at Breathe Design Studio, is dreaming up the details while the home is still in the process of being built by builder Michael Wray, owner and founder of MidCentury Custom Homes, LLC. Christine’s take on Mid Century Modern style will include just the right balance of color, pattern and shape. “Rooms are like a capsule wardrobe; you want everything to work together,” she says. PLAYING WITH PATTERN AND COLOR The Project House is made up of two spaces: the main house and the casita. “We gave them different identities but overlapped them with an aesthetic tie,” says Christine. The casita will have a retro feel, complete with period colors…

Imagine piling into the family station wagon late on a Saturday morning for an excursion spent exploring new model homes. No, you aren’t looking to buy. Instead, like millions of Americans during the booming, optimistic years after World War II, you are eager to cross the threshold into the home of tomorrow. Dr. Robert Frost and Mrs. Amelia Frost may have started off their day in much the same manner when they stepped inside what would later be called The Frost House. Located in Michigan City, Indiana, the abode was an oddity even then in 1964, with its flat roof and prefabricated aluminum and baked-enamel finishes, described by the current owners as an industry first. The Frosts must have been quite taken with the abode, Karen Valentine, one of the…

After purchasing the home in 2016, Karen and Bob immediately began getting The Frost House listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a process that took four years to complete. Read along to discover how Karen was able to turn her Mid Century Modern home into a landmark designation and how you might be able to do the same. 1. Start by reaching out to your city’s historical society. They should be able to link you to contacts on the state level. Karen met with a member of the Kalamazoo Historic Preservation Committee. This member was able to connect Karen with contacts at Indiana Landmarks. 2. Committees and boards that approve a home’s application only meet so often during a year. Thus, it is important to work with a…

THE DEN, OR LODGE AS THE COUPLE CALL IT, HAD A TIME-CAPSULE GIFT—THE TAMBOUR PANELING FOUND IN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE HOME SHOW IT WAS A LOVELY, WAXED CEDAR. UNFORTUNATELY, AT SOME POINT IT WAS PAINTED. “ILENE AND I REALIZED THE CHANCES OF REMOVING ALL TRACES OF THE PAINT WERE VERY SLIM, SO WE DECIDED TO CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE PAINT COLOR AND MAKE IT A GLOBAL DESIGN ELEMENT FOR THE ENTIRE HOME,” BEN SAYS. For a long time, Ben Lewis and Ilene Markell dreamed of owning a Mid Century Modern home. Ben, a retired U.S. Navy musician and trumpet player, fell in love with Mid Century Modern style in 1986, when he picked up a copy of Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s by Cara Greenberg. Flipping…