Tabla de contenidos para Winter 2022 en Atomic Ranch

modern makers Sheshawn Foltzer of She & Co (sheandco.com) loves bringing mid-mod furniture back to life and has been doing so for quite a while. She got her start when she was in the fifth grade, cutting her teeth on MCM when she took on a project with her stepfather. “We had an old, outdated dresser, and we went through the whole process of stripping it and refinishing it,” she says. “By the end, we had this piece of furniture that looked just great, and I felt this enormous sense of pride.” Today, Sheshawn works with all kinds of pieces in all states of disrepair. Every item offers its own set of challenges, but that’s what Sheshawn loves about her work: Every day brings something new. “Some of these projects…

AFTER LOOKING FOR A MID-CENTURY HOME FOR YEARS, the owners knew they’d found something special when they purchased this 1950s Wisconsin house with the intent to respectfully renovate it. “They were one step short of purists,” says Matthew Jahns, owner of Refined Renovations, the firm that oversaw the project. From the beginning, all parties involved wanted the necessary updates to maintain the original look and feel of the home. While the name of the original architect is not known, the clean lines, exposed beams, wood paneling and brick fireplace all speak to the classic mid-century features in the design. Matthew knew from the start that renovating the house would mean maintaining a careful balance between preservation and updates as he made decisions with the homeowners. “We introduced them to that…

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE IN THIS 1958 HOME, situated in the Randolph-Robertson subdivision of Boise, Idaho. The neighborhood was created during the post-World War II/ Korean War “boom” and was named after the men who developed the area: W. Orth Randolph and the Robertson brothers. After walking through this mid-century gem in 2012, Jessica Luque, interior designer and owner of Stussi Luque Design, along with her husband, Sam, knew it would be their “forever home.” “We immediately fell in love with all the original features throughout the home; and, because I’m an interior designer, I had a vision for what we could keep and what we could improve,” says Jessica. Filling the home wasn’t an issue for Jessica and Sam, who had been collecting mid-century furniture and décor for years…

atomic kitchens IT OFTEN TAKES LOOKING BELOW THE SURFACE TO see the true potential of a home. When husband-and-wife design team Eric Kottke and Julie Lunn of Constructive Builders first saw this Minnesota 1958 build, they knew that with a bit of work, they could restore the most charming features of the original mid-century design while bringing in some modern updates. “We immediately fell in love with the windows with lower awnings, the wood ceilings, the birch trees in the front yard and the view of the woods/pond in the backyard,” Julie says. While the home’s architect is unknown, Eric says they drew inspiration from the original design. “I really appreciate the cleaner lines and the concept of bringing nature indoors with Mid Century Modern design,” he explains. “I also…

A VISIT TO CHARLES DANEK’S MID-CENTURY HOME is a delight, not only for the eyes, but for the ears as well. Music has always been an important part of Charles’s life, and he knew that displaying musical instruments in his home would be an essential element in its décor. The instruments add a distinctive quality, turning the house into a home. “My daughter, Iris, and I are both musicians, so these musical instruments displayed throughout our house get played often,” Charles explains. “I like what they contribute to the ambiance of our home. A celebration of natural materials is a defining trait of Mid Century Modern design, but the same trait also describes musical instruments throughout time.” Charles came to Los Angeles in the mid-1990s with aspirations of becoming a…

FOR MID CENTURY MODERN FANS, perhaps nothing encapsulates a wintery vibe better than an infusion of Scandinavian design. The influence and interplay between the minimalist and organic elements of this style and mid-mod architecture and design cannot be overstated. While there are several notable Scandinavian architects who contributed greatly to MCM design, we will briefly feature three: Alvar Aalto, Bjarke Ingels and Eero Saarinen. These architects’ houses comprise a fascinating mix of transparency and warmth. ALVAR AALTO: INTEGRATION Finnish architect Alvar Aalto is known for his architecture, as well as a prodigious amount of furniture and product design. He is often regarded as the most influential architect of “Nordic Modernism,” because his ethos was to design a total, entirely integrated work of art. Aalto and his wife, Aino Aalto, designed…

curb appeal WHEN A MID CENTURY MODERN house speaks, you listen. Boulder, Colorado, couple Don and Kristina Bergal spent two years transforming their 1967 home into a steel, glass and cement modern minimalist marvel. Don Bergal credits his wife’s design, creativity and determination. “The house just spoke to her,” Bergal said. Boulder architect Kyle Lorenzen, who designed the house for himself, had tucked the home into a hillside high above the street. Over time, the original exterior, marked by a massive wooden staircase and heavy upstairs decking, had grown dilapidated and outdated. “Think of a big, clunky motel where all the rooms are off the hallway, and that’s what it looked like,” Bergal said. Nevertheless, the couple, intrigued by the big deck and windows, had a vision to open up…

FOR MANY, Mid Century Modern style has an inviting aura. Such is the case for Andrea and Mark Brimmer, a couple that longed for a custom dream build that reminded them of their childhood homes. “They both grew up in places with a heavy Mid Century Modern influence,” says Elin Walters, owner and principal designer of Exactly Designs. “The aesthetic takes them back to their childhood and makes them feel warm and happy.” For the new construction, the couple chose an idyllic spot that boasts 200 feet of frontage and 2 acres on Lake Ponemah in Fenton, Michigan. Renowned architect Karl Jasinski had recently retired, but when asked to design the home, he agreed, making it the culminating project of a storied career. Elin was also brought on immediately. “I…

the vibe AS THE DAYS BEGIN TO FEEL SHORTER and the weather cools, we’re reminded to take pause from our busy lives and home renovations. Winter is here, and it’s time to celebrate the season by making our homes a cozy sanctuary for the months ahead. In this issue, we explore holiday decorating and crafts with a refined tropical twist. We’ll also share some tips for adding seasonal flair to displayed collections, as well as a new line of vintage-inspired gift wrap with “aloha” in mind. I’m also excited to share with you my collaboration with My Favorite Neighbor, a wine producer and collective based in Paso Robles, California. Together, we’ve created a wine and hors d’oeuvre pairing that’s ripe with flavor and vibrant color for delightful holiday entertaining. (And,…