Atomic Ranch Design Issue 2022

BY THE TIME THIS ISSUE ARRIVES AT YOUR DOORSTEPS and hits the stands, we will all be entering the busy holiday season and putting yet another year behind us. The past year might have been a time of great change and challenge, adaptation and growth, clarification—and perhaps, even opportunity. As we reflect on “the year that was,” with all the good, bad and the ugly, our perspectives gain a richness and depth as we approach the year to come. Atomic Ranch’s annual Design issue is meant to be “retrospective” in the truest sense; that is, taking time and space to reflect on the history and evolution of the various elements of Mid Century Modern design. In this issue, my team and I have striven to provide a collection of “old”…

HOUSE TOUR: JAMES JUDGE’S MID-CENTURY RENOVATION IN ARIZONA See how designer James Judge amplified the MCM elements in this downtown Phoenix condo. RETRO ROAD TRIP: THE SEATTLE CENTURY 21 EXPOSITION The Century 21 Exposition united a team of Pacific Northwest architects to build a futuristic landscape. Discover their achievements. BRINGING BACK THE SPACE AGE’S FUTURISTIC ARTIFACTS The space age had an influence on design, and Martin McGee has been working to unearth what this era has to offer. He’s become a collector and a dealer, and his collections have formed exhibitions. COOL STUFF: BREEZE BLOCK-INSPIRED ARTWORK Artist Erich Meager offers several collections of carefully crafted MCM shadow tile art that draw inspiration from Palm Springs breeze blocks. Follow us online on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram daily! LOOK FOR THIS SYMBOL…

EERO AARNIO WAS BORN ON JULY 21, 1932, in the Kallio district of Helsinki, Finland. While his childhood was marked by the struggles of World War II (Kallio was one of the most bombarded districts in Helsinki), Aarnio’s need to create was relentless. Pencil drawings on carefully unwrapped packing paper, as well as homemade clay toys and model planes made of firewood, were Aarnio’s initial works of art. This interest in, and ability to work with, different materials would eventually help define Aarnio’s legacy as one of the great innovators of modern furniture design. After a stint in the offices of architect Heikki Sysimetsä, where he was encouraged to pursue interior architecture, Aarnio studied at the Institute of Industrial Arts in Helsinki. While in school, Aarnio worked for two “fathers”…

WHEN OLD WIRING CAUSED A FIRE in this 1955 build, the homeowners escaped without injury, but the structure was severely damaged. “Perimeter masonry walls and fire department efforts kept the entire house from being destroyed,” says Lou Balodemas, AIA, of Balodemas Architects. He and Veena Shahsavarian worked on the project together. “We were hired immediately after the fire and helped our clients through the claim process while simultaneously designing the renovation,” Lou says. Besides the front and left exterior walls, the first-floor framing and the chimney, everything about the split-level home is brand-new. “The insurance company only covered the cost to rebuild and refurnish the house as it was. Our clients committed the balance for the addition, alterations and upgrades,” Lou notes. Because the original home had very little curb…

WHAT DO YOU GET when you combine a well-established, popular furniture company and an avant-garde designer? Well, the result is a forward-thinking, unique and classic piece that becomes iconic. Enter the Kagan Chromcraft Sculpta Unicorn chair … also known as the Chromcraft “Star Trek” chair. Chromcraft first introduced this chair in 1966 as the company was taking off with its popular “dinette” furniture sets. Established in 1908, Chromcraft had become the go-to company for many mid-century families looking to purchase affordable, yet quality, dinette pieces and was rapidly expanding its manufacturing capabilities to meet the boom in demand. In a collaboration with Vladimir Kagan, a renowned furniture designer known especially for wood-framed chairs, Chromcraft created the Sculpta dinette set, which featured these futuristic chairs. The most striking aspect is perhaps…

WHEN KAREN NEPACENA AND HER FAMILY purchased this 1959 Eichler in Walnut Creek, California, the state of the kitchen did not resemble anything “Eichler-esque” at all. “Our kitchen and home had already had a few owners,” Karen says. “We were trying to bring it back to mid-century, because it had turned into a more-traditional home.” Before even starting their renovations, Karen and her family moved into the space to “feel it out.” That Mid-Century Spirit “At the time, Mid Century Modern was kind of new to us,” she explains. “We ended up doing so much research to try and bring in these elements.” They wanted to capture the heart of mid-century design while bringing the space into the 21st century. “We wanted a new, modern touch,” Karen says. The kitchen…