Tabla de contenidos para Summer 2023 en Atomic Ranch

AS A PROFESSIONAL DESIGNER, it can be difficult to pinpoint which home style suits you best. “I love all styles. They all have something unique that speaks to me,” says homeowner Goli Karimi, director of design at Home Front Build. When she and her wife, Deb Smith, moved into a 1960s home in Altadena, California, they embraced its history and let its mid-century architecture dictate how they would renovate. “When we got this house, it really amped up our love for mid-century style,” Goli says. “We were both jumping up and down because of the view. We felt lucky to be able to purchase this home.” TRICKY TOPOGRAPHY It was only recently that the homeowners looked into who built the home back in 1960. “I’d been wondering for years,” Deb…

SURROUNDED BY THE WHITE, FLAT DESERT OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY sits the Sunnylands estate. The modernist dream house in Rancho Mirage, California, is truly one-of-a-kind and is considered the pinnacle of Mid Century design. In the book Sunnylands: America’s Midcentury Masterpiece, author Janice Lyle depicts how Walter and Leonore Annenberg created a compound from hundreds of acres of desert and made a marvelous, unique retreat where the ultra-wealthy and famous could escape reality. So, who were the Annenbergs and how did they create such a charming, impressive and unique oasis? Walter Annenberg was an American businessman and media magnate. He owned Triangle Publications, which printed The Philadelphia Inquirer, TV Guide and Seventeen magazine, among others. He was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom by former President Richard Nixon,…

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Mid Century Modern style has a long and storied history in Southern California. The area is like a living architecture museum, dotted with homes built and influenced by the iconic period designers. From Palo Alto to Los Angeles to Palm Springs, you can encounter entire mid-century neighborhoods. Sean Beardsley, owner of Beardsley and Sons Construction, says, “As a contractor and carpenter, I’ve done several Mid Century Modern projects because the style is so popular here. Homeowners are drawn to the clean lines and the focus of letting the outdoors in with well-placed windows and doors to utilize all our glorious California sunshine.” His task was to transform a basic and boring tract-home kitchen in Hermosa Beach into a vibrant Mid Century Modern space. The default expectation for MCM style is…

WHEN TJ PIERCE AND HIS WIFE, RONDA, purchased their mid-century home in a subdivision of Boise, Idaho, in 2015, they didn’t intend to stay for more than a couple of years. The home was built in 1954 and is a builder-grade home in the highly desirable Randolph-Robertson subdivision, located about five miles from downtown Boise. At 1,750 square feet and only three bedrooms and 1.5 baths, it certainly wasn’t large enough for their family of six, but it was the right house for them at the right time. TJ is the founder of the residential real estate firm, Mid-Century Homes, based in Boise. In 2015, he quit his long-time job as an office-equipment executive to focus on his passion of helping other mid-century enthusiasts make their dreams come true through…

Build Your Architectural Awareness Here are some common terms that will likely come up during a discussion of MCM renovations. NORMAN BRICKS Unlike the rectangular shape of standard brick s, the sleek lines of Norman bricks make them the quintessential choice for Mid Century Modern architecture. Just over two inches high and about a foot in length, their elongated appearance accentuates the low-slung façades of mid-century homes. FLOATING PAVERS They come in many shapes and materials, but the way they are used in mid-century home landscapes is distinctively different. Made of concrete, the slabs are rectangular or square and are bordered by decorative rock , grass or a combination of both. Layouts can be straight or offset, but always take a linear path. ANGIE GRAHAM, an interior designer…

When they started looking for their “forever home” in Florida, Patrick and Nancy Dowling, who previously lived in Dallas, Texas, struggled to find a house they liked in the usual Mid Century Modern hotspots. “We never really considered St. Pete, though, until one night Nancy found this house,” Patrick says, “It was love at first sight—the lines, the details—and once we started learning the history of the house, we knew we had to figure out a way to get it.” The home, a 1954 build by William Harvard, is surrounded by dense, jungle-like foliage and features the clean lines and indoor-to-outdoor transitions that mid-century homes are known and loved for. After purchasing the home, Patrick and Nancy enlisted the help of architect Jody Beck and her team at Traction Architecture…

WHEN DESERT DWELLERS NEED A VACATION, they often flock to the beach. When coastal dwellers need a holiday, they often flee to the desert. And when the destination is only about two hours away, it becomes even more attractive. In 2017, San Diego, California, residents David and Patsy Marino decided it was time to level up their family’s lifestyle with a vacation home in Palm Springs. They fell in love with a dreamy mid-century treasure from prolific Southern California architect Charles Du Bois, renowned for his Desert Modernism style. “The previous owner had done a remodel in 2014, and the interiors maintained the integrity of the home’s history,” Patsy says. “The landscaping, however, was on the sparse side.” David and Patsy needed outdoor spaces that would not only embody the…

The creation of the camping trailer is a testament to America’s love of adventure, exploration and the great outdoors. From humble beginnings to the modern, sophisticated trailers of today, they have evolved to meet the needs and desires of generations of Americans who seek out the freedom that comes with life on the road. It began in the early 1900s, when Americans started to embrace the concept of automobile travel. As the popularity of the automobile grew, wealthy naturalists and car enthusiasts began to seek out new and exciting ways to explore the country. This led to the development of the first camping trailers, which were essentially converted automobiles with DIY platforms that were used to lug around tents, kitchen supplies and camping equipment. It wasn’t until The Roaring Twenties,…