Table of contents for Design Issue 2025 in Atomic Ranch

HENRY JARA began collecting and selling vintage Mid Century Modern furniture 20 years ago. It was well ahead of the trend curve that have pulled behemoths like Target and Amazon to the look today. What attracted him to it is the stark opposite of what those big box chains produce. “Furniture from that time was made with quality structure, solid wood, and materials that were made to last a lifetime,” Henry says. It was his daughter Alexandra that actually got him into it. “She began thrifting and selling Midcentury Modern furniture and after seeing how well she did, I realized how unique and special the pieces really were. I fell in love with the simple lines, craftmanship and minimalist designs. I started doing research on the different designers like George…

WHEN THE OWNERS OF this mid-century ranch in Seattle, Washington, built in 1959 began their renovation journey, their project contractor, Stuart Feldt of W.S. Feldt, suggested that the clients contact Kathleen Glossa, founder of Swivel Interiors, for support with the design plan for their kitchen remodel. “Stuart and I had worked together on other projects and after meeting the clients, Lori and Hugh, we all knew we’d make a great team,” Kathleen recalls. “They had three requests: to suggest a layout for the kitchen to allow seating for the family of four while still maintaining the existing exterior walls; to assist with the planning details for Space Theory cabinets to help maximize storage and work-flow functionality; and to guide the selection of finishes, fixtures and furnishings.” READING THE ROOM Kathleen…

Sometimes diamonds in the rough take quite a bit of polishing, but they sure do sparkle once the process is complete! That was certainly the case for this Thomas Hite designed 1964 condo in the Chessman neighborhood of Denver. A CHAIR, A COCKROACH AND A CONVERSATION Wendi Malone was eight years old, a Kroehler slipper chair her family inherited from a neighbor inspired her lifelong love of Mid Century Modern style and has been with her through many moves to many countries. She still has it. When she moved back to Denver from Australia recently, Wendi contacted Mid Mod Denver realtor Kimber Dempsey about finding condos in the area. The 1964 Lafayette Street property came up in their search, and after seeing photos online, Wendi almost dismissed it. The only…

In 1946, a young World War II veteran named Howard Hardrath came to Atlanta, Georgia to settle down with his new wife, Amber. Howard had distinguished himself as a Platoon Sargent in the Army, even earning a Purple Heart when he was wounded in action in France in 1944. But now he was home in the US, had a new wife, and was ready to make a career for himself. Howard teamed up with Paul Edwards to create P&H Homes and P&H Realty, and they became an established name, building and selling homes and apartments. Their main focus in the 1950s was Northcrest, an Atlanta subdivision of about 500 homes. P&H Homes was the primary builder of Northcrest from the 1950s-‘70s—a neighborhood that continues to be a desirable community for…

TAKING A HOME from blah to dazzling is rewarding enough, but even more so when you do everything yourself. That was the case for Jenna Pilant, a polychromatic upholsterer and interior designer, and her San Diego 90s ranch style home. THE BEFORE: “FIFTY SHADES OF BEIGE” For Jenna and her late husband, the location of the home in San Diego’s Pauma Valley Country Club was key. Another huge selling point of the home was that it was essentially a “blank canvas.” Jenna elaborates, “Almond on beige on ivory on taupe. . . . layer upon layer of neutral sameness just waiting to be reimagined.” Another attractive feature was the home’s ranch style and Midwestern touches. “While it was built in the 1990s,” Jenna says, “I loved that it was a…

MID CENTURY MODERN LOVERS know one thing that the average person might not have come to appreciate yet on a wide scale, and it’s that American motels are cool. Born on a California roadway, the first motel—smack dab in between Los Angeles and San Francisco in a small beach town called San Luis Obispo—was built in 1925 and was designed by Arthur Heineman. He wanted to call it the Milestone Motor Hotel but at 19 letters, it was too long for the roofline it was intended to crown so he shortened it to Mo-Tel. And from there the growth of the modern-day motel mirrored the trajectory of the our own county’s growth. Auto tourism was emerging and after WWII it boomed with a growing middle class and a developing highway…

CHAIRS: LIGHTING: CASE GOODS: BEDS:…

THERE ARE many components to cull together to design a beautiful space: color, pattern, furniture scale and arrangement, and lighting, to name a few. But sometimes, there’s a subtle hard-to-pinpoint element that really delivers the perfect vibe. Here, our design expert inner circle offers their opinion on that often discounted piece of the puzzle that can complete the space. "WHEN DESIGNING an interior space, I think the detail that is often missed is the exterior view. Most MCM homes have large expansive windows meant to integrate the indoors and outdoors. Whether intentionally extending the inside wall material to the outside or by repeating colors, patterns or objects, it is important to help the eye connect from the interior to the exterior and create that harmonious blend to the surrounding property.”…

ASK ANY Mid Century Modern enthusiast where they would like to vacation to be immersed in their favorite design style and the answer would most likely be Palm Springs. Mark and Lois Mitchell are no exception and they decided to make their vacation home in the mecca for MCM style. “We use this Palm Springs location as our getaway lair,” Lois explains. “Our dog, Wexler the Welsh terrier, always accompanies us.” When the couple came upon this 1957 gem they knew its setting and architectural details were impeccable, but they also knew it needed major reconstruction. “We contacted Eric Bennett who with his wife Lindsey Schneider hosted a show produced by Glass Entertainment Group for broadcast on HGTV. We struck a deal with Eric to provide renovation sources and guidance,…

HIDDEN BEHIND an atomic era condo exterior lies a rosy desert dream of a home. Outside, the condo community’s HOA requires all facades to retain their classic tangerine trim and crisp white paint hues—the chosen color palette of The Ocotillo Lodge, originally built in 1957 by the architectural firm of William Krisel and Dan Saxon Palmer. But inside, the abode is another story entirely. Everything in the condo comes dressed in pink, even down to the living room’s tile grout, soaring ceilings, and the dainty fridge tucked away in the kitchen. A troop of Flamingoes adorn the primary bedroom’s whimsical accent wall and pepper the pink patio in all their plastic lawn flamingo glory. And of course, there are numerous homages in the house to the girl who inspired it…