Table of contents for Renovation Guide 2020 in Atomic Ranch

FLOORING IS A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP where you commit not only to a look, but to a lifestyle. Do you want the natural feel of hardwood, or the sustainability of Marmoleum? If the thought of picking the right option gives you cold feet, we have the perfect solution for that, too. Picking a new floor requires plenty of research and seeking a professional is always recommended, but these facts on five common midcentury flooring options will help get you started! Terrazzo Terrazzo is a composite flooring that originated in Italy. It binds stonework scraps together, borrowing the beauty of finer stone while allowing for creative freedom. You choose a mix of aggregate, such as marble, mother of pearl, glass, shell or even porcelain to create a dramatically new look. • Ideal for:…

DE-LIGHT…

Just a little over 10 minutes from the Texas state capitol building lies a midcentury treasure that’s been returned to its former glory. Located in Austin, the home was designed by venerated architect Roland Roessner, who taught at the University of Texas and designed marvelously modern residences around the area. When the homeowners discovered this midcentury home in excellent condition, they knew they wanted to put the renovations in the right hands. That’s when they called on Austin and San Antonio-based design firm Clayton & Little—and Paul Clayton, Principal, and Emily Little, FAIA, helmed the project. Although the architects stuck to the original floorplan in some areas, additions and add-ons were brought in to personalize the home to the preferences of the new owners. After one year of design and…

Year Built: 1957 Location: Palm Desert, California Original Architect: Unknown Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Year of Renovation: 2015 Length of Renovation: 7 months SAVE A lot of savings happened in the kitchen. Instead of replacing the cabinets, Avian had a carpenter resurface both the cabinets and the base of the kitchen island with a classy teak. Instead of drilling through concrete slab to get water and electricity to the kitchen island, they simply decided to go without. Another money saver was the polished concrete floors. “They’re actually cheaper than most tiles, but they look more expensive than that,” Avian says. “It’s a lot of style for the money.” SPLURGE At one point Avian was trying to work with the existing bathroom features, but in the end, everything, including a bathtub,…

IN THE EAST-END FOOTHILLS OF BOISE, IDAHO, you can find a Midcentury Modern lover’s mecca: a whole neighborhood developed in the ’50s and ’60s full of midcentury homes. For Debbra Palmer and Gina Centioli, it was just the place to purchase their own piece of history in the form of a 1962 home. “My father wanted to be an architect, and I fell in love with his architecture books and magazines as a child,” Debbra says. “It was all Midcentury Modern style and the pictures reminded [me] of the Brady Bunch house and other sets on classic TV.” Gina also loves the style and enjoys its minimalistic aspects. However, the home needed updates—particularly in the master bathroom and bedroom—so they hired Jessica Luque, principal designer and owner of Stussi Luque…

Inside Scoop! Dining In? Do meals at home have you rethinking your dining space? Check out this roundup of darling dining rooms packed with ideas and inspiration. Work From Home We’ve got the tips and tricks to carve out a stylish yet functional office at home—no matter your space or budget. Retro Kitchen Appliances Craving the retro look? We’ve got all the top picks from retro appliance makers around the web—plus a few of our favorite vintage resources, too! Eco Friendly Plastic Flooring? What if you could get the look of terrazzo in your home while helping to eliminate plastics waste at the same time? We take a look at this new material by Smile Plastics.…

AN EICHLER IN THE DESERT? Though Joseph Eichler never built his tract homes in Palm Springs during the midcentury, KUD Properties has recently acquired a license and is the exclusive builder of these “Desert Eichler” homes in the greater Palm Springs area. Troy Kudlac, founder and broker of KUD Properties and KUD development, shares his inspiration for the new-build homes: “On the quest for furthering our architectural knowledge, we ventured to Los Angeles and Orange County; we came across the Fairhaven tract of Eichlers. I was in awe and in love with the neighborhoods and their space age, Jetsons-like feel.” From there, KUD eventually worked out the licensing details and now offers five different Eichler home models, with plans to expand their available options. There are currently seven Desert Eichlers…

STORAGE IS A MAGICIAN’S CARD TRICK. You’ve seen the show, you know it can be done, but how do you make it work for you? The National Manager of Design for California Closets, Erin Hardy, is a master of the craft. And she’s ready to tip her hand. EASE IN WITH ASSESSMENT When you’re surrounded by overflowing closets, storage feels impossible. The pros know, all you need to do is step back and look at the cards in play. Clarify storage categories, such as cleaning supplies, home maintenance tools and family entertainment. Once you’ve got a feel for what’s in your home, test your space one category at a time. “You can learn a tremendous amount from physically seeing and assessing what’s not working,” Erin says. Each individual’s home deserves…

Moving from New York to San Jose, California, transported Mark Winkler and Jessica Endlich from a cold and snowy winter to warm spring in the blink of an eye. They immediately fell in love with the outdoors in their new state and wanted their home to bring the outside in. That’s when they first discovered Eichler homes. “Prior to moving to California, we’d never even heard of an Eichler,” Jessica, a cofounder of an education non-profit, says. “Once we saw one, we were smitten.” When they first laid eyes on their home, they loved the “Zen and calming” vibe, as Mark, a scientist and engineer, calls it. They also couldn’t go wrong with the fact that the local grade school was only a block away, meaning their three little ones,…

Year built: 1956 Location: Austin, Texas Original Architect/Builder: Roland Gommel Roessner, FAIA Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 ½ Year of Renovation: 2013 Length of Renovation: 2 years SPLURGE Emily says, “As the project evolved, the owners became more and more committed to the purity of the renovation, respecting original materials and detailing and holding a high standard for excellence.” This is evidenced in the high-quality mahogany paneling and trim seen throughout most of the home, along with a custom color that was created for the electric switches, outlets and covers to match the mahogany and brick. SAVE The architects explain, “During design, the owners chose to reduce the size of the proposed addition and eliminate one of the two separate offices. A much smaller area was created within the original footprint…

Year Built: 1961 Year of Renovation: 2016 Length of Renovation: 1 year Sleeps: 4 Bathrooms: 1 BIG SPENDER When it came to renovating the Model X, the Scribners didn’t spare any expense. They poured money into coating the 24-foot-long trailer with showroom-ready paint, and installed marine-quality drawer refrigerators for durable food storage. The pair replaced the interior teak finishing with a more polished black walnut. Investing extra funds allowed the Scribners to produce the trailer they thought Holiday House designers had envisioned for the Model X. OFF THE GRID While the trailer is perfect for a quick weekend getaway, it’s also built to sustain itself parked alongside a river for a week at a time. Flyte Camp equipped the Model X with portable solar panels and large holding tanks to…

MODERN STAPLES 1. Space Grey star 7 ceiling fan 52", $415. (917) 868-0382 or starfans.co. 2. Impulse chandelier, $1,599. (866) 842-6209 or ylighting.com. 3. Pendant shade 1865, $100–$145. (651) 600-3470 or modilumi.com. 4. Ocala single-hole kitchen faucet with pull-down spring spout, starting at $329. (800) 682-6826 or signaturehardware.com. 5. Futura Collection 2 ½" Bubble Hex tile; for pricing, (503) 928-3076 or clayhaustile.com. 6. 3" x 9" dimensional wall tile; for pricing, (718) 541-1160 or mod-craft.com. MATERIAL LOOK BOOK Hues for Your Home 1. Baby Aqua paint; for pricing, visit behr.com. 2. Lovebirds paint; for pricing, visit behr.com. Retro Flair A. Endora laminate; for pricing and availability, visit wilsonart.com. B. Grey Cracked Ice laminate; for pricing and availability, visit wilsonart.com. Outside the Box Play with colors, shapes, prints and layout for…

Year Built: 1953 Location: San Jose, California Original Architect/Builder: A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons/Eichler Homes Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Year of Renovation: 2017 Length of Renovation: 2 years SPLURGE As a growing family, Mark and Jessica wanted a kitchen filled with modern conveniences and space to cook together. Seattle’s Kerf Design was perfect for the spacious cabinets and handy storage options they desired, so they chose to devote a sizable portion of the budget to the kitchen. Another top priority for the couple was expanding the living space to the outdoors, so they could use more of their property as a living area. A system of folding glass doors from NanaWall allowed an easy transition from interior to exterior. SAVE Although the home received a considerable overhaul, original features,…

After first seeing this 1,152 square-foot home in Palm Desert, homeowner Stephanie Yates knew that in spite of some poor design updates over the years, it had good bones and could become the desert escape she and her husband, Bryan, were looking for. “It had this wonderful, center- beam pitched roof with triangular clerestory windows in front and an original block wall,” Stephanie says of elements she first noticed from the street. After purchasing the home, Stephanie enlisted the help of Avian Rogers, the dynamic builder behind Moderne Homes, and the two tackled the project with gusto and even became friends in the process. “We were on the same page in creating something really cool out of something that was really horrible,” Avian says. FROM DRAB TO FAB The renovation…

Year Built: 1974 Location: Suburb of Washington, D.C. Original Architect: Designed by Eason Cross of Cross & Adreon and built by Matthews & Schwartz Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 2.5 Year of Renovation: 2018 Length of Renovation: 8 months SAVE The Taylors made a few choices to save time and money in the renovation, like making purchases before demo began so items including tile and lighting would be on hand once the crew came in to begin work. Purchasing premade cabinetry with upgraded pulls provided a custom look without a custom price tag. SPLURGE The homeowners have four areas they felt were most important to splurge on in the renovation—the fireplace, the staircase, the soapstone counter and the windows. The home’s original single-pane windows were drafty and on subzero mornings, the homeowners…

AFTER FIRST SEEING THE MIDCENTURY MODERN HOME her family would purchase, the thoughts of owner and interior designer at Exactly Designs, Elin Walters, were: “Oh boy, this needs a lot of work but we can do it!” The residence, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, had a color scheme that she describes as “atrocious” (burgundy, green and blue), dispiriting landscaping, an eyesore chain link fence around the backyard and a clunky porch. Perhaps most tragically, the home had lost its historical identity. “It strayed from its roots,” Elin says, “and didn’t have any visual appeal or interest … or fun.” She came up with an artful design that included redoing the porch and landscaping, adding an addition and constructing a deck and outdoor living space. The home now blends architecturally with…