Table of contents for Design Issue 2022 in Atomic Ranch

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 does an architect do when tasked with planning designs for two vastly different homes—built 100 years apart—that will coexist on the same property? That was the challenge presented to Timothy Schouten, design principal, and Jake Weber, project architect, of Giulietti Schouten Weber Architects (GSWArchitects.net). Timothy Schouten shares the creative ways they made the two buildings seem seamless. “The project included designing a new main house and converting a deteriorated, 100-year-old farmhouse to a new guesthouse in the same ‘vocabulary’ as the main house,” he explains. RUSTIC LOCATION The site is an old, 3-acre sheep farm in Southwest Hills, Portland, Oregon, that features a small, 100-year-old farmhouse, mature nut trees, a small vineyard, forested ravine and a small stream, Schouten notes. The center of the property has two established wetlands…

Respect and passion for MCM design are essential when remodeling a mid-century home. When the homeowners of this Las Palmas Krisel gem in Palm Springs, California, decided to pull the trigger on a long-planned home remodel, they sought out experienced home builder Steven Shields of Shields Residential. The goal: to balance the work of the original designer with contemporary functionality. This meant a thorough overhaul of the interior and exterior of the house. “It’s 100 percent brand-new,” Steven says. “We built everything—from a new sewer to a new roof system—with intentional respect for all that William Krisel created as our master template.” For the interior design, Michelle Boudreau of Michelle Boudreau Design was brought in. She was able to bring the aesthetic vision to life. The result is a welcoming,…

“THERE’S A GREAT FUTURE IN PLASTICS.” That’s what actor Walter Brooke’s character, Mr. Maguire, told Dustin Hoffman’s character, Ben, in the 1967 film, “The Graduate.” In the late 1960s, the oil that was required to manufacture plastic was cheap, and architects drew inspiration from the material. After a friend requested a ski chalet, Finnish architect Matti Suuronen (1933–2013) designed the fiberglass-reinforced polyester plastic “Futuro House” in 1968. Shaped like a UFO, the house had a diameter of 26 feet and square footage of 538. While plastic isn’t environmentally friendly, the prefabricated Futuro could be placed almost anywhere without altering the terrain. Intended as a second home that could be transported by helicopter, the Futuro was advertised in Playboy magazine as a “portable playhouse” that “looks more like a spaceship than…

/ LAST LOOK / “THE JETSONS” FIRST AIRED FOR ONE SEASON FROM 1962 TO 1963 and was ABC’s first television show to be broadcast in color. Made by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons—creators of such iconic shows as “The Flintstones,” “The Smurfs,” and “Scooby-Doo”—“The Jetsons” depicted a family living in the fictional metropolis of Orbit City in the year 2062. Even after 60 years, the architecture, technology and the daily life of the ”The Jetsons” are still discussed today to see just how far we’ve come. The architecture of Orbit City and the Jetsons’ home, The Skypad Apartments, is unmistakably “Googie,” a style of futuristic architecture popularized in the mid century that was known for its sloping roofs, geometric shapes and use of glass and steel. Coincidentally, the show first aired within a…

“Around here, this is fairly unique,” admits architect and builder Pax Chagnon of the three-bedroom, four-bathroom, Mid Century Modern-inspired home in central Texas. “It’s not built in the conventional way that most houses are.” But that distinctive look makes this home shine all the more. The home was built in 2020 and is located on a wooded, 20-acre plot west of San Marcos, Texas, in an area of the state referred to as “Texas Hill Country.” One of the home’s defining features is its inviting courtyard, which holds a pool and multiple spaces for lounging and entertaining. The courtyard sits at the front of the home, but it still feels quite private—thanks to a surrounding wall and gate. “The concrete wall and the metal screen support the ‘sequence of entry’…

WHILE WATCHING THE FIRST SEASON OF “STAR TREK,” author and photographer Dan Chavkin noticed something that piqued his interest. “I spotted, during the episode, ‘The Man Trap,’ a piece of midcentury modern design—an Architectural Pottery planter by designer John Follis,” he writes. As an MCM enthusiast, Chavkin excitedly binge-watched the rest of the sci-fi show with a new “lens,” hoping to discover more hidden gems. What Chavkin didn’t yet realize was that the show’s production designer, Matt Jeffries, very intentionally used the MCM style to align with creator Gene Roddenberry’s vision. “After having viewed all three seasons of ‘Star Trek,' I had amassed a catalog of midcentury modern furniture, art, and design appearing throughout the show.” FOR A DEEPER DIVE INTO THIS CHAIR’S HISTORY GO TO PAGE 24 “Gene Roddenberry…

AMANDA CLARK IS THE “QUEEN OF BLESS THIS MESS.” As a professional home organizer and the owner of Ever So Organized in Orange County, California, her job description entails making calm out of chaos for her clients. And, she doesn’t simply organize; she teaches her clients how to implement organizational systems so they can maintain and enjoy their homes long after she’s left. “Organization is a learnable skill,” she says. Recently, she was hired by her neighbors, Chris and Jeanine, who had just remodeled their kitchen and also have a deep passion for Mid Century Modern aesthetics. Amanda was the perfect person to hire. “Not only did I grow up in an Eichler in Orange County, but I now own one of my own,” she says. “I relish the challenge…

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…

Southern California’s Old Las Palmas is a storied Palm Springs neighborhood. In the 1920s, Hollywood movie stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland and Cary Grant flocked to this area in droves, snapping up the Spanish Colonial and modernist homes that sit against the majestic backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains. Currently, Old Las Palmas’ offerings, from art galleries to tiki bars, along with its historic architecture, draw Mid Century Modern lovers. Estates in the area are enhanced and updated with careful consideration for their pasts. Few designers do this better than Howard Hawkes and Kevin Kemper, founders and partners of H3K Home + Design. They, themselves, are huge fans of Old Las Palmas and Palm Springs. “We love that Palm Springs has a small-hometown feel but is also quite…

MAKERS OF FINE WOOD HOME DÉCOR, David and Rau Edgerton (davidandrau.ca) of Weyburn, Canada, make plant stands inspired by Mid Century Modern styles. The husband-and-wife team had originally designed and crafted unique kitchen cabinetry but, as time passed, they started to shift their focus more to furniture pieces. “We had always loved MCM style,” David says, “and one day, Rau asked if I could design something that eventually became the plant stand.” Because MCM often pulls from nature, choosing walnut wood for their plant stands made sense. “We wanted to use the highest quality,” David explains. “We chose walnut for its dark tones.” They designed their first piece … and then discovered a market. “We thought, ‘These are nice. Maybe we can sell a few.’ But now, we are selling…

WHAT IS POP ART? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, pop art was born in the 1950s and flourished through the ‘60s. It’s defined as “a diverse response to the postwar era’s commodity-driven values, often using commonplace objects (such as comic strips, soup cans, road signs and hamburgers) as subject matter or as part of the work.” Think Andy Warhol’s colorized Marilyn Monroe faces, Roy Lichtenstein’s comic book panels or Peter Max’s “Cosmic Runner.” You can find pop art examples online, at art shops or in your handy stack of Atomic Ranch back issues. But pop art doesn’t have to be formal art. It can include common objects, images and even textures. In 1968, Andy Warhol created his “Campbell’s Soup Can” screen print series; Roy Lichtenstein drew Bobby Kennedy as a…