Table of contents for Spring 2023 in Atomic Ranch

Palm Springs is blessed with so many Mid Century Modern marvels, it can be hard for a home to truly stand out. But this ranch designed by Charles Du Bois and built in 1963 by the Alexander Construction Company does just that. With its lush green lawn, geometric landscape design and colors that pop against the incredible stone wall, this house has traffic-jam beauty. But the home hasn’t always been so put together and had been somewhat hidden before H3K Home+Design was called in to make over the property. “The front had been left overgrown and degraded over time. Our concept was to celebrate the MCM heritage of the house and really give the yard a Palm Springs oasis feel,” says Kevin Kemper of H3K Home+Design. “Besides the existing older…

WHILE SOME HAVE DECLARED THAT THE OPEN FLOOR-PLAN DESIGN is dead, architect Lane Williams says it isn’t going anywhere. “The open plan is alive and well,” Williams says. “Most clients still ask for what is often described as the great room.” Lane Williams Architects (lanewilliams.com) recently finished the renovation of a 1952 mid-century home in the historic Old Las Palmas neighborhood in Palm Springs, California, and the homeowners wanted to ensure that while it was modernized it also had the right bones for enter-taining. Williams didn’t have to look far for inspiration. “The Mid Century Modern designs were timeless, especially in Southern California, where you had architects like Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler doing some incredibly for-ward-thinking designs that still look amazingly modern by today’s standards,” Williams says. The homeowners…

CONTRACTORS REMODEL OTHER PEOPLE’S HOMES FOR A LIVING, but what happens when they work on their own property? Maybe you’ve seen this storyline on your favorite home-renovation show. It’s certainly intriguing. Steven Shields, owner of Shields Residential, says it’s fun too. Shields and his wife, Lauren, purchased a 1973 condo in South Palm Desert, California, as a rental property. Although they wouldn’t be moving into the 1,200-square-foot home, they resolved to make it inviting for everyone who enters. “We wanted to restore and remaster it with excellent materials for 28-day renters to enjoy in our amazing town,” Shields says. “We feel that by putting premium products into the renovation we are far more likely to get clientele who are really looking for a special experience while they make our house…

modern makers High-quality, gorgeously designed furniture is the final touch for any MCM home. And whether it be a statement piece or something that ties the room together, beautifully handcrafted furnishings is exactly what West Coast Modern LA provides. This family-run company started with Luis Ramirez Sr. and son Luis Jr. buying and selling vintage pieces online and at local flea markets, with dreams to open their own store. In 2013, they did just that, opening up shop in Los Angeles and eventually building their own stunning furniture. “Our own designs focus on matching the same craftsmanship, quality and ability to stand the test of time as original MCM designs,” Luis Jr. says. As West Coast Modern LA has grown, so have its offerings and locations. You can find everything…

WHEN THIS HOME IN RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA, landed in designer Christopher Kennedy’s lap it looked more Italianate than Mid Century. Luckily, the homeowners found the right person for the style change. Over the course of the renovation, the 1968 ranch was transformed as Kennedy and his team replaced the home’s Tuscan-style travertine floors and crown molding with colorful elements that were more reflective of the home’s MCM roots and aligned with the family’s lifestyle needs. CALIFORNIA COLORS The shades of green and blue throughout the house were inspired by its California desert surroundings. The blues of the living room sofas and primary bedroom comforter are a nod to the expansive blue skies and sparkling pools just outside, while the green buffet in the dining room and green accessories in the…

Palm Springs Ocotillo Lodge MODERNISM WEEK TAKES PLACE FEBRUARY 16-26, 2023, in Palm Springs, California. This exciting 11-day festival is known worldwide for offering more than 350 diverse programs that highlight Mid Century Modern architecture, interior and landscape design, art and vintage culture. What visitors may not realize is that most of the compelling programs offered during Modernism Week are produced by partners as a way of raising funds for preservation and restoration objectives throughout the city. Many of the popular tours of neighborhoods are designed specifically to help the communities raise funds to either support civic or community enhancement programs, or to donate to local nonprofit organizations. There is still time to purchase tickets for many of the exciting Modernism Week programs, and this year you may consider choosing…

atomic kitchens When Jennie Bishop, Melissa Benham and Kristen Ekeland, principals at interior design firm Studio Gild, were contacted by one of their favorite clients about a heading up a special project, they sprang into action. “Our clients of the last 10 years and several other notable projects purchased this 1975-build before we began working together in 2012,” says Jennie, who served as the lead principal on the remodel. “They wanted to refresh it as their beloved vacation home in Rancho Mirage, California, minutes from Palm Springs.” Although the clients had taken care of the 2,600-square-foot ranch, they hadn’t made any substantial changes. Knowing they had their work cut out for them, the team decided to complete the project in two phases. “We updated the furniture a couple of years…

FAMED ARCHITECT DONALD WEXLER’S FIRST COMMISSIONED PROJECT after leaving William Cody’s firm was the Lilliana Gardens Glass House. And when it came on the market, it was a “must buy” for the couple behind Thomboy Properties Inc. “Our agent contacted us to say the Glass House was probably going to go on the block and asked if we wanted to come take a look at it,” DeeAnn McCoy recalls. “It didn’t take any convincing.” The 1954 Wexler-Harrison home’s architectural significance, stunning lines and interior atrium were all selling points for DeeAnn and Jackie Thomas, who left their corporate jobs in 2010 to move to Palm Springs and pursue their passion of renovating mid-century homes. “When we first walked into the house, we felt like it needed a little bit of…

last look Frank Sinatra first rolled into the architectural offices of Williams, Williams & Williams wearing a white sailor hat and eating an ice cream cone. He wanted a house in Palm Springs—a sleepy town at the time—and he wanted E. Stewart Williams and his two brothers to build it (this was, in fact, Williams’ first residential project). Armed with a windfall of cash from an MGM Studios contract, Sinatra asked for a lavish estate where he and his wife, Nancy Barbato, could escape Hollywood and raise their children. E. Stewart Williams had to overcome two problems at the outset: the home had to be completed in six months—in time for Christmas—and he had to convince the most famous performer in the world his dream home should not be Georgian…