Table of contents for Fall 2023 in Atomic Ranch

modern makers WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE wrote, “To thine own self be true.” If anyone applies those words seriously to their craft, it would be ceramicist and artist Kate Schroeder. Inspired by Mid Century Modern style, Kate creates nostalgic-looking miniatures made with pure joy and lots of heart. Her tiny Malm fireplaces have a viral following on social media. “For me, Mid Century Modern design is the pinnacle of design, specifically because of the focus on functionality in design and our everyday lives,” Kate says. “I am drawn to the combination of organic and geometric shapes, bold colors and clean aesthetic.” Her work is inspired by a deep understanding of why we collect certain objects and their emotional impact on our mental health. Kate incorporates elements of craft, architecture, design and fine…

In the late 1980s, artist Ric Miller was working as a graphic designer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and needed a model for a print-ad campaign. He was looking for an everyday guy to portray an older male relaxing in his retirement. “I thought of George, my friend from the gym,” Ric says. “George was a good-lookin’ man with a great head of gray hair!” George Seminoff was a respected local architect known throughout Oklahoma City for his Mid Century Modern designs. He agreed to be in Ric’s photo shoot and the ad campaign was a success. Neither man could have imagined, however, the impact that George’s work would have on Ric’s personal life years later. AN UNEXPECTED LISTING Ric had grown out of his rock-cottage starter home by the mid-’90s…

Who says you can’t turn the kitchen of a 1909 Craftsman into a modern cook space reflecting your personal style? That’s exactly what the homeowners of this Portland, Oregon, antique gem did, and they partnered with Howells Architecture + Design to do it. The owners always had a penchant for Mid Century Modern furniture. When the time came to renovate the rather generic and poorly functioning old kitchen, they decided to make a bold move. “We agreed on a kitchen that would be bold and different,” says architect Michael Howells. “The clients were gutsy; they didn’t want anything generic and conventional, and their furniture had a modern vibe, which was our jumping off point.” A HARMONIOUS GOAL The project kicked off with a complete gutting of the 180-square-foot space. All…

With the dream of finding a mid-century ranch to renovate, Dina and Darren Glassman of Portland, Oregon, were diligent in their search, but not hurried. “We took long walks in the neighborhood almost every day and stumbled on an old ‘for rent’ sign in the bushes of this house,” Dina recalls. “It wasn’t occupied, so we called the number on the sign. Eventually, we found the homeowner and convinced him to sell us the house.” Originally constructed in 1954, the house had been owned by a local radio personality and felt like a time capsule. “Everything was covered in crazy wallpapers and there were these interesting light fixtures,” says interior designer Annie Wise of Wise Design, whom the homeowners brought on at the beginning of the project along with the…

curb appeal BEFORE SETTLING INTO THEIR HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA, HOME, Chad Baker and Tina Clement spent several years on the hunt for their dream home. Not just any mid-century modern would do—they sought one with as much of its original features and period charm intact. They found that in this home built in 1963 by James Nelson Sherrill, AIA. In addition to boasting an original kitchen, the home’s façade saw little change from when it was built. Chad and Tina were able to instead focus on maintaining the home’s originality. All of their renovation choices were vetted against the question of timelessness. “I’m a purist. I don’t like to disturb anything that has made an ‘object’ what it is,”Chad says. NATURALISTIC APPROACH Framed by the beautiful wooded landscape behind it,…

It’s not every day that the home of a Mid Century Modern design icon is for sale—let alone one they designed for themselves. Such was the case when the family home of Adrian Pearsall hit the market in 2013. Toni Crevo and her husband, David Koral, found themselves purchasing the sprawling Mid Mod estate in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, “as is” from the Pearsall family. Toni admits they were not quite sure at first what they were walking into, but as time passed the state of the home became clearer. “It was very obvious on the day we closed that it was more of a project than we thought,” she says. Shortly after purchase, Toni and David began the process of lovingly restoring the home. Toni says their mission was to…

In 2018, Eric and Dr. Emily Bowman were just starting to think about looking for a new home. With the arrival of their second child and an active toddler, they had outgrown their home in the Fairacres neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. While they loved their neighborhood and hoped to find something nearby, they weren’t crazy about the architectural style of available homes, which, like their current home, were primarily historic Tudor style. They dreamed of finding a Mid Century Modern home like the ones Eric, a graphic designer, had grown up with in Southern California. They surfed real estate sites separately searching for a mid-century home. When they each came upon the listing for a 1962 home in their neighborhood, they knew they had to see it. “We saw the…