Table of contents for Fall 2024 in Atomic Ranch

curb appeal It takes a keen eye to see past years of neglect to visualize a home's potential. Luckily, Roy Ley, homeowner and principal at Hoke Ley, was able to look beyond the layers of disrepair of this Lawrence, Kansas, home. The list of problems the 1957 build had was extensive. “There were several trees too close to the house that were on the verge of falling, vines were completely obscuring the brick fireplace and fin wall, the yard was partially dead and planting beds were overgrown to the extent that you could barely see the house anymore,” Roy says. The “anemic” green exterior paint did it no favors and the warped roof fascias and crumbling gutters added to the feeling of dilapidation. “To the untrained eye, the house looked…

atomic kitchens CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF Mid Century Modern design while crafting something new takes creativity and a bit of gumption. When homeowners Courtney Gerber and Chad Freeburg decided to renovate their home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, they had a vision of creating a kitchen that blended classic mid mod elements with an artistic twist. “The house was built in 1949, so Mid Century Modern was an influence, but we weren’t interested in a strict interpretation of the style,” Chad says. To celebrate a decade in their beloved home, they brought on Lidia Valdivia, founder and designer at Moonstone Design and Build, to help them craft a space that fulfilled their functional and aesthetic needs and wants. GUIDING GOALS Getting started meant determining what changes needed to be made, both to…

Preservation versus renovation. In the Mid Century Modern community, these two concepts combine as well as oil and water. But perhaps they’re not as contentious as that. What if, in fact, renovation was actually a form of preservation? There is no proof of concept better than this home designed by architect A.D. Stenger in Austin, Texas. Built in 1951, the home was dilapidated by the time it was discovered by owners Holly and Trey in 2018. It was with deep consideration of the original architect’s vision and the neighborhood’s desire to see these homes live on that the home truly embodies the “modern” in Mid Century Modern. That’s where interior designer Candace Wong, principal of cwA+D (Candace Wong Architecture + Design) comes in. RESCUING A LEGEND “I think Trey actually…

The beautiful thing about Mid Century Modern furniture is it comes in all shapes, sizes, colors and materials. Iconic chairs, sofas and tables were brought to life by some of the world’s greatest designers and deserve to be showcased as works of art. The challenge lies in incorporating these eye-catching pieces into a functional and cohesive unit. Each one of your pieces is not only a conversation starter but a story within itself, so let your home be an anthology. Here are a few tips: DICHOTOMY IS YOUR FRIEND Every shape, angle, color and material are at play in MCM interior design. Be bold in combining them. It’s no accident that a sleek swag leg desk is the perfect partner for an organic-shaped Eames molded plastic armchair. And the best…

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT DESIGNED iconic buildings across the United States, but possibly his most unique home project is found in an unassuming neighborhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Meyer May House, located in the Heritage Hill historic district of the city, is a historic-home-turned-museum, with guided tours and a visitors’ center. In a neighborhood of Victorian-era homes, it stands out from the rest. Yet, it is also an oddity in the great architect’s repertoire. It is the best preserved of all his works and was specifically constructed for a man of 5-foot-4 in stature. “The Meyer May House offers visitors a comprehensive vision of what the home was like 115 years ago and how it was used,” says Don Dekker, director of the Meyer May House. “Many of Wright’s homes…

Hidden within the Bixby Knolls neighborhood of Long Beach, California, sits a 1954 mid-century ranch with a mostly brick exterior, separated only by some paneling and a small window. However, the impeccable landscaping in front of the home offers a telling clue to the lush greenery and playful style that lies beyond the home’s understated exterior. DISTINCTIVE DESIGN Elijah and Johnna bought the 3,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bath home in 2019. After purchasing the home, the couple began renovating it to better fit their family’s needs while still keeping much of the home’s original “bones” intact—including the variety of wood types the original architects used. “There are like 10 different kinds of woods happening,” Johnna says. “We tried to play off of it and really work with it.” “There are 10 different…

“We put it back to the original mid-century feel,” homeowner Kyle Wright says. “Now the home not only matches the neighborhood but stands as a testament to the original vision, suited for 21st-century living.” In 1961, architects Dan Palmer and William Krisel were finishing up a housing development in Palm Springs, California. At the same time, in Las Vegas, developer Irwin Molasky was starting construction on the first master-planned neighborhood in the city, called Paradise Palms. The development was originally supposed to contain 300 homes situated alongside the Las Vegas National Golf Course. Molasky was inspired by Palmer and Krisel’s work in Palm Springs and wanted to hire them to design his new development, so he waited until they finished up their project, even though he’d already broken ground. And…

JUST ABOUT ANY OBJECT CAN BE considered a collectible, but traditionally two major components define what makes an object a valuable collectible: interest and quantity. If people have an interest in a particular object and it is available in only a limited quantity it becomes a valuable collectible. Because of its simplicity and functionality, Mid Century Modern furniture remains highly sought after. The names Eames, Bertoia, Mies van der Rohe, Wegner, Breur, Jacobsen and Evans remain significant for collectors. Works by Breuer, Bertoia and Mies van der Rohe are still available at Knoll International. Other places to search for original pieces include auction houses, online and private sales. For anyone interested in purchasing or finding out the value of an authentic piece of MCM furniture, there are a few tell-tale…

Our view of notable Mid Century Modern buildings in the world is often a mistakenly U.S.-centric one. The Farnsworth house, the Eames house, The Kaufmann and Glass houses and The Gropius house come to mind. A new book from gestalten, Modernist Icons: Midcentury Houses and Interiors, aims to broaden the average architecture fan’s worldview by cataloguing more than 40 houses—most of them international—that have come to embody and represent the modernist movement as a whole. Yes, you’ll find all the musts, but you may learn and rediscover a refreshingly diverse group of architects and treasures that redefine the breadth of the movement for you. Here are just a few: The Wave House, Walter White PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA Look no further than the roots of Walter S. White’s early life—his father…

last look HANS J. WEGNER, the maestro of Danish Mid Century Modern furniture design, turned chairs into stars. His most famous creation, the Wishbone Chair, features a distinctive Y-shaped back and elegant curves, making it a beloved classic since 1950. The Round Chair, famously dubbed “The Chair,” is the pinnacle of comfort and style, even gracing the historic 1960 U.S. presidential debate between Kennedy and Nixon. The Shell Chair, known for its distinctive three-legged design, showcases Wegner’s innovative approach to form and structure, offering a perfect blend of modern aesthetics and ergonomic comfort. A trained cabinetmaker, Wegner had an unwavering commitment to quality and materials. His designs prominently feature wood, which he believed exuded warmth and natural beauty. Collaborating with esteemed Danish manufacturers like Carl Hansen & Søn, Fritz Hansen…