Atomic Ranch Winter 2016

There is one piece of midcentury furniture in my home that stands out as an unbeatable favorite: my nightstand. My husband and I found the nightstand while wandering the furniture section at a local thrift store. As he eyed a record player cabinet and worked to open the lid, I wandered—spotting a three-drawer wonder that I knew we wouldn’t be leaving without. The drawers were hanging open, having been shoved into the wrong slots and damaging the wood tracks. It was scratched, dirty, in desperate need of love and had a $12 price tag. I pulled the top drawer out a little further to spot dovetailing and a stamp—American by Martinsville. I announced, “I just found the perfect little nightstand.” Perfection waned when we got my walnut treasure out to…

Harvey Park in Denver, Colorado Welcome to this atomic neighborhood of the Mile High City featuring midcentury Cliff May and Franklin Burns homes. The neighborhood sprang up in the ’50s, and today it enjoys a diverse, mid mod-loving community. We happened to stumble upon two amazing readers living here in 1955 homes. Danielle + Cole in a Harvey Park Cliff May Danielle and Cole St. Peter live in a 1955 Cliff May. “We are proud to be the third homeowners,” Danielle says. “We recently completed a loving restoration of our home and are having fun outfitting it with midcentury furnishings.” Danielle says they’ve enjoyed the hunt, including “at neighborhood estate sales (from original homeowners from the ’50s). It feels great that we can give their treasures a new life with…

It looks straight out of the '50s, but this 10-speed mixer has modern features. SMEG pastel green stand mixer, $459.99. Visit williams-sonoma.com. A table that can stash your favorite reading and your drink? Sign us up. Mid century modern side table with magazine rack, $119. (888) 850-3348 or woodwaves.com. This classic simply needs a spot in an entryway near you. Eames hang-it-all with black frame and walnut spheres, $199. (866) 663-4483 or hivemodern.com. Jazz up your next party with these laser cut acrylic cocktail stirrers. Orb, starburst or boomerang in solid gold, silver, turquoise and red glitter, 5” or 6”. Visit etsy.com/shop/californialustre. Available in mahogany, zebrawood and blackened oak, this sleek magazine rack is both beautiful and functional. Limited edition Aspen magazine rack, $120. Visit ciseal.com. Impeccably retro, this is…

1. Inspired by the 1950s and '60s, this petite piece of furniture comfortably hosts a laptop and is excellent for squeezing a home office space into a smaller room. Midcentury mini secretary, $399. Visit westelm.com. 2. With ample storage, plenty of surface area and undeniable retro styling, this desk might make you do a double take to guess its age. Xavier desk in walnut, $2,499. (888) 282-0842 or joybird.com. 3. This Danish modern teak desk by Arne Vodder is finished on both sides—offering added storage and a beautiful 360 view. Teak executive desk by Arne Vodder, $2,750. (267) 282-1105 or midmod-decor.com. 4. Another Danish teak desk made out of teak, this three-legged design boasts a lockable rounded cabinet as well as a bookshelf and dropdown cabinet on the back. Danish…

Imagine landing upon the estate auction of an artist whose work in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s was created with the help of an atom smasher, also known as a particle accelerator. This very thing happened when the estate auction of the late Alyce Rothlein Simon (1925-2011) was held in Mocksville, North Carolina in the spring of 2012. AT FIRST GLANCE A close friend called one afternoon to tell me about an upcoming estate auction that had interesting and diverse pieces of art. When I viewed the online auction I was intrigued by acrylic shapes filled with intricate designs as well as incredible pieces of art that consisted of oil on canvas, water color, paintings, and drawings—all created by Alyce Rothlein Simon. I quickly showed the listings to my wife,…

 THE ALKI BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, IS —as the name implies—situated just next to the Pacific Ocean. In addition to celebrating his 1951 ranch’s historic character, midcentury-loving homeowner Paul Huggett thought it only right to find a way to play up the home’s proximity to the water. With the help of Joey Fentress of Proform Construction, the home’s kitchen has now become a shining example of Midcentury Modern-style coastal living. “For me, the most important aspect of design is BALANCE.” When it comes to effectively executing a home facelift like this one, Paul cannot overstate the importance of hiring a good contractor. “Everything went fairly smooth,” he says. “We had a good idea of what we wanted the end product to look like, and Joey helped us achieve our…