Table of contents for Winter 2016 in Atomic Ranch

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT ON MIDCENTURY DESIGN TO FALL IN LOVE. Holly Schoolmeester admits she knew little about mid mod style before she and her husband Ken embarked on their search for a house they could style to their liking. But, when the couple went on the “Mad About Modern” tour, a biennial event hosted by the Charlotte Museum of History that offers a peek inside local Midcentury Modern homes, they discovered a shared passion for the architecture and furnishings of the post-WWII era. “The house had been abandoned for several years and needed a tremendous amount of work,but it had GREAT BONES and was on a GREAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.” MID MOD LOVE The year-long search that followed led to a run-down estate with an overgrown…

REFLECTIVE OF A FAST-CHANGING POST-WAR WORLD, modern design has continued to inspire and intrigue for more than six decades. Designer Andrew Weaving explores the long-standing love affair many homeowners and aficionados have with modern design in the book Living Retro. "It's a conundrum: Now we are well and truly into the 21st century, why do we still look back to find inspiration for a truly modern way of living?" Andrew writes in the book's introduction. "It's ironic that we look to the past to create interiors that are in the vanguard of fashion. But, without a doubt, retro style still has enormous appeal." PERSONALTAKES Andrew illustrates this through tours of 17 homes from around the world, each decorated with its homeowners' take on mid mod styling, whether that of a…

 FOR DOG OWNERS, A DESIGNATED SHELTER FOR THE FURRIEST FAMILY MEMBER IS A MUST-HAVE. With many dog houses leaving much to be desired stylistically, finding a suitable home for Fido that isn’t a plastic igloo can be difficult. “Have a Midcentury Modern home and need a dog house? We will design your pup a home that RIVALS YOUR VERY OWN.” This is where Alejandro and Sara Pijuan come to the rescue. The couple launched Pijuan Design Workshop (PDW) in 2012. “I have always been fortunate enough to be around man’s best friend,” Alejandro says. “From my first dog Cookie, to my current dog Adilynn, I’ve always had a soft spot for our four legged-friends. What better way to show our appreciation for their happiness and never-ending tail wags when we…

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…

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,…

NESTLED HALFWAY BETWEEN LOS ANGELES AND PALM SPRINGS IS REDLANDS, CALIF. —a town known for orange groves and Victorian homes. However, Tim Young, a pediatric emergency physician and his wife Amber, a part-time health educator, and their two children call a fully restored, custom-built, midcentury beauty “home” thanks to the help of the original architect. Now 96 years old, architect Clare Henry Day met the Youngs in 2009, and the rest is history. HOME WITH HISTORY In 1954, Clare built the home for James Gillespie, an internal medicine doctor, his wife and their three daughters. This was no tract home—it was entirely customized to suit the needs and lifestyle of the Gillespie family. “Clare said that they loved to entertain guests, and this played into the design, with the indoor-outdoor…

 MID MOD FREESTANDING FIREPLACES ARE ICONIC. Their bright hues are not nearly as eye catching as their funky shapes—conical, circular, floating and more—they are a symbol of innovative design. Prior to installing a mid mod fireplac ein your home,check LOCAL BUILDING CODES and look for a PROFESSIONAL INSTALLER. The name most commonly associated with these retro beauties is Malm Fireplaces, Inc. In 1960 they began producing freestanding wood-burning fireplaces, as well as gas appliances, and they haven’t stopped since. However, in the world of funky fireplaces, theirs isn’t the only name that should come to mind. Donna Gunther, the design consultant, co-owner and founder of Surfing Cowboys—a lifestyle and design company in Los Angeles that has an enviable collection of fireplaces, Hawaiiana, retro surf collectables and other midcentury treasures—says that…

Thecouplewanted thehometoshout out its MIDCENTURY ROOTS,andthekey tocurbappeal was SLAT SIDING. WHEN YOU WANT TO BUY A MIDCENTURY HOME, do you look for a fixer upper or a remodeled plan? Angelo and Nancy Marasco of Cadence Design Studio knew they wanted to invest in a midcentury neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. But as an architect and design team, they also wanted to update the home to fit their needs. “The houses either had been ruined with Home Depot type materials or they were original with dark mahogany walls and cabinetry,” Nancy says. “As a preservationist, I like more bright whites, so we wanted to buy something that needed a lot of work and redo it ourselves.” The original floor plan of the home they purchased was 1,200 square feet, and a previous…

 NEWLYWED IN NEED OF FURNISHINGS FOR HIS FAMILY HOME, Sam Maloof began crafting wood pieces in his Southern California garage in the late 1940s while working as a graphic designer for artist Millard Sheets. His furniture soon gained the attention of local artists and designers, whose support helped his reputation grow nationally. An important early champion was industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss. ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF SAM’S DESIGNS WERE CRAFTED OUT OF walnut. GROWING POPULARITY "[Dreyfuss] moved to California and built a house in South Pasadena … and commissioned Sam to make the furniture for his own home and office" in the early 50s, says Jim Rawitsch, executive director of the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts. "I think that that embrace by a prominent American industrial designer…