Table of contents for Spring 2017 in Atomic Ranch

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Why Palm Springs?

Beneath the shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains sprawls the California desert—home to captivating sunsets and a vibrant landscape, the desert plays host to a little city known as Palm Springs. Contrasting the rugged scenery, the town has gained increasing notoriety as a haven of Midcentury Modern architecture. With retro hues, a history with Hollywood’s elite and entire neighborhoods of anything-butordinary-rooflines, the town has certainly earned its place as an icon. Boasting numerous preservation groups and multiple events celebrating all things mid mod (including Modernism Week), it is safe to say that Palm Springs won’t be losing its incredibly strong connection to and deep respect for midcentury architecture. With all this in mind, we chose to celebrate the vibrant design history this town has to offer. No matter if you…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Bold Retro Hues

1. “Trousdale Twist,” 16-color silkscreen print, signed and numbered, limited edition of 200, $799. Visit shagthestore.com. 2. “The Garnish Thief,” 12-color silkscreen print, signed and numbered, limited edition of 200, $399. Visit shagthestore.com. 3. “Sun on White,” 16” x 20” screen-print, $35. (773) 840-2456 or neighborlyshop.com. 4. “Palm Springs Pool,” 20” x 17” giclée print, $26. Visit society6.com/stevenrhodes.…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Out of the Blue

WHEN THE OWNERS OF THIS HOME PURCHASED IT, the 1930s Streamline Moderne space was in serious need of a loving update. Wanting to maintain the character of the designated heritage house while creating an open space that met their needs, the family worked with the architectural firms of dpai architecture inc. and Toms + McNally Design to use the home’s rounded form as the springboard for a full renovation that’s Streamline Moderne meets Midcentury Modern. “The renovation respects the original character and detailing of the designated heritage house while celebrating its contemporary spirit with a bold addition,” says Petra Matar, an intern architect with dpai who worked on this project. The project, which more than doubled the size of the home (adding 1,250 square feet to the home’s original 1,200…

4 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Polynesian Renovation

Renovating with the intention to sell may not be a new concept, but doing so with a desire to truly showcase Midcentury Modern style as well as find a new take on tiki might be. The husband and wife team of Mandy Lacher and Joseph “Joe” Vadnay, a California real estate agent, take on midcentury houses and carefully revive them—blending old with new, preserving and renovating. Once the long process is complete, the couple lives in the home for a while before returning it to the market ready for another mid mod enthusiast. “The Modernism movement was all about simple and minimalistic living. When you remove the ornate elements of a pre-modern era home, you have to focus on the basics: door, roof, windows, yard, garage/ carport—and even just space,”…

6 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

IS IT REAL?

TIP: Check for transparency and avoid opaque or translucent—with the exceptions being yellow glass and the Rialto Specialty Line. VERDICT: “Not completely true.” “But for colors in the catalogued lines and during the 1945 to 1970 era this is largely true,” Dean says. TIP: All glass will have the same rim thickness and be both rounded and smooth. VERDICT: “Not always. Not even close.” “Our glass varies based on the individual team that created it—some are thicker, some are thinner. It is the nature of handmade, mouth blown glass. Water bottles, the most common Blenko item, defy both of those identification tips.” TIP: Reference against design number in the annual catalog. VERDICT: “Good, but who has access to the catalogs?” “Buy the books of catalog reprints or use online resources,”…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Joel’s MCM Pointers

• DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Joel warns to beware of knockoffs—because there are a lot. The best way to identify a counterfeit is to train your eye and to understand the key designers of the period whose style you want to emulate in your home. To inspire his work in the Colemans’ space, Joel looked to Hans J. Wegner, a world-renown Danish furniture designer, and Paul McCobb, whom Joel labeled the “mad man of cocktail rooms.” • TRY TO FIND THE ORIGINAL. Avoid filling your room with knockoff décor. Instead, when you can’t find a vintage piece or you want the fresh feeling of new, look for the companies that own the rights to the original designs. Buying pieces from these manufacturers will give you the peace of mind that your furniture was…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

homepage

The Aguilar home in Canton, Ohio For Rhonda and Ken Aguilar, it was love at first Google between them and their 1959 brick ranch. Rhonda explains, “We fell in love with the interior photos of the spacious floor plan and the great windows when house hunting online.” Those windows include original ones, clerestory windows that open and picture windows along the front façade. Other highlights include “a large L-shaped living/dining room and a family room with a charcoal grill and fume hood”— plus the discovery “that the architects for the home were Cox & Forsythe, who were best known as the architects for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.” The Valade home in Kailua, Hawaii It was a journey for both the Valade family and the previous…

2 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Nightcap

1. Pair of Lane perception end tables, $584. Visit etsy.com/shop/ thewhitepepper. 2. Lotus floating nightstand in russet brown, $299. (888) 850-3348 or woodwaves.com. 3. Handcrafted Metropole end table in maple and white, $600 to $750. Visit grahamcoulsonfurniture.com. 4. MiMo one drawer nightstand, for pricing and availability visit copelandfurniture.com. 5. Modern Side Table Solid Wood Handmade Mid Century Modern Organic Danish Scandinavian, $799. Visit tyfinefurniture.com. a. Cherry b. Black walnut 6. Catalina nightstand in black walnut, for pricing and availability visit copelandfurniture.com. 7. Sylvester end table, $999. Visit joybird.com. 8. Moduluxe one drawer nightstand in natural walnut, for pricing and availability visit copelandfurniture.com. 9. Mersman round drum table, $240. Visit chairish.com. 10. Mid-Century Heywood Wakefield side table, $150. Visit chairish.com. 11. Pair of Brutalist-style nightstands, $275. Visit loveseat.com.…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

A Happy Home

Having previously owned a Jersey City row house filled with antiques and marked by a rich, deep color palette, homeowners Michael DeJong and Richard Haymes might not seem likely candidates for a cross-country move to a mid mod home. Nevertheless, in 2012, the couple did just that—settling into a classic Palm Springs abode. “When we conceived [of] the house, we wanted things to be mostly white and light because back East our house was from 1833,” says Richard, a retired art director and former executive director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. Their former home was “very dark, so we were ready for a 180-degree change.” BRIGHTER FUTURE Michael and Richard soon found themselves with a West Coast home that needed brightening—and not just for aesthetic…

7 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

TIKI CHIC

“When I shop midcentury I see so many tiki items and think, ‘How great, but how can people practically use them in a home?’ especially the large art or furniture pieces,” Mandy says. Wanting to create a new take on the look, Mandy sketched out her vision of pairing some of these pieces with cleaner lines and got to work. Despite having added new windows to the back of the house, the sun still casts a subdued glow inside—a perfect setting for the earthy tones of tiki décor. With this slightly darker interior in mind, Mandy knew she needed to be careful with her design choices to avoid further darkening the space. To bring her vision to life, Mandy turned to Brutalist furniture. By introducing a few pieces to each…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

CARE & KEEPING

• Do not put Blenko in the dishwasher. Exposure to the high temperatures and pressure will pit and cloud the surface over time. • Never put hot or boiling water into any silica-based glass. • Do not expose the glass to extreme variations in temperature—be it cold or hot. Glass is a tough material, but in the interest of long-term enjoyment it is best to gently wash and not stress vintage glass.…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

resources

Out of the Blue, pp. 28 to 30 Renovation Architects: dpai architecture inc., (905) 522-0220 or dpai.ca. Renovation Architects: Toms + McNally Design, (289) 768-2211 or toms-mcnally.ca. Appliances: Elmira Stove Works, (800) 295-8498 or elmirastoveworks.com. A Happy Home, pp. 32 to 40 Living Room: Glass coffee table: Vintage, Noguchi. Chair: Craigslist in Palm Springs, Calif. Fur throw: Target, visit target.com. Arched lamps: Craigslist in Queens, New York. Side board and floating shelves: IKEA, visit ikea.com. Round table: Mersman round drum table, Craigslist. Rug: Off white shag rug from Overstock, visit overstock.com. Paint: Standard eggshell white paint from BEHR Paint, visit behr.com. Backyard: Blue fire pit: Tempered glass chips, visit truevalue.com. Jacuzzi and pool tile edging: Iridescent tumbled glass tiles. Grass: Astroturf, visit astroturf.com. Kitchen: Cabinetry paint: Gloss kitchen variety from…

2 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Palm Springs Souvenirs

Add some Polynesian flair to your kitchen with these tiki-inspired glasses. Tiki cooler glass, $3.99 per 20 oz. glass. (888) 794-8469 or retail.libbey.com. Complete with four Homer Laughlin mugs, this brass and walnut coffee cup stacker is a mod host’s dream. Hex coffee cup stacker, $185. Visit lonewa.com. Shake up your next drink in a retro-cool piece of barware. Pineapple cocktail shaker in gold, $80. Visit wandpdesign.com. This tiny owl brings a big dose of charm. Brass Baby Animal Collection Owl, $125. (407) 401-9770 or gildedhome.com. Jazz up your outdoor entertaining with this colorful seating option. Metra motel chair by Damian Velasquez, $595. Visit formandconcept.center. With a hexagon pillar and brass wall mounts, this handcrafted coat rack is perfect for a mod entryway. Bond coat rack, $475. Visit lonewa.com. Multi…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Switch in Focus

Upon purchasing our Midcentury Modern home, my wife Tina and I maintained a goal to keep the character as original as possible. “I have never heard of anyone who likes lighting from that time period, you need to come to my warehouse. I have pallets of new old stock lighting from the ’60s and ’70s.” As we made minor cosmetic changes, we determined that we needed a light switch at the bottom of our staircase. We didn’t want to lose the feel from the rest of the home’s unique porcelain-based light switches—which were made in Switzerland—so the hunt began. Not finding a good source online, our hunt extended to a local search. Fortunately, our home’s breaker box had the original electric contractor’s name on the door and included their address…

4 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Tract Masterpiece

LIKE MUCH OF AMERICA, PALM SPRINGS EXPERIENCED RAPID GROWTH DURING THE POST-WWII ERA, with suburban subdivisions popping up like wildflowers across the desert landscape. The once-sleepy town became a regular stomping ground for Las Vegas high rollers and Hollywood moguls looking to get away from the big city lights and enjoy a more serene lifestyle. Such was also the modern-day case with Chris Bond, who, after building a thriving career as a visual effects supervisor in the film industry, longed for a home in Palm Springs as a place to decompress. His search eventually led to a 1958 house with a butterfly roofline, nestled in the city’s historic Twin Palms neighborhood. Although awkwardly remodeled and more than a little run down, the Modernist house fit his vision, and he purchased…

5 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Debunking Blenko

The midcentury era pieces still captivate collectors due to their rainbow of hues, sensual silhouettes and inspired designs. With their eye-catching colors and unique forms, midcentury pieces from Blenko Glass Co. are a staple in the home of Midcentury Modern fans. Dean Six, glass author and Blenko Vice President of Marketing and Sales, shares about the company’s vibrant history, the collectability of the iconic glassware and the trial of identifying pieces that have lost their handy silver sticker. BLENKO BIO Blenko Glass Co., a handmade glass manufacturer, started in 1893. Seeking to make glass using natural gas, John Blenko brought his glassmaker talents from London to America and started the company. Initially, John named his company Eureka Art Glass as he had discovered a formula for a true red glass,…

4 min

Atomic Ranch|Spring 2017

Upgrade by Downsizing

Wanting to transform their sitting room into an entertainment space, these homeowners were faced with a problem. “It was basically a simple cube, a boring room,” says Joel Snayd, principal designer of Rethink Design Studio, which he co-owns with his wife and head of business operations Erika Snayd. Joel needed to liven the traditional room in the Whitemarsh Island, Georgia home of Brian and Canada Coleman, which was originally built in the 1970s. But instead of adding more, Joel subtracted. “Midcentury is less is more,” he says. Joel undressed the room, ripping off the windows’ heavy plantation shutters and stripping the room’s color to paint a monochromatic white over the walls. This all played to Brian and Canada’s personal preferences, both of whom Joel needed to nudge until they caved…

2 min