Table of contents for Winter 2018 in Atomic Ranch

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

Dream Worthy: Celebrating our 60th Issue!

THERE IS SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT AMERICA’S PACIFIC NORTHWEST. Its landscape is an awe-inspiring palette of greens and blues—a land where the beauty of trees is only rivaled by that of the water. Perhaps it is this boundless natural appeal that inspires the region’s uniquely artistic approach to life as well as its deep appreciation for Midcentury Modern design. When planning how to celebrate Atomic Ranch’s 60th issue, going back to its roots in the Pacific Northwest was a given. Back in 2004, Atomic Ranch began with a desire to showcase the best of midcentury design and the people keeping it alive. Sixty issues later, we have grown exponentially but that mission has endured. Atomic Ranch’s digital presence is bigger than ever—bringing you more mod through newsletters (including the all new…

2 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

Back in Style

PASSING YEARS AND EVOLVING STYLE CHOICES had not been kind to this kitchen in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood. While the rest of the home maintained much of its original 1955 ambience, the kitchen was struggling from the effects of several decades of updates and makeovers, including original cabinets that had been darkly stained and a mustard-yellow sink likely installed in the 1970s. Beyond aesthetics, other aspects of the kitchen didn’t work for homeowner Kristin Green, her husband, Chad Syme, and their two children. The imitation cork floor tiles couldn’t withstand the family’s foot traffic. A doorway provided the only connection between the kitchen and dining and living areas. The couple also wanted to incorporate contemporary touches into their kitchen. “We wanted the kitchen to look like it could have been original…

2 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

ZEN MEETS Midcentury

Every day, Audrey McGill hears the bubbling of the creeks and waterfalls that flow alongside her 1958 John Burrows-built home encircled by tall pines. She had previously dreamed of owning a Burrows home, and couldn’t believe her luck when she happened upon one that was in her price range and just a short distance from Seattle. “As soon as we stepped foot inside this house, we were overtaken by the warm and open aesthetic,” Audrey says. She explains that Burrows built about 35 homes in Northeast Seattle, endeavoring to construct modern dwellings on heavily-forested lots that many considered too difficult to build on. The gamble was worth it, resulting in homes that are not only modern, even by today’s standards, but also embrace their natural surroundings. Sharing her home with…

4 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

resources

Atomic Kitchens Architecture/interior designer: Atelier Drome Architecture + Interior Design, (206) 395-4392 or atelierdrome.com. Cabinetry: Vision Woodworking, (763) 571-5767 or visionwoodworking.com. Astron pendant in Milky Way white and brushed aluminum: Rejuvenation, (888) 401-1900 or rejuvenation.com. Stainless steel circular grommet cabinet pulls, Mockett, (800) 523-1269 or mockett.com. Thassos countertops by Pental Quartz, pentalquartz.com. Dining room furnishings: Vintage Heywood-Wakefield pieces from homeowners’ personal collection. Dishwasher and range: 800 Series and 30-inch HDI8054U by Bosch, (800) 944-2904 or bosch-home.com. Chrome Essence pull-out faucet by Grohe, (800) 444-7643 or grohe.us. Custom Marmoleum flooring by Forbo, forbo.com. Hood: Stainless steel and glass Europa Pisa by Zephyr, (888) 880-8368 or zephyronline.com. Microwave: Stainless steel, 24-inch, under-counter SMD2470AS by Sharp, (800) 237-4277 or sharpusa.com. Refrigerator: White FAB32UWH-RN by Smeg, smegusa.com. Sink: 23-inch stainless steel KHU 101-23 by…

2 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

web news Keep tabs on us

Inside Scoop! Entertaining Made Mod We’ve got the serveware, playlists, tips and tricks to transform your seasonal hosting into an attainable art form. Tips for Buying Your Dream Home On the hunt for your next midcentury marvel? Our real estate experts weigh in with the info you need to know. Hello, Witco! The brand is an icon of mid mod style—but how much do you really know about this popular collectable? Ar ne Jacobsen’s Green Design The story of a tap made to be not only stylish, but also sustainable. Cool Stuff Carlo midcentury sofa in dusty teal, $1,099. Visit westelm.com. Bruno adjustable double-arm pharmacy floor lamp, $365.Visit ylighting.com. Tina coffee table, $709.Visit joybird.com. Menagerie medium bird bowl, $88. Visit jonathanadler.com.…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

Windows to the Soul

The serene setting of Lake Sammamish in Issaquah, Washington, provides the ideal location for this 1963 glass box home that is a perfect retreat. A glass exterior offers unobstructed views of the water, and it’s tucked away so the owners feel like they’re away from it all. “It’s so far down from the street that it feels like a secret lair,” says Sally Julien, owner of Modernous and homeowner of this midcentury marvel. “We weren’t even looking to buy a house at the time. We went to look at it for fun, and the more we walked through it, the more we saw its potential.” After a major remodel and a new vision, Sally was able to turn this forgotten piece of history into the modern home of her dreams.…

5 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

Falling for an A- FRAME

THE POPULARITY OF THE A-FRAME house peaked in the 1950s, following World War II. The desire for a modern vacation home—at an affordable price—was on the rise, and the A-frame delivered on both demands. Known for its steeply-angled roofline and open rafters within, the design became a classic choice for the midcentury lover. The Modern A-Frame, by Ben Rahn, explores these unique, petite-sized designs with gorgeous images and anecdotal commentary. Dubbed “Polar Star,” one such A-frame is where former city-dweller Julia chose to make her first home. EARTHY AMBIENCE Located in the small town of Bethlehem in northern New Hampshire, Polar Star fosters a secluded and peaceful environment. The home sits next to a 700-acre land trust that will never be developed, promising a quiet and calm place to gather,…

3 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

Eternal Flame

AFTER THEY BOUGHT IT, SALLY JULIEN AND HER PARTNER, PETER LOFORTE, gave a massive overhaul to their 1963-built glass box house. The fireplace must have been added shortly after the home was originally constructed; it’s a 1966 Firehood, designed by Wendell Lovett for the Condon King company. Lovett was a well-known Seattle architect and University of Washington professor active in the 1950s to 1990s. The Firehood was mass produced and is today sought after by modernism enthusiasts. The fireplace “was one of the things that drew us to the house and helped us have a vision for what it could be,” says Sally. “It was originally black, but it was in rough shape. I know a purist would shudder that we re-imagined it, but we wanted a bold color. Budget…

1 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

Dreams That CHAIRS Are Made Of

THE JOURNEY TO A MODERNIST HOUSE BEGINS … with a chair. Maybe it belonged to your mother. Or maybe it was left behind from the previous owner when you moved in (lucky you). It could be from an everything-is-connected-to-the-universe magical moment at a yard sale. You bought it cheap, for a song, as the expression goes. A lilting, beautiful song full of emotion, like Jennifer Warnes singing Leonard Cohen. What is this mythically powerful chair? Perhaps it is a Barcelona chair designed by Mies van der Rohe and the usually uncredited Lilly Reich. It could be the 670 Lounge chair by Charles and Ray Eames or the Butterfly chair by Antonio Bonet, Juan Kurchan and Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy. The chair is no simple sitting device. It has status. You refer to…

3 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

HISTORICAL Refresh

Thanks to the care of previous owners, many of the home’s original features were not only intact, but in pristine condition. “It was very exciting, I just really felt like the space was calling us more than anything,” Marisa Swenson recalls about her Gresham, Oregon home. “We weren’t actively on the hunt for a midcentury home. A lot of them are high maintenance and at this stage in my life, I wasn’t really interested in a high maintenance house,” she admits. In fact, Marisa, a real estate broker who specializes in Midcentury Modern, first visited this 1960 Portland area gem with the intent of listing it. But her keen eye quickly noted the well-planned materials, combined with an efficient design, and she fell in love. Instead of listing the property,…

5 min

Atomic Ranch|Winter 2018

Travel Back in Time

Live and breathe the MCM lifestyle in Starlight Village. IMAGINE A WORLD FULL OF CUSTOMIZABLE MIDCENTURY-STYLE HOMES built in a community of retro enthusiasts. Good news—this dream is a reality. Starlight Village consists of 29 detached homes situated near Austin, Texas. Eight different models, varying from 1,300 to 3,000 square feet, embrace all aspects of mid-mod living. And the neighbors? Expect them to be fans of midcentury design. Developers Theresa and Michael Kopecky envisioned this community and put it into play in 2016. Kopecky says, “We are now well into Phase II building, and have several families living in their MCM dream homes. Among our Starlight neighbors, we’ve got everything from sleek Danish Modern, to ‘50s flair and ‘villain lair.’ We also created personal garden spaces for each home, which…

2 min