Table of contents for Summer 2017 in Atomic Ranch

Summertime is upon us, and for those who love to collect, the season comes with an exciting partner in crime—the flea market. When the weather warms and the sun shines, up pop canopies in parking lots under which countless treasures spread. It was at a flea market where I first fell in love with vintage handmade ceramics. I saw an incredibly unique bud vase—brown with bits of blue and a skinny neck—and immediately knew it would be taking a center-stage spot on my open bookshelf. With no signature and a simple “‘62” drawn into the rough, unfinished base, I like to think of it as originally having been someone’s high school art project. Since that fateful morning, many handmade ceramic pieces have found their way into my heart—each one a…

QUIRKYQUISTGAARD Skinny or stout, wide or wonky, Jens Quistgaard pepper mills come in a variety of shapes. In fact, when a collection stands together, they may look more like an army of chess pieces than a useful kitchen implement. After seeing Danish sculptor Jens Quistgaard’s Fjord cutlery on display at the Danish Museum of Art and Design, businessman Ted Nierenberg and his wife Martha sought him out—and so began the Dansk Company in 1954. As the chief designer of the American-based flatware and cookware company, Quistgaard’s modern take on household items spread across the United States, Europe and Japan. People appreciated Quistgaard’s work because kitchens were transitioning to more open layouts—which meant that utensils and cooking ware were more likely to be displayed as household treasures. Being a sculptor and…

ALONG-FORGOTTEN POOL LEFT IN SORRY SHAPE WAS WHAT PRECEDED THIS STUNNING MIDCENTURY-INSPIRED BACKYARD. As the outdoor living space to Ken and Holly Schoolmeester’s Charlotte, North Carolina 1960 home, it only made sense that the couple wanted their backyard to reflect the same style as their carefully restored home. GAME PLAN In 2015, the couple went to Modernism Week in Palm Springs hoping to gain inspiration from other outdoor midcentury spaces. “We’ve had a few landscape designers create plans; however, MCM landscapes are typically more minimalistic, and they kept overdesigning and adding in the traditional ‘B’ word (boxwood) into the plans,” she says. Not satisfied with the mismatched designs, Ken and Holly created their own plans. Needing to remove the neglected pool, Ken and Holly decided to redesign the entire space…

1. Bertioa side chair with leather cushion, $199. (877) 224-6663 or inmod.com. 2. Pair of black midcentury bar stools, $175. Visit loveseat.com. 3. Midcentury white vinyl accent chair, $110. Visit chairish.com. 4. Erik upholstered wing chair in chili, $699. Visit westelm.com. 5. Midcentury modern metal vanity stool, $75. Visit loveseat.com. 6. Pair of vintage wicker lounge chairs, $975. Visit chairish.com. 7. Hans Wegner CH24 Wishbone chair, $229. (877) 224-6663 or inmod.com.…

“We like to mix original furniture with some of the newer stuff, because you can get great quality now,and all these MIDCENTURY LINES have come out.” In the late 1950s, working men across America would come home in the early evening and kick back with a cocktail before dinner. Sitting in high-back chairs and sipping on bourbon, they listened to recordings by Frank Sinatra, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald as the cares of the day melted away. Homeowners David Haggard II and his partner Tommy Sawyers carry on this tradition, relaxing most evenings in the hi-fi lounge of their 1958 Dallas, Texas home surrounded by the creature comforts of a bygone era. “We’ve always been crazy about Midcentury Modern and collected midcentury furniture,” says David, who 10 years ago…

Atomic Kitchens, pp. 24-26 Architect: Rick & Cindy Black Architects, rickandcindy.net. Contractor: Davenport Builders, visit davenportbuild.com. Cabinetry: Vintage Material Supply, visit hewnaustin.com. Plaster and Terrazzo refinish: Sloan Montgomery, visit sloanmontgomery.com. Tile: Fireclay Tile, visit fireclaytile.com. Paint: Island, Midsummer Night; upper cabinets, Boca Raton Blue, Benjamin Moore, visit benjaminmoore.com. Lost in Space, pp. 28-38 Dining room: Midcentury line walnut veneer expandable dining table, West Elm, visit westelm.com. Living room: 1960s Danish modern teak table lamp, Retro Revival, (817) 521-2018 or retrorevivalshop.com. Sitting room: Steiffel pole lamp, Lula B’s, (214) 749-1929 or visit lulabsdallas.com. Spare room: Orange sleeper sofa and white shag rug, IKEA, visit ikea.com. Hi-Fi Lounge: Midcentury pole lamp and his-and-hers chairs in original fabric, Lula B’s, (214) 749-1929 or lulabsdallas.com. Master bedroom: Midcentury line Acorn bed, matching nightstands, and…

“I immediately fell in love with the breezeblock wall in the living room and the white on [the] floors and walls.” —Kimberly Adams IF YOU’RE AN OWNER, FINDING RENTERS WHO WILL NOT ONLY APPRECIATE but also maintain and further improve your Midcentury Modern home is a challenge. If you’re a renter, finding a mid mod gem to call home can be difficult. For Rachel Simmons and Kimberly Adams, they have found this exact symbiosis. “My research formalized a process for taking a three-part approach to historic interiors: Preserve character-defining features, introduce contemporary technology, and focus on sustainability .”—Rachel Simmons FINDING & REFINING Rachel Simmons, an Interior Designer and Design Professor, and her husband Dimitris Katsiginis were in happy disbelief to find a Ralph Haver-designed 1964 Phoenix home on the market.…

Throughout the 20th century, Bitossi ceramics were incredibly popular and distinctively unique thanks to their bright colors and remarkable textures. But how did a small Italian ceramics company grow to become a major producer of midcentury collectibles? • START AT THE BEGINNING Guido Bitossi founded Manifattura Cavaliere Bitossi e Figlia (Manufacturer Sir Bitossi and Sons) in 1921 in Montelupo Fiorentino, Italy. The family had been involved in making roof tiles for centuries, and the 1921 enterprise was geared to continue making these roof tiles plus floor tiles, everyday household ceramic items and some art pottery. • TRUE ARTISTRY Traditional production was renewed thanks to the art direction of Aldo Londi, whose attention to detail and creativity led Bitossi into a golden age of sorts, producing some of the company’s most notable collections—like…

INTEGRATION WITH NATURE In 1948, Ruth was commissioned to design a garden for artist Edith Knapp’s studio in Brentwood, California. The homeowner expressed that preserving views of native plant life beyond the garden was of the utmost importance, making it a perfect project for the sustainably minded Ruth. She designed an innovative glass screen in front of the view of the Santa Monica Mountains to protect guests from up-canyon winds. Ruth included a colorful, textured foreground for the windscreen using succulents, as well as orange and coral fuchsias, camellias and azaleas. The integration of the windscreen encouraged an interaction with nature and is a classic element of midcentury design. ATTENTION TO DETAIL The garden was carefully detailed with foliage that would accent each area of the patio accordingly. Ruth included…