Atomic Ranch Winter 2015

Sharp-eyed readers took note of my teaser, “You’ll Like This,” in the Fall 2015 issue; now it can be formally revealed that Atomic Ranch is embarking on a new era under the leadership of Engaged Media. No one is immortal, and now is the time to entrust our beloved creation to people with new energy and ideas. Quite simply, we’ve reached the age of retirement and want to turn over the daily running of this magazine to a new team. Both Michelle and I have been keenly aware that writers and photographers of a certain age can reach a ‘freshness’ date (Amy Schumer recognizes it too). We were hitting it 12 years ago as freelancers and then we re-invented ourselves as big-time magazine publishing tycoons. For Michelle and me and…

MY MOM WAS CLEANING HER HOUSE and had put a few things aside for me. MOM: Would you want a pencil holder? ME: Um, I don’t know… MOM: Here it is; it’s from George Nakashima. My jaw dropped. My mom was George’s secretary for a couple of years in the ’80s; he and his family were absolutely lovely, and I’ve always remembered him fondly. I had a faint memory of this piece from my youth, but didn’t know or care at that time who had made it. But now, it’s a different story! Why yes, YES I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT PENCIL HOLDER! JENNIFER ABREVAYA PHILADELPHIA My wife and I are fans of your magazine and have used it for ideas to decorate our house. We have been shopping…

Farmington Hills, Mich. My 1,800-square-foot house was built in 1965. It has a very open-concept floor plan with vaulted ceilings, trapezoid windows and exposed beams. I have always been into Jetsons/space-age-style furnishings in bright, eye-popping colors. In the living room are a club chair, sofa and rare end- and cocktail tables from the circa 1972 Steelcase Soft Seating Series. Their molded fiberglass bodies have clear Lucite bases that make them appear to be floating. There is also an early edition George Nelson Coconut chair and ottoman in original fabric, and a bubble mirror by Ron Fritis. Andy Schulist Raleigh, N.C. We purchased our 1962 split-level, custom-built home in 2004 from the family of the original owner. The living room, dining room and eat-in kitchen are on the mid-level, while three…

A love of historical context and a willingness to sweat the details are hallmarks of a designer mindset, and architect Steve Curry and his wife, Martha, fit that profile to a T. The results of the six-year renovation on their 1953 modernist ranch in a postwar Houston neighborhood are a sight to behold. Some 20 years ago, Steve met their home’s architect, Lars Bang, and was able to copy his construction documents, which gave the couple invaluable details about the original materials and finishes. Good Housekeeping featured the residence in the January 1954 issue’s ‘10 Best Small Houses for 1954,’ providing additional evidence on the kitchen and vintage furnishings—at least what was in place for the long-ago photo session. THE USUAL REASONS The Currys had moved into a traditional builder’s…

AFTER 20 YEARS OF URBAN LIVING, my husband, James Peters, and I decided to move to Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from downtown Seattle where midcentury homes are prevalent, coveted and seem mightily at home in the emerald environment. All it took was one home tour to make our move official, a cabin from 1960. ONE AND DONE First on our list of properties was an amazing home on almost five acres in West Port Madison. Our longer planned real estate search ended with this home. Despite the neglect, 977 days spent on the market and some wacky attempts at staging, we saw a mid-century jewel in the rough that we were itching to polish. It seemed that an exceptionally long, skinny floor plan and a dated kitchen and…

WHEN WE WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR OF A MIDCENTURY HOUSE in the Milwaukee, Wis., suburb of Fox Point, we knew right away that it would be our future home. What drew us to it so immediately were its original features; some of them intact, others—as we would discover in the ensuing months—hidden, disassembled or reused elsewhere in the home. The first clue that this would be a pattern came when we opened the entryway closet to find that a set of blueprints had been used as wallpaper. A few minutes peering at them confirmed that they were the blueprints for the house, dated 1953 and developed by architect Howard E. Schroeder for Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Bessman. When he designed our home, Schroeder was a recent graduate of the University…