Atomic Ranch - retro chic

[Falcon67]

I found this next to the HR Deluxe mag at the grocery store. Not completely garage related but there are a bunch of links in the resources section of the web site. Who knows what you might turn up.
http://www.atomic-ranch.com/

 

[Al Bundy]

I found this next to the HR Deluxe mag at the grocery store. Not completely garage related but there are a bunch of links in the resources section of the web site. Who knows what you might turn up.
http://www.atomic-ranch.com/

Don't people buy houses like that on the cheap to update them to the 21st century? Or are the '70's coming back in style?

 

[Octarine]

Love that 50's-60's style! I also love Googie architecture, we don't get the full blown stuff here in the midwest, it's tempered by a bit of prairie style horizontals and overhangs.

Atomic Ranch was pretty much gone by the 70's.

 

[gahrajmahal]

That's just Ryan's newest venture. (Atomic Industries) Green Texas cabin, get it? heh,heh.

 

[Falcon67]

Don't people buy houses like that on the cheap to update them to the 21st century? Or are the '70's coming back in style?

50's, 60s style houses. The house in the first article has repainted and repaired metal kitchen cabinets. It uses bright colors, pinks in the bath, George Jetson chairs on the patio - and solar panels on the roof. It looks like it's about retro style with modern updates. Some of the links are to places that sell period stoves and refrigerators. For huge bucks. See bigchill.com. If you had one of those scrapped, you'll flip out at the price restored.

Check out the roof on this joint:
http://www.midcenturymoderndallasho...mentid=2760051&uid=69899&htmlfile=791329.html

 

[Oldtymeflyr]

Atomic Ranch is a magazine orientated toward mid-century modern style of homes.

We live in a mid-century modern neighborhood and one of our neighbors home was featured in the magazine a couple of years ago.

AR is not for the faint of heart or those liking traditional homes. For garages its kinda on the slim side. A lot of MCM's have carports, small at that, with little storage.

In absolute numbers MCMs have never been a dominate design of any decade. Their numbers are usually quite small. To say that they are a 50's, 60's or 70's style would be a misstatement. In the Denver area a small number are custom built each year. There are a few small neighborhoods of maybe 50 homes, where they are the predominate style. There is also a Denver website for the style and a few brokers specialize in the design.

MCMs are actually holding quite well in the price department. Stylewise they are still quite "modern." Usually in a remodel , we did ours, the electrical, electronics, kitchen equipment etc. is updated. The style of the home is generally not changed. Seldom will there be a reduction in window area or a significant change in the exterior of the home.

MCM are a different home, different to live in and not for everyone. We enjoy ours and have lived in it for 3 1/2 years after a 9 month remodel by a contractor. 92 wall surfaces were removed to the studs, it was a lot of work. We were able to install a 4 car garage on a home that had a small 2 car carport.

Rick

 

[Stuart in MN]

I like that magazine a lot, even though I live in a 100 year old Colonial. It's been around for years, I pick up a copy every now and then off the newsstand.

 

[Krash Kadillak]

If you like mid-century modern and are in California, check out the Eichler homes. There are some in Orange, CA, the Mar Vista community of West Los Angeles, and apparently there are some in the San Francisco area as well

Lots of links. This is just one...

http://totheweb.com/eichler/

 

[Steve from Socal]

If you like mid-century modern and are in California, check out the Eichler homes. There are some in Orange, CA, the Mar Vista community of West Los Angeles, and apparently there are some in the San Francisco area as well

Lots of links. This is just one...

http://totheweb.com/eichler/

For you and the poster in Denver, I have a friend in Denver that lives in a Eichler tract. There is another development here in Woodland Hills near Victory and Corbin.

Steve

 

[boostedgt]

i wish my house has steel cabinets, mid century style is awesome

 

[Dickey]

50's, 60s style houses. The house in the first article has repainted and repaired metal kitchen cabinets. It uses bright colors, pinks in the bath, George Jetson chairs on the patio - and solar panels on the roof. It looks like it's about retro style with modern updates. Some of the links are to places that sell period stoves and refrigerators. For huge bucks. See bigchill.com. If you had one of those scrapped, you'll flip out at the price restored.

Check out the roof on this joint:
http://www.midcenturymoderndallasho...mentid=2760051&uid=69899&htmlfile=791329.html

Damn...I have a 1951 General Motors Frigidaire (still works) that I had planned on using as a toolbox after I refinished the exterior. Now I'm thinking I ought to refinish it and sell it to somebody that doesn't know why we don't build them like that anymore.

 

[atk406]

Great thread. We bought a MCM house 2 years ago and have since developed a big interest in the architecture and design. It's not MCM like you would expect, but was built in 1958 and has at least some MCM characteristics besides just the build period. There are some awesome examples in our neighborhood that I eye with envy, and is one of only two neighborhoods in town that has classic MCM homes. We almost pulled the trigger on one a month ago, but it sold faster than we could react, plus it needed a LOT of work. I would love to see examples of any GJ member's MCM homes, especially if you did remodels and took pictures (Rick?). And yes, my garage is typical of MCM houses....small

 

[Zeke]

We have a whole tract of 1500 Cliff May homes in Long Beach.

The city thought about making it the 18th Historic District, but they've been butchered to hell. It takes a majority of owners AND a majority of homes that are more or less still representative of the original. They don't have that anymore.

As much as I'd like to like these homes, they remind me of kindergarten in the 50's.

 

[Steves32]

My brother had an Eichler home in Thousand Oaks that was featured in that magazine. He sold it a few years ago but I still think he misses that house.

 

[Falcon67]

>The city thought about making it the 18th Historic District
Beware Historical designations - they can be a blessing and a curse. We have quite a few remaining MC homes in Abilene in the better neighborhoods. Of the ones we've snooped in during showings, I see the cool exterior in reasonable shape and the interior something else altogether due to remodels and changing tastes. Very few stuck in the 50s.

Our university built a new nursing school building a few years ago. The old building was a converted hotel. The first floor lobby still had the same furniture in it from the early 60s, perfectly preserved. Space age drop lights, chairs, etc. Looked like a museum diorama. You'd expect a 60s model James Bond and Felix Leiter to come strolling in at any minute. ALL of it went in the trash when they knocked down the building. I wanted to save the lights but missed the start of demo.

 

[Stuart in MN]

There are a handful of Lustron homes in south Minneapolis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lustron_house They were prefabricated houses made of porcelained steel panels, kind of like what they used to use for gas stations. They're generally pretty modest homes, but they are an interesting aspect of mid century housing.