Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes

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3 responses to “Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes”

1. 

   Rob Keil

   July 1, 2011

   21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Beautiful Book, Important Topic, October 10, 2006

   By 

   Rob Keil (San Francisco) –

   Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes (Hardcover)

   This is a great book that finally gives America’s “average” midcentury tract houses their due. The photos are beautiful and the information is great. Eichler, Levittown, Westlake, and other midcentury neighborhoods are pictured along with detailed information on remodeling, restoring, and preserving these underappreciated little gems of modernism. It’s a nice coffee-table presentation of the subject that is pleasing to just flip through for the sake of the photos, but also informative enough to spend some real time with.

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2. 

   Ard A. Michaels “Fester”

   July 1, 2011

   18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Mid century modern for the real world!, January 25, 2007

   By 

   Ard A. Michaels “Fester” (Lafayette La. U.S.A.) –
   
     

   Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes (Hardcover)

   I have purchased many books on mid century modern style to get ideas for my remodeling project and while they were full of excellant examples of the style the biggest part of them only showed examples of high dollar showcase homes. (example: Frank lloyd Wright’s creations) While they are beautiful they are far beyond my means and impractical for my life style. Atomic ranch fills the gap of real world affordable design and livablity that I was seeking. I have gotten many great ideas from Atomic ranch that I will likely use in my own home remodel. The book is excellant to browse, to read, or to use as an example when conveying your ideas to contractors or builders. Atomic ranch is a joy to any fan of serious modern, mid century, googie, or boom generation cold war living and style!! I can’t recommend it more. Nuff said.

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3. 

   Rebecca Johnson “The Rebecca Review”

   July 1, 2011

   23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Virtues of the Ranch House, October 11, 2006

   By 

   Rebecca Johnson “The Rebecca Review” (Washington State) –
   
     
   
     
   
     
   
     

   This review is from: Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes (Hardcover)

   “These modest homes were the fulfillment of the American middle-class dream, bringing a higher standard of living to average people, and giving birth to a whole new way of life. There is a type of beauty in their simplicity, their efficient use of space, and the creativity with which they employed inexpensive materials to deliver a modern look.” ~Rob Keil

   Twenty-five inspiring homes are showcased in Atomic Ranch. Outdoor red walls are gorgeous with greenery and stone fountains while indoors we find warm sunny rooms with fireplaces and stylish comfy shag carpets.

   The beautiful windows of walls on the exterior of the houses allows an open expression and brings nature indoors. The front of the houses retains privacy while the backyards open up into landscapes filled with unique rock pools and lush foliage.

   “Escape to the Islands” is one room filled with rattan furniture, tiki mugs, island art and sea grass mats. The collection of Fiestaware pitchers and colorful housewares adds nostalgia and a longing for the serene simplicity of the past.

   I’m always intrigued by the Eero Saarinen Womb Chairs (Shown temptingly throughout the entire book numerous times!) and there is a beautiful red chair in a cozy corner beneath a wall lamp which can I say costs about three thousand dollars for the chair and ottoman. It is on my eternal wish list! Rarely has any piece of furniture so captured my attention.

   The kitchens all have a classic streamlined appeal and it makes you want to go look for your Betty Crocker Cooky Book (ISBN 0764566377) and bake up something with vanilla frosting and coconut like Bonbon Cookies. The turquoise, orange and sunlit white (very mild yellow) cabinets in one kitchen create a playful lime/lemon/orange citrus theme that is surprisingly appealing and playful.

   With many of the furniture pieces being reissued you can truly recreate the magic of a bygone era. Personally, I’m dreaming of a shag carpet in the living room. You don’t have to redecorate the entire house, but you might want to incorporate elements from various settings to create the cozy warmth you desire. Unique features like a fireplace filled with river rocks and candles or the patio with an outdoor dining table presents comfort and practicality. The pictures show you how you can mix and match a variety of colors and furniture styles to create inviting spaces for entertaining or relaxing. The use of purple, red and green as wall colors enlivens the rooms and reminds me of reading about famous literary figures and how they painted each room a different color. It is striking and adventurous.

   ~The Rebecca Review

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