Mid Century Modern Atomic Indy

Mid Century Modern Upcycled Center Piece

2011-11-16T21:08:00.009-05:00

How to make a "Living" Centerpiece.

You know those Danish modern serving caddies you always come across at thrift stores; the ones that you like but you know you'll never use? Well, I figured out how to use one.

I started with this:

If you can't find one in the wild, search eBay or pick this one up from my friend's Etsy store.

Then do this:

Dump some soil in it. Drop a few plain ol' grass seeds in the soil. Follow it all up with a few drops of water. Place it in the window.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

Water. Wait some more.

About a week later you'll have this:

Place it on the table and wow your friends.

I trim the grass when needed with a pair of scissors. It's the easiest lawn mowing gig I've ever had.

The key is to not over-water it. Since there's no drainage, if you're too generous, the water will build-up and drown the grass. About once a week, squeeze off a few drops of H2O from a damp cloth. Depending on the depth of your caddy, you may consider putting in a few small pebbles before adding the soil to give the water a place to escape to.

My abode gets tons of natural light so I leave it in place. You may need to keep yours in a window while it's not adorning your table.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Mid Century Modern Landscaping

2011-11-16T19:12:00.016-05:00

DIY Lessons in Mod-Scaping.

Winter is upon us. As the cold sets in, I thought it'd be a good time to show you what's kept me busy all summer.

This post comes complete with a crash course in DIY-ing yourself a rockin' modern landscape.

It starts like this...

Get a hefty collection of vintage modern landscaping books. Get inspired.

Draw up a plan. Crudely. Not to scale.

Get some rope. Play with layouts until your mod-loving heart is content.

Channel the graffiti artist in you with some turf-marking spray paint.

Trace your rope line with paint.

Borrow a trench spade. Dig a trench.

Trench will serve as a "moat" to prevent gravel from washing away. This is much more attractive than raised edging, and you can mow right across it. Promise.

Rest for a day. Then lay landscaping cloth for weed prevention.

Drop in some accent plantings.

Arrange more rope. Graffiti more lawn. Dig more trench. Lay a lot more landscaping cloth.

Have 16 tons of limestone driveway gravel dropped at your doorstep. This whole load was less than $300 including delivery.

Stand atop the mound of gravel and crown yourself King of the mound.

Invite a few unsuspecting friends over with the promise of beer and some "light" work. Apologise to your friends for using the word "light" once they get there.

Load a wheel barrow more times than you can count. Then sing this song.

Using a garden rake, carefully even the gravel out to a delicate state of perfection.

Cheerfully "bonsai" your bushes (not a euphemism).

Decorate the details.

Stand back and revel.

Install landscape lighting before you go to bed.

Sleep for a month.

The. End.

Cheers,

-Baz

P.S. If you're diggin' on the house numbers, you can read about that project here.
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Mid Century Modern Renovation

2011-06-13T20:09:00.013-04:00

Tour of Atomic Indy headquarters.

It's been a while since I've posted. I know this. But a lack of posting does not equate to a lack of motivation. Or a lack of renovation. There's plenty of both.

Let's journey on a quick tour to get a sense of the current state of things.

Guest bedroom: View from the door.

Guest bedroom: View from the bedside.

Master bedroom: View from the door.

Master bedroom: View from bedside.

Dining room: View from kitchen.

Dining room: Close-up of fireplace.

Dining room: Close-up of tabletop.

Dining room: View of bar/buffet.

Kitchen: View from dining room.

Kitchen + Dining Room + Mystery Room.

If you're patient, I'll reveal the wonders taking place behind the mysterious plastic curtain. Stand. By.

Still untouched are the office (3rd bedroom), and two bathrooms. Back to work.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Mid Century Modern Weekend - 2011

2011-05-05T20:11:00.020-04:00

Mid Century Modern Home Tour: Columbus, IN

Every spring Indiana Landmarks and the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) team up to deliver an incredible weekend of modernism. 2011 shows no signs of let-down. At all.

Strap in and let's run through this.

It all kicks off on Friday May 20th at the IMA with the Miller House Symposium. A day-long event filled with epic goodness.

Symposium schedule as follows:

Cost: $30 for IMA members. $40 for non-members. $25 for students. Get tix here.

As a bonus, on Saturday May 21st, IMA is conducting a special tour of Miller House in Columbus, IN. Tour is reserved only for cats cool enough to register for the symposium. Cost of this special tour is $50. Get tour tix here.

Asking if it's worth it? Check this: Miller House was designed by Eero Saarinen. Interiors by Alexander Girard. Landscape by Dan Kiley. I cried the first time I walked in. So worth it.

If you'd rather visit Miller House on a different weekend, tours can be reserved at the Columbus Area Visitor's Center.

"Like" the IMA's Design Arts Society on Facebook to be scooped on more mod design events.

After being thoroughly seduced on Friday, the Indiana Landmarks "Back to the Future" home tour action goes into full-swing on Saturday May 21st, 1p-6p in the Mid-West's version of Palm Springs - the modernism mecca known as Columbus, Indiana.

You'll see six homes. The gracious hosts are:

Charles and Miriam Byers, 3229 Nugent Boulevard
ENKEI Corporation, 322 Tipton Lane (gardens only)
Erin Hawkins and Chris Morlock, 2555 Franklin
Nancy Heimlich, 2625 Sycamore
Louis Joyner, 317 Flatrock Drive
Georgia Webb, 3376 Grove Parkway

Cost: $12 in advance. $15 day-of. Get tix here. Or at select retailers.

Tour Headquarters is the Saarinen-designed North Christian Church. It'll be open for tours. And will make you believe. Located at 850 Tipton Lane, Columbus, IN.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Mid Century Modern Planter - DIY

2011-04-19T20:25:00.017-04:00

DIY yourself a Mid Century Modern planter.

As you begin renovating a house, or collecting Mid Century Modern goodies, you soon realize some things come with what appear to be arbitrarily high prices. Mid Century Modern Planters fall squarely into this category. Take for example the above image. What you see ranges from $145 to $1,220. For a planter. You put plants in it. Then you water them. The end.

That said, I am guilty of owning several pricey planters. But I'm made innocent by the trading, bartering and auction bidding I've done to procure them at very reasonable prices.

What if you want a cool abode for your Yucca to root in but don't want to burn a bunch of cash in the process? I'm here to help.

While perusing Target I came upon their 2011 spring line of colorful plastic planters.

In the store, I began removing assorted planters from the shelf and exploring various configurations. Several inquiries of "Um. Sir? Do you need any help?" were quickly dismissed. I soon realized that two planters turned butt-to-butt (bottom one upside down, top one right side up) make a really sweet modern planter.

They come in different sizes and colors, so you can play. The best part is the price. The big ones are $6.00 ea. The little ones are $3.00 ea. So for $6 - $12 your Yucca can revel in its modern glory.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Indiana Modern Awards

2011-03-26T08:45:00.010-04:00

Get. Recognized.

Indiana is ripe with incredible Mid Century Modern abodes. Whet your appetite on these:

Wipe your drool-ridden mouth. Now for the main course.

For the first time ever, Indiana Landmarks is recognizing the Mods with two awards categories. [insert happy dance].

The Indiana Modern "Stewardship Award" (for preserving an MCM)
The Indiana Modern "Rescue Award" (for restoring/saving an MCM)

More categories may be added in the future. If you have suggestions, share them.

So. If you live in (or know someone who lives in) a well-preserved, or restored, or delicately renovated Mid Century Modern home - you (they) could get one of these:

It'll be made of wood and brushed aluminum. And it'll be rare. And cool. And show-off-able.

Now get to entering (or nominating) an Indiana Mid Century Modern gem. Not just Indianapolis - these awards are state-wide.

You can view (or download) the form here. Read the rules. Then complete the form. You can snail mail it or submit it electronically. Your call.

Here's how you print it:

Here's how you download it:

Entries are due on April 29th, 2011. Winners will be chosen and announced during the 2011 Indiana Modern Home Tour weekend in May, which includes a Miller House symposium. [insert another happy dance].

We'd love to see entries from all across the state. Please spread the word to anyone you know whose abode is award-worthy.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Mid Century Modern Bar

2011-03-16T22:33:00.011-04:00

Have a High Ball. On us.

Atomic Indy Headquarters serves as a swingin' party pad. All swingin' party pads require the service of a drink station. Ours is completely complete.

Circling back to catch you up.

We reconfigured an oddly-placed three-section dining room closet by reversing two sections and adding a pocket door to the third.

We anchored the drink station upon a vintage Steelcase credenza which does a nice job of impersonating a Florence Knoll design (wine is stored inside main lower section).

Then we popped some color with this Panton-style patterned drink tray.

You're diggin' that tray. Want to know a secret?

I'll whisper it to you...

Lean in closer. Closer. It's part of Target's summer 2011 line. Now. Hush your mouth and read on.

Tray is topped with Dorothy Thorpe "Roly Poly" glasses brought back in favor by everyone's favorite TV show, Mad Men.

Booze is decanted in Dansk wood-topped decanters.

Ice is chilled in West Bend's famed Penguin ice bucket.

All is well-lit by a refinished spun aluminum double cone sconce.

Head bartender, Mr. Alexander Girard surveys all concoctions.

Mix at will. And be merry. Just leave your keys at the door.

Cheers (literally),

-Baz

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20th Century Cincinatti - 2011

2011-02-14T21:00:00.005-05:00

Mid Century Modern Furniture Show.

The bitter cold misery of February is warmed by one realization; it's time for the annual 20th Century Cincinnati show.

This will be our third year attending the annual show. We're buoyant with excitement.

50+ dealers. From all over the country. All packed into one room. All bringing their best stuff. All for you.

Here's a sampling of goodies from the past two years.

We suspect this year will not disappoint.
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Details:

• February 26 - 27, 2011 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• Sharonville Convention Center • 11355 Chester Rd • Sharonville, OH 45246

• $7.00 general admission (good for both days)

• $20.00 for special first-look preview 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Saturday (includes breakfast)
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We've created a Facebook event to keep track of who's going. RSVP to be a "cool kid". Let's plan on grabbing some post-show dinner at one of Cincy's fine noshing establishments.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Eames Rocker Raffle

2011-01-24T19:30:00.009-05:00

Pimp my rocker.

The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia is raffling off five custom Eames rockers. Each raffle ticket costs $5. The raffle is open to all, regardless of geography. Proceeds benefit the center's upcoming exhibits and children's art education programs. It's for the kids. So stop being stingy and throw down $5, $10, or $100 to win a one-of-a-kind rockin' Eames rocker. Details here.

Herman Miller themselves recently ran a contest for custom rockers. We wrote about it. Turns out one of our readers was a winner. They sent these pics.

Once the jealousy wore off, we were able to collect ourselves and be happy for them. We promise to do the same for you when you win this raffle.

Which chair is your favorite?

Cheers and good luck,

-Baz

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Mid Century Modern Kitsch Heaven

2011-01-12T11:56:00.005-05:00

Meet kitsch perfection.

One of our good friends and long-time fans recently invited us into his home. He's managed to create the most elegantly masterful kitsch palace. It's not overt, but rather beautifully integrated with class and subtlety. Mad skills.

He has two beautiful Predicta TV sets. These are the modern reproductions : cable-ready and full-color.

Post pics of your place to the Atomic Indy Facebook Page. We'd love a peek inside.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Indy Mid Century Modern Home for Sale

2011-01-07T08:57:00.007-05:00

You can own an Atomic Crash Party house.

The home of Atomic Crash Party #8 is secretly on the market. The thoughtful owner wanted to give Indy's Mid Century Modern-loving community a shot at it first. This way we don't have to worry about mint-condition original kitchens being torn out. If the MCM community doesn't jump on it, he's going to list it to the masses in a week. So get some.

The home was built in 1957. And it's only had two owners. You'd be the third. It's in perfect condition. Perfect. The home was featured in Indy Star's Metro Mix (both in print and online). See here.

Asking price is only $137,900. If you're interested, email the owner.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Gingerbread House

2010-12-13T17:18:00.015-05:00

Home. Abode. Residence. Gingerbread.

Mid Century Modern architecture is: Delicious. Tasty. Delectable. Especially when made of gingerbread.

The muse:

Modeling.

The culmination of baking, cutting, pasting:

Nom.

For more gingerbread mod-ness:

From Acura.

From Grassroots Modern.

From Whorange.

From Stacy Kelley.

And my fave:

Architect-designed by Craig McCormick of Indy's newest and coolest Architecture Firm: Black Line Studio.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Aluminum Christmas Trees

2010-12-02T06:57:00.004-05:00

Holly Jolly Aluminum.

It's the holly-daze. A time for over-eating and over-spending. In all the hustle and bustle, if you close your eyes and let go, you're transported to a simpler time. A time when there was actually magic in the season. I want to take you back to that place with a ride on my aluminum pom-pom tree (not a euphemism).

On a recent scouting trip in Cincinnati, I procured a 7ft "Evergleam" aluminum Christmas tree manufactured by Aluminum Specialty Co. (Manitowoc, Wisconsin). Sweetening the deal was a Westinghouse "Colortone Roto-Wheel". Sold as a set, both were in their original boxes and in minty-mint condition.

Like a kid on, well, Christmas, I got to work assembling all the bits. Then sat back in wild wonder.

Topping the Evergleam is a Charley Harper ornament. Sitting proud.

Minimalistic ornamentation is limited to about a dozen starbursts from Target.

Aluminum Christmas trees aren't just for Christmas. Several of my Mid Century Modern Hanukkah-celebrating friends have them too, and affectionately call them "Hanukkah Bushes". The holidays are an all-inclusive love-fest of celebration.

For more on aluminum Christmas trees (or Hanukkah bushes), check out Aluminum Christmas Trees dot Net.

Now get in the game:

Post pics of your Mid Century Modern holiday decor to the Atomic Indy Facebook Page. A random winner will be chosen, and an MCM goodie will be sent to put under your tree.

Happy baby Jesus, and Eternal Flame day(s) to you all. And to all, a good Evergleamed night.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Knoll Inc. Showroom Tour

2010-11-28T19:05:00.013-05:00

Knoll's Mid Century Modern Masters.

New York City is dripping with Mid Century Modernism. Take for example this public courtyard full of Bertoia chairs. This is some serious inventory.

Or the Saarinen party going down in Grand Central Station's famed Oyster Bar.

The journey culminated with an invitation for a VIP tour of Knoll Inc.'s showroom. In true Atomic Indy fashion, we brought you along.

The tour starts strong with a giant image of Hans and Florence Knoll (and me).

Every turn brings a chairucopia of iconic Mid Century Modern porn. No judgment cast for scrolling through the below images with one hand.

Seduced. Ravished. Exhausted.

A patriotic sign-off from Knoll Inc., NYC.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Bay Area Eichlers

2010-10-27T21:15:00.018-04:00

Mid Century Modern Eichlers in the Bay Area

I like to travel. Almost as much as I like Mid Century Modernism. When the two combine, the mod heavens open, and drool-able images rain down.

Cases in point include the post on Mid Century Modern homes in Denver, and the epic post on San Francisco Mid Century Modern furniture stores.

On a recent trip to the Bay Area, I tore through the Eichler hoods, with my camera snapping like a scene from West Side Story.

Enjoy.

If you have Mid Century Modern pics collected along your travels, post 'em up on the Atomic Indy Facebook Page. I know about 1,300 people who'd love to see them.

Cheers,

-Baz
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Atomic Crash Party #8 : Preview

2010-10-06T23:50:00.033-04:00

Mid Century Modern Home Tour + Cocktail Party.

Atomic Crash Party is back. With mad style.

Refresher course:

The Atomic Crash Party is a Mid Century Modern home tour blended with a cocktail party. On the rocks. Straight-up. With a twist.

It's all about good times with mod-loving friends. Tasty food. Adult beverages. Great architecture. And drool-worthy furniture.

Each time, we crash a different abode. And this installment brings us a Mid Century Modern house so sweet, it's sticky.

Home was built in 1957, and is now resided by only its second owner. Original details, like vintage Formica boomerang countertops, will have you giddy with giddiness. Your squeals and exclamations will not be judged. We did it too.

Here are some teasing shots to get you properly whetted.

How to get yourself involved:

Date: October 16th, 2010

Time: 1 pm – 5 pm

Location: Indy's Westside. RSVP for address. Details below.

Treats: Light refreshments will be served.

Imperatives: Good attitudes required.

Discretionary: Optional donation of $5.00 per person.

Donation breakout as follows:

• $2 to homeowner: supplements refreshment and prep cost.

• $2 to Indiana Landmarks: Offers support to help preserve Mid Century Modern Architecture throughout Indiana.

• $1 to Atomic Indy: Small token to cover planning/management time.

Please RSVP to Facebook invite. If you, and your other are coming please have both RSVP.

If not on Facebook, please RSVP via email with a subject line of, "Atomic Crash Party #8" Let us know how many you’re bringing.

We’re an all-inclusive exclusive group, so if you know other Mid Century Modern enthusiasts, invite them. Just have them RSVP by one of the above methods.

Note: This is your last chance to attend an Atomic Crash Party until Spring 2011. No pressure.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Herman Miller Giveaway

2010-09-17T01:40:00.025-04:00

Free stuff from Herman Miller.

Herman Miller is out to collect email addresses. But not without reward. They're giving away seven cool prizes including Mid Century Modern gems like the Eames Hang-it-All and the famed Eames leg splint. All this culminates with a killer grand prize. More on that later.

Watch this video for details on the giveaway. Then click here to enter:

Now let's have a look at the grand prize(s). Five one-of-a-kind artist-painted Eames Shell Rockers. I have to admit. I like 'em. A lot.

Check out the behind the scenes footage of the artists getting down on these chairs:

I'm digging this one:

Which is your favorite?

If you've gotten this far and still haven't entered the giveaway, remedy that by clicking here.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Mid Century Modern Oval Tulip Table

2010-09-09T19:48:00.017-04:00

How to make a Saarinen-style oval tulip table.

Got loads of comments and emails about the tulip table hack featured in the dining room completion post. Flattered.

Here's the secret to making your own Mid Century Modern tulip table.

I basically married an Ikea "Gidea" oval tabletop with a Burke, Inc. tulip table base. It was an arranged marriage, but the post coital cuddling was great.

While the cost is much more attainable than an authentic Saarinen tulip table, the key pieces needed to complete the project may not be.

The Gidea table is discontinued and the large Burke oval base is hard to encounter in the wild.

I got lucky. A friend tipped me off to the base at a salvage shop for $15.00. It sat in the basement for 6 months. Waiting. Until a neighbor surfaced with the Ikea table, and a desire to work a trade.

The Mid Century Modern heavens opened and the angels sang.

The hunt only took two years. In the end, patience won.

Hacked it all together with two 2x4's, four big bolts, and careful on-center measuring.

If you can't find an Ikea Gidea, have no fear. The tabletop is easy to fabricate. Any countertop shop can cut and laminate an oval. So. The base is the key.

Make sure your tabletop isn't too big for your base, or you'll be tipping dinner over on your guests. And that's likely to displease them more than the taste of your Jello mold.

As it turns out, the 93" Gidea is perfect for the 36" Burke oval base. No tipping has occurred.

Go forth. Find that elusive base. Then dine upon Mid Century Modern happiness.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Mid Century Modern Experience

2010-09-01T00:14:00.014-04:00

Full day immersion into Mid Century Mod-ness.

September 18th, 2010 is going to devour your Mid Century Modern loving soul. So get your calendars and mark 'em.

Indiana Landmarks is bringing the Mod-ness.

You'll get a full day of lectures from people so worth listening to. A discussion panel with real MCM architects from back in the day. The noshing of lunch. And the cherry on top: A walking tour of an entire MCM neighborhood with access to three Mid Century Modern homes.

This awesomeness is dubbed the Mid Century Modern Experience.

Here's how it'll all play out:

Things kick-off at the Evans Woollen designed (1963) King of Glory Lutheran Church in Carmel. You'll be expertly entertained with presentations from:

Editor of Modernism Magazine, Sandy McLendon: "American Idyll: Reviving Suburbia"
Author of Atomic Indy [dot] Com (that's me!): "Corn Fed Modern"
Founding partner of Axis Architecture, Drew White: "How to respect original modern design while meeting the needs of contemporary life."
Preservationist and Atomic Ranch contributor, Connie Zeigler: "Avriel Shull and Thornhurst."
Panel discussion with original Indy Mid Century Modern architects, J. Parke Randall and Jack Pecsok. They'll be sharing what it was like to build modern architecture in Mid Century Indianapolis. To add some juxtaposition, we'll throw young architect, Wil Marquez in the mix. I'll be your humble host and will rely on your questions. So make 'em good.

And that's just the morning. Whew. Breathe.

We'll eat lunch. We'll talk. We'll laugh. We'll consume sustenance. Both literally and figuratively.

Then we'll head over to the famed Thornhurst Addition designed by Avriel Shull. Here Connie Zeigler leads us on a walking tour of the neighborhood and takes us into three homes. Connie's got the credentials, having written Thornhurst's recently approved nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Tip of the fedora to Connie.

Sampling of homes from Thornhurst. We may not get access to these exact three.

Proverbial carrot has been dangled. You know you want to come out and play. So. Here are the details:

WHAT: Mid Century Modern Experience - Home tour and lectures.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 18, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

WHERE: King of Glory Lutheran Church, 2201 E. 106th St., and Thornhurst neighborhood, Carmel, Indiana.

WHO: Sponsored by Indiana Landmarks.

COST: $40 for members. $45 for non-members. (Become a member).

HOW: To make reservations, call 317-639-4534 or email Suzanne Stanis.

Yes. It costs some coin. But. It goes to the preservation of Indiana's modernism (we're not getting paid to present). So come have fun, and save something with a flat roof somewhere in an Indiana corn field. You'll be glad you did.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Mid Century Modern Dining Room

2010-08-24T23:33:00.028-04:00

The 2-year evolution of a place to eat.

1. Start with a space. Make it better. > > >

2. Find some chairs. Refinish them. > > >

3. Live with a plastic folding table for a while. > > >

4. Hang a cool light. > > >

5. Build yourself a table. > > >

6. Pull it all together. > > >

7. Invite friends. > > >

Enjoy. > > >

The. End.

Cheers,

-Baz

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The Original Mad Man

2010-08-17T22:15:00.022-04:00

If Don Draper had kept a diary.

Scored a vintage book at a local antique mart.

The Diary of an Ad Man. By James Webb Young. Originally Published
in 1944.

Can't help wonder if Matt Weiner (creator of Mad Men) drew any inspiration from these pages. Granted, this book is not oozing sex, sloshing booze, or billowing cigarette smoke, but it is written by an
"Ad Man" during the mid 20th century. And it's really good.

The book plays out as a one-a-day entry from June 1, 1942 - December 31, 1943. It covers a myriad of topics ranging from the war, the ad business, and personal interactions.

As a Mid Century Modern loving Ad Man (I work for Foundry Advertising), I devoured every entry as if it were a last meal.

Taste an excerpt from the entry dated October 2, 1942:

"Presented a new campaign to a client today and he didn't like it. He couldn't tell me why, but instead began trying to tell me how to make the ads over. This is one route to poor advertising."

Almost certain we've heard Don Draper utter near identical sentiments.

It has become impossible for me not to hear Jon Hamm 's voice
as I read this book, even though it slightly pre-dates his character's
Ad Man lifestyle.

It appears first edition hardbacks pull some serious coin. Which happens to be exactly what I've got. Later printings can be had more reasonably. I think you should get a copy. Or you can read it for free online.

If all this has you craving a Mad Men fix, check out Mad Men Unbuttoned.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Upcycled Vintage TV

2010-08-10T21:18:00.022-04:00

Re-purpose. Reuse. Rejoice.

Things got a little crafty over at Atomic Indy headquarters this past weekend. It went a little something like this...

Per usual we were cruising the residential side streets in search of Mid Century Modern treasure when we happened upon this sight:

What really caught our eye was a big "free" sign. Grabbed a few things, then announced the remaining curbside freebees to the Atomic Indy Facebook fans.

Was intrigued by a 1972 Sony TV-750 with its space-age look and clean lines. Especially after cleaning 38 years of grime from it.

It didn't work. Expected that. For giggles, took it apart.

Then suddenly, epiphany delivered a face-smack.

Grabbed the socket and power cord (with an inline switch) off a couple old light fixtures. Then got to work.

We used a low wattage CFL bulb to make sure we didn't have any heat issues. The guts of the TV will be dropped off at a local e-scrapper.

Some quick obligatory chatter:

Atomic Indy is not responsible for you burning your Mid Century Modern house down, or any electric shocks that may result from you attempting to replicate this.

The legal gods have been appeased. Onward.

Here's where the cool begins. We carefully selected our favorite Julius Shulman images. Settled on one. Meticulously sized and cut it to fit the inside of the glare screen.

Put it all together and you've got a really sweet back-lit picture frame to display your favorite Mid Century Modern images. Also makes a great kitchy-cool accent lamp.

I imagine we'll change the image out every so often. A process that will take about 15 minutes each time.

You can check more pics on our Flickr set.

Cheers,

-Baz

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Mid Century Modern Lighting

2010-07-29T08:58:00.014-04:00

Just a little light refinishing.

Scored the above pendants at a CF3 Mid Century Modern swap meet in Cincinnati. Was pleased.

Had long been hunting a set of three matching pendants to replace the last remaining "flesh mount breast lamps".

Um. Moving on.

Loved the lights. Was less impressed by the brass and brown. Undeterred, I made them in my own image.

First a peek up my sleeve. Bar Keeper's Friend*. This stuff is the addictive white powder of the Mid Century Modern re-finisher. Your first hit is free. You can thank me later. And you will. Thank me.

Note the aged dirty color of the power cord.

Just a little white powder teamed with a gentle but vigorous rub and...

But wait! There's more. It polishes brass like Superman leaps tall buildings. In a single bound.

*This has not been a paid endorsement by Bar Keeper's Friend.

And we're back.

Dismantled the lights. Taped the the holes of the outer shell from the inside.

Carefully and meticulously hit everything with spray paint.

Patted myself on the back. Briefly.

Reassembled.

Installed.

And the angels sang.

The end.

This post brought you at 30,000' courtesy of American Airlines* in-flight wifi.

This has not been a paid endorsement by American Airlines.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Churches

2010-07-14T00:17:00.005-04:00

Architecturally Reverent.

Went on a tour of Mid Century Modern churches. Didn't burst into flames. It was a good day.

The devout construction of worship houses over the centuries has led to some killer architecture. God obviously loves good design.

Columbus, Indiana's rich architectural pedigree holds a rapturous collection of Mid Century Modern churches. These structures elicit reverence from even the most hedonistic architecture lover.

We'll start with Mr. Harry Weese's First Baptist, built 1964.

If modernism were a religion, Saarinen would be my denomination. And Columbus is the only city in the world to boast churches built by both Saarinens. It's worth a pilgrimage.

In the name of the father:

Eliel Saarinen's First Christian, 1942.

Stand just right and the Henry Moore sculpture frames the church. By design.

And of the son:

Eero Saarinen's North Christian, 1963

Alexander Girard love.

Religious or not, these structures are truly spiritual. I pray you make your way to Columbus, IN to see this stuff in person.

Cheers,

-Baz

_

Eero Saarinen's Miller House

2010-07-12T07:30:00.001-04:00

Mid Century Modern: Home • Residence • Abode • Art

(image courtesy of IMA)

Imagine a home in the center of a Dan Kiley landscape, architected by Eero Saarinen with interiors by Alexander Girard. Now imagine this anomaly erected in the Mid Century Modern wonderland of Columbus, Indiana.

Miller House, built in 1957 for architecture passionista, J. Irwin Miller, is the pinnacle of modern residential design. Some of the period's greatest minds collaborated to form structural poetry.

We were among the first people to tour this home. But your chance is coming. The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is prepping the home for public tours as early as summer 2011.

In the meantime, lets take a quick peek around the house.

The approach makes knees weak.

(image courtesy of IMA)

Tasty privacy panels.

(image courtesy of IMA)

Custom dining table designed by Saarinen himself.

(image courtesy of IMA)

Mid Century Modern kitchen to cook-up a massive plate of envy.

(image courtesy of IMA)

Here's the part that made me cry. Literally. Take a dip in this conversation pit.

(image courtesy of IMA)

Drool over these Girard textiles while I get a tissue.

(image courtesy of IMA)

And now for the multimedia portion of our program.

Photo slide show by the Indy Star.

J. Irwin Miller House - More The Indianapolis Star Galleries

IMA's preview of Miller House.

Discovery of a box containing original Girard swatches for Miller House. Like Christmas morning.

Check out all the architectural goodies Columbus, IN has to offer for a weekend getaway. Or go ahead and book yourself an architecture tour.

Cheers,

-Baz

_

Mid Century Modern Free Stuff

2010-06-21T16:59:00.015-04:00

Because we know you need cool stuff. For free.

Win these note cards.

Private-touring the Eero Saarinen designed Miller House in Columbus, IN was a near religious experience.

So, reverently, we thought it'd be good to giveaway some free Miller House schwag on our Facebook Page.

Here's how to play:

"Like" Atomic Indy on Facebook.
On our wall, post a pic of your favorite Mid Century Modern possession (chair, credenza, art, whatever) along with a little back story explaining why it means so much to you.
On Friday 6/25/10 at 3:00 p.m. EST we'll randomly select two winners.
Winners will each receive a set of these sweet Miller House note cards from the IMA Store. Value: $18.95 ea.

Here's a sample post to get you rollin'.

Click here to see other entries and to play along.

Check out all the other Miller House grooviness for sale including Alexander Girard totes, coasters, mugs, and scarves over at the IMA Store.

Cheers,

-Baz

_

Best Architecture Tour Ever. Ever!

2010-06-16T10:23:00.014-04:00

Modernism architecture tour to end all tours.

A&D bloggers infiltrate Columbus, IN to soak it all in.

If you've been keeping tabs (and let's face it, who hasn't been keeping tabs lately?) then you already know we hit the Mid Century Modern oasis of Columbus, Indiana for a special VIP bloggers tour.

If you're scratching your head at the word combination of "Modernism" + "Columbus, Indiana" stop it and just check out the list of architects who are represented. You too will be a believer.

Over the next two weeks, we'll be giving you a virtual tour of Columbus' best stuff. Including:

A bank designed by Eero Saarinen complete with original George Nelson furnishings.

Eero Saarinen • First Financial Bank • 1954 • image from ModernCapitalDC.com

An impressive collection of churches.

Eero Saarinen • North Christian Church • 1964

Eliel Saarinen • First Christian Church • 1942

Harry Weese • First Baptist Church • 1965

A killer library designed by I.M. Pei.

I.M. Pei • Cleo Rogers Memorial Library • 1969

The famed Eero Saarinen designed Miller House.

Eero Saarinen • Miller House • 1957

And an impromptu tour of five private residences.

If all this excitement is too much to handle, you can book your own Columbus, IN architecture tour here.

For extra credit, start reading ahead. Here's a list of all the buildings and public art in Columbus, IN.

Reminder: This Saturday (June 19th, 2010) is Atomic Crash Party #7. RSVP it up.

Cheers,

-Baz

_

Columbus, Indiana is Mod Max

2010-06-11T11:51:00.005-04:00

Small town brings huge Mod!

Mid Century Modern porn.

Here's a teaser to tease you into a writhing frenzy. Check it.

Columbus, Indiana ranks 6th in the nation for architectural innovation and design. Not kidding.

Let me drop some perspective on you.

• Eero Saarinen

• Eliel Saarinen

• Harry Weese

• I.M. Pei

• Richard Meier

Bam! I know, right?

Wait. It gets better.

Columbus Visitor Center has invited several of the top Architecture and Design bloggers from across the country for a VIP press tour. This all goes down this weekend. We plan to wreak Mid-Mod havoc.

To follow along live, check the Twitter "Hash Tag": #COLMCM (needn't be a Twitter user to enjoy)

Otherwise, stand by for the follow-up madness to be posted by these blogs:

> Atomic Indy

> Cincinnati Moderation

> INArchitecture

> Modern Ridgewood

> Urbanophile

> Plastolux

> Modern Capital

> Paige Turner

> Jet Modern

> Back Garage

> Apartment Therapy Chicago

> Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog

Cheers,

-Baz

_

Atomic Crash Party #7

2010-06-03T11:23:00.009-04:00

Mid Century Modern Home Tour / Mixer

June 19 2010

The Atomic Crash Party season is in full effect. Rockin' our fair city with break-neck Mid Century Modern style. It oozes cool. So do you. We dig that about you.

Most of our crash partiers this month will be coming down from the inevitable high sustained during the "Woollen Weekend" of lectures, exhibits and MCM home tours. Atomic Crash Party 7 will be the bump you need to keep your MCM buzz buzzin' clear into July. Sustainable highs are the best kind.

Here's your quick teaser of the ACP7 abode. Lick those lips and warm those taste buds. Tastiness awaits.

To add hip to cool, the ace photog-ress Polina Osherov mated with the drool-inducing stylings of the illustrious Nikki Sutton to birth this recent photo shoot in the ACP7 abode. Swanky hotness and saucy Mad Men-ness ensued.

Come play and you too could exude this much hip-cat-ness.

And now for the obligatory chatter:

A.C.P #7 Details:

Date: June 19th, 2010

Time: 1 pm – 5 pm

Location: RSVP for address. Details below.

Treats: Light refreshments will be served.

Imperatives: Good attitudes required.

Discretionary: Optional donation of $5.00 per person.

Donation breakout as follows:

• $2 to homeowner: supplements refreshment and prep cost.

• $2 to Indiana Landmarks: Offers support to help preserve Mid Century Modern Architecture throughout Indiana.

• $1 to Atomic Indy: Small token to cover planning/management time.

Please RSVP to Facebook invite. If you, and your other are coming please have both RSVP.

If not on Facebook, please RSVP via email with a subject line of, "Atomic Crash Party #7" Let us know how many you’re bringing.

We’re an all-inclusive exclusive group, so if you know other Mid Century Modern enthusiasts, invite them. Just have them RSVP by one of the above methods.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Home Tour

2010-05-24T21:47:00.005-04:00

Most epic Modernism weekend ever.

June 3rd, 4th and 5th are going to tickle your Mid Century Modern loving bones. All the way to the marrow. Three of Indy's heaviest hitters have united to bring you a lecture, a photography exhibit and a home tour. All of which center around Indiana's most notable modernist, Mr. Evans Woollen.

You want some. You know you do. And to get you hooked, your first two tastes are free.

Let's break this down:

Thursday, June 3 :: 7pm • Free

Lecture by Evans Woollen himself.

More info.

_

Friday, June 4 :: 6pm • Free

Opening of photography exhibit featuring images of Woollen's greatest structures.

More info.

_

Saturday, June 5 :: 1pm-6pm • $12 in advance, $15 day-of.

Mid Century Modern home tour featuring five homes designed by Evans Woollen.

More info.

Anticipation is bottled up. Under pressure. Rising over the sides like a muffin top of Mid Century Modern excitement. Live through this and you won't look back.

So get to clicking those "more info" links above and send your plans spewing into motion.

Cheers,

-Baz

Atomic Crash Party #6

2010-05-05T21:31:00.009-04:00

Mid Century Modern Unfurling

We've got a post & beam to the Mid Century Modern max. There's so much post and beam going on, you'll be posted-up and beaming for weeks after setting foot into this stellar abode.

Atomic Crash Party #6 is ready for the crashing. Let's waste no time, and dive straight into the teaser pics. Ready. Set. Go!

And now for the obligatory chatter:

A.C.P #6 Details:

Date: May 15th, 2010

Time: 1 pm – 5 pm

Location: RSVP for address. Details below.

Treats: Light refreshments will be served.

Imperatives: Good attitudes required.

Discretionary: Optional donation of $5.00 per person.

Donation breakout as follows:

• $2 to homeowner: supplements refreshment and prep cost.

• $2 to Indiana Landmarks: Offers support to help preserve Mid Century Modern Architecture throughout Indiana.

• $1 to Atomic Indy: Small token to cover planning/management time.

Please RSVP to Facebook invite. If you, and your other are coming please have both RSVP.

If not on Facebook, please RSVP via email with a subject line of, "Atomic Crash Party #6" Let us know how many you’re bringing.

We’re an all-inclusive exclusive group, so if you know other Mid Century Modern enthusiasts, invite them. Just have them RSVP by one of the above methods.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Cincinnati

2010-05-04T21:44:00.015-04:00

20th Century Cincinnati :: Review in Pics.

These pillows say it all. Twice.

Way behind on sharing our Mid Century Modern extra curricular lovin' with you. As you know, we get around. And during all that getting around, we take lots of pics. Well, here, now, we vow to start busting 'em out for your viewing pleasure.

First up: Pics of Mid Century Modern furniture snapped at the 20th Century Cincinnati show in February. Enjoy.

If you've never been to 20th Century Cincinnati, you should remedy that vacancy in your life.

Up next: Michigan Modernism Show :: Review in Pics.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern House Numbers

2010-04-28T20:40:00.018-04:00

Neutraface font to front our abode.

We're busy making stuff happen. Outside. While the weather is perfect. Let's take a look.

Our lawn has long been disgraced by this lamp post. For shame. So. We got to work.

As hinted on past posts, we inherited a supply of cement board planks known as HardiePlank. We're putting it to good use.

The house numbers were custom fabricated by a close friend of ours with a CNC machine and some mad skills.

The font we used was the famed Neutraface font inspired by one of our favorite Mid Century Modern architects, Richard Neutra. If you're up for a mindless laugh, check out this video about Neutraface, sung in the key of Gaga.

And we're back.

The numbers "float" off the wall. Sweet.

Aforementioned offensive light post was removed. Tediously. In its place, a post was driven. A few feet over, another post was driven. Posts were leveled. So were our muscles.

Using the cement board, we built a wall.

We painted said wall and installed said numbers. Then we stood back and admired.

Taking advantage of the power source running from the house to the now-removed-post, we installed a weather proof outlet on the backside of the wall. This outlet can service yard work, and light our numbers at night. Revel in our cleverness.

Completed project:

Greatest moment came at completion, when several neighbors came out to compliment the work. They admitted being concerned about what we were up to until the finished product was revealed. Hopefully this is inspiration to our entire hood.

We have plans. Loads of plans. Landscaping plans. Vinyl siding removal plans. Built-in furniture plans. World domination plans. Plans to digress. Digressing... now.

Cheers,

-Baz

_

Mid Century Modern Exterior Painting

2010-04-20T21:28:00.008-04:00

Exterior Renovating - Phase 1

Spring sprung sprang. Whatever. The weather is delightful and staying inside is frightful. So we stepped outside for a little fun in the sun. Mid Century Modern renovation style.

Let us preface by saying we typically wouldn't recommend someone paint their limestone facade. But, in our case there were several layers of offensive beige paint to contend with. Combine this with fear of sandblasting the mortar to oblivion, and you're faced with a logical decision: Paint over the old bad paint with new good paint.

To remind you, we previously painted over the same beige paint on our fireplace with the gray you're about to witness.

But first, how awesome is this tree. Pretty awesome, right?

Back to work.

We busted out the Wagner paint sprayer. Sprayers save time. Time is precious.

Took a break from the ground. Scurried up a ladder. Painted the chimney. Got a sunburn. Didn't mind.

Back on the ground, we called out a too-long-unnoticed detail with our accent color of choice.

And then the deck came tumbling down.

The slapped-on deck has never looked like it belongs to this house. This is most likely because it doesn't. It was put on by the "flippers" to cover up and stabilize a large built-in planter that was falling apart. We may eventually restore said planter. But for the time being, we choose to make the existing deck a better integration to the horizontal lines of our Mid Century Modern home. We turned it into a chill platform. For chilling.

In nearly two years of living here, we've never sat out on the deck. Bring on the Salterini-style bench. And Mojitos.

Here's a closer look at the foundation of the built-in planter, turned deck foundation. The deck now stabilizes the decay.

Using HardiePlank, some Liquid Nails, and a level, we went about the business of making bad into good.

This concludes Phase 1 of our exterior renovation project. Phase 2 involves removal of the beige vinyl siding. Beneath the vinyl is the original vertical wood siding. Cross your toes that we may find it in good shape. Phase 2.5 is a new front door. Crestview Doors, here we come.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Babblings

2010-04-08T10:57:00.013-04:00

Art Babble will have you babbling. And drooling.

Here are a couple Art Babble selections to rock your Mid Century Modern loving soul.

Case Study Houses lecture

Eames Demetrios talks

I'm in. And I'm out. Just like that.

Cheers,

-Baz

Atomic Crash Partiers Unite

2010-04-05T19:49:00.009-04:00

Atomic Crash Party season is ready to break loose. Are you?

We start the summer off at Wil Marquez's abode. Wil is one of Indy's hottest young architectural talents. Plus he's our neighbor. Even better.

For a dose of nostalgia, check out the past parties.

It all goes down April 17, 1p-5p. But it doesn't stop there. The ultra hip hipsters will be after-partying at the Nap Town Roller Girl's final bout of the season. If you want to join that fun, wear your swankiest red & black vintage garb.

A.C.P #5 Details:

Date: April 17th, 2010

Time: 1 pm – 5 pm

Location: RSVP for address. Details below.

Treats: Light refreshments will be served.

Imperatives: Good attitudes required.

Discretionary: Optional donation of $5.00 per person.

Donation breakout as follows:

• $2 to homeowner: supplements refreshment and prep cost.

• $2 to Historic Landmarks Foundation: Offers support to help preserve Mid Century Modern Architecture throughout Indiana.

• $1 to Atomic Indy: Small token to cover planning/management time.

Please RSVP to Facebook invite. If you, and your other are coming please have both RSVP.

If not on Facebook, please RSVP via email with a subject line of, "Atomic Crash Party #5" Let us know how many you’re bringing.

We’re trying to be an all-inclusive exclusive group, so if you know other Mid Century Modern enthusiasts, invite them. Please have them RSVP by one of the above methods.

The rest of the ACP season is shaping up nicely. But we're always looking for more hosts. If you live in an MCM and would like to open your doors, please let us know. Email with a subject line of, "Atomic Crash Host."

Cheers,

-Baz

IMA Design Arts Society

2010-03-25T21:31:00.017-04:00

Design We Love.

Indianapolis Museum of Art's Design Arts Society (DAS) consistently quenches our design-craving thirst with great happenings. Latest installment was nectar to our parched lips.

Event was called "Design We Love." You'll dig the concept. Promise.

Check it:

Take two of Indy's top interior designers, add a well-informed collector, give them an audience, then turn them all loose in a huge mod furniture store. High-brow entertainment ensues.

Each picks two objects, taking turns discussing what they love or hate about them. Passion begets passion, and this passionista crowd was writhing in it.

Event took place at Form + Function (F+F). There's only one difference between F+F and a museum; here you can take home anything you want. If you haven't been through the spot, do it. It's a journey-worthy destination.

At F+F you'll find the right mix of today's most contemporary designers overlaid with new, licensed Mid Century Modern classics.

Evening kicked-off with wine, cheese, and succulent conversation. Then, the gloves came off.

Let the love-to-love-to-hate battle begin.

Crowd jockeys for position by securing the most notably expensive chair they can find. Comfort, in this case, is secondary.

In a store full of chairs, we were standing room only. Irony.

The illustrious Nikki Sutton delivers her love/hate dissertations with rabid abandon. Onlookers hang on every word.

Certain audience members toss their own 2¢ into the till.

Former Herman Miller showroom designer turned interior entrepreneur, Tom Vriesman expresses his emphatic dislike for Alessi's Bunny & Carrot kitchen roll holder. We didn't disagree. Some did. All's fair in design, love, design, and then war.

Passionate collector, V. Simon Abraham delivers his insight with refined eloquence.

The concept for this event is killer. Thanks to F+F for hosting. Thanks to DAS for conceiving. Thanks to Indy for embracing art and culture. Thanks to you for reading.

This is but one of many events DAS delivers throughout the year. Learn more about getting involved here. If not in Indy, check your city's museum to see if they have a similar program. If not, start one.

Next time, come out and play.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Giveaway

2010-03-08T07:12:00.003-05:00

And the Winner is...

Eric Carros of Atlanta, GA.

Going out on a limb here and guessing he lives in ATL's swanky Northcrest. Are we right, Eric?

Eric is in need of two Spektr sconces to replace some Big-Box-Home-Improvement-Store specials. We can relate to that.

Eric also needs seven of these cabinet pulls to transform his bathroom into a throne room fit for a Mid Century Modern King. We went with the king analogy because the star back plates resemble a crown. Kind of.

Congrats to Eric. We expect pics of your goodies installed. We'll be in touch.

To the rest; thank you for playing. We hope to keep bringing you these opportunities.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Giveaway

2010-03-01T09:47:00.010-05:00

Stop, collaborate and listen. Rejuvenation is back with a brand new invention. And, a giveaway.

If you're unfamiliar with Rejuvenation you must change that. Now. They specialize in new, authentic reproduction hardware and fixtures of modern classics. Such as:

Aeros Tri: $386

Aloha: $225

Peg nob: $4.00

Corona: $199

Whale Tale Pull: $4.00

Dora: $258

And now introducing the newest line of the highly sought after hourglass pendants and sconces:

Galaxy: $699

And our favorite (in brushed aluminum):

Spektr: $129

This was a mere sampling. Appetite whetted, ready to embark onto main course of contest details.

How to Play:

Go to Rejuvenation's Mid Century Modern section with $300 in mind. Search incredible inventory. Salivate. Wipe. Repeat. Until you've found must have item(s).

$300 can be used as seen fit. Need $300 worth of pulls for your kitchen? Go for it. Need two lights to hang over your Eichler kitchen island with collapsible breakfast table? Do it. Ah, but what if you want something(s) worth more than $300? Simply pay the difference. Done.

• Leave a comment on this post stating where your selected item(s) would live in your abode.

• Include link(s) (cut and pasted URL is fine) to said product(s) in your aforementioned comment.

• Make sure to give enough detail for us to contact you (anonymous comments can't win).

Increase your chances:

• Feel free to Tweet your link(s) with hashtag #MCMgiveaway.

• Or Facebook link(s) to your coveted item(s) on Atomic Indy's Facebook Page. Do all of the above to increase your chances. Triple your chances, to be exact.

Entries from the Blog, Twitter, and Facebook will be dropped in the proverbial hat with one name being selected at random.

Entries open through Friday 3/5/10 at 3pm EST. Winner announced Monday 3/8/10.

Go forth and select free modern.

Cheers,

-Baz

20th Century Cincinatti Modernism Show

2010-02-26T13:04:00.002-05:00

Mid Century Modern show. In Cincy. This weekend.

Quick reminder about this weekend's Mid Century Modern show in Cincy.

Be there or be square. Unless you live too far away. In that case, it's hip to be square.

Details:

• February 27 - 28, 2010 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• Sharonville Convention Center • 11355 Chester Rd • Sharonville, OH 45246

• $7.00 general admission (good for both days)

• $20.00 for special first-look preview 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Saturday (includes breakfast)

Cheers,

-Baz

Pecha Kucha

2010-02-05T23:56:00.011-05:00

One of the coolest happenings. Worldwide.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Mid Century Modern programming to inform you. Enlighten you. Entertain you. And quite possibly shatter your fear of public speaking.

Meet Pecha Kucha (pronounced: pe-chak-cha). Born in Tokyo, Pecha Kucha literally means "chit-chat."

What it is: The Fight Club of Powerpoint.

How it plays out - each presenter has to get through 20 slides in 6 minutes and 40 seconds. That's 20 seconds per slide. Fun, right?

Designers, artists, creatives, and other like-minded peeps gather for a fully-stocked bar + live presentations. The arguably sober audience calls the shots. Topics and themes vary. But mostly it's a free-for-all. Watch some presentation examples here.

Burgeoning is Indy's Pecha Kucha chapter, thanks to inspired local architect Craig McCormick.

Here are some pics of a previous event to prime your pump.

Look like fun? It is. Join us.

Indy's next event is Saturday, 2/20/10. That's this weekend. Have plans? Break 'em.

Here's the official Facebook invite for the Indy event.

To see if your city has a PK chapter, click it up right... here.

If your urban surrounding lacks a PK chapter, get one kickin' right... here.

All PK nights around the world are currently raising Haiti money. Good cause. Good times.

Consider yourself enlightened. Entertained. And quite possibly shattered.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Furniture Show

2010-01-27T21:00:00.020-05:00

20th Century Cincinnati

Amid the killer-cold shivers, and cabin fever inducing winter time blues exists a ray of hope. 20th Century Cincinnati is a warmth radiating across the barren landscape of a mid-western winter.

The show returns in 2010 with a fist-to-the-jaw lineup of top-shelf Mid Century Modern dealers. 50 of them to be exact. That's epic.

We attended last year's show. Decisions were made then to show up every year.

Below are some shots we took of the Mid Century Modern goods being peddled last year.

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Details:

• February 27 - 28, 2010 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• Sharonville Convention Center • 11355 Chester Rd • Sharonville, OH 45246

• $7.00 general admission (good for both days)

• $20.00 for special first-look preview 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Saturday (includes breakfast)
__

This is not just a furniture show. Expect a wide variety of things - jewelry, pottery, dinnerware, lighting, accessories, textiles, posters and art. A great thing about the show is there truly is something for everyone.

Beginning collectors (those there for the first time who are just looking for something interesting to get the MCM ball rolling) and seasoned collectors looking for higher end stuff will all be in heaven.

Prices range from the ultra-cheap to the mega-cash.

Deco to disco is pretty well covered.
__

We've created a Facebook event to keep up with who's attending. This will be an easy way to plan meet-ups and carpools.

I'll be easily spotted in my trademark Vintage Roadside t-shirt.

We hope to see you there.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Bullet Lights

2010-01-13T21:38:00.020-05:00

A tale of four lights.

(Image courtesy of Zach Dobson)

It was the bright of times, it was the dark of times.

Okay. Done with that witless attempt at funny. Onward.

Mid Century Modern lighting is iconic.

From Nelson Bubble Lamps to the holy-grail-equivalent, Arco Lamp, Mid Century Modern lighting transcends the era in which it was designed. It seduces the most contemporary spaces. Seductions are nice.

Upon procuring our Mid Century Modern abode from the now infamous "house flippers", we were left with a slew of contractor-special, big-box hardware-super-store, flush-mount lights. We affectionately describe these lights as (for lack of a more accurate visual) flesh-mount breast lamps. One doesn't have to squint to see our point.

A view of our peep show on the ceiling:

Removal of offending lights was in order. Carefully. So as not to be accused of groping:

We were faced with poorly executed work in need of ceiling patching.
Big surprise. Yay for fun. Double yay for incompetent house flippers.

Patch work complete. Now in need of appropriate non-anatomy-thought-inducing replacement lights donning the proper Mid Century Modern vibe.

We've long had a love of Mid Century Modern bullet lights. This love is unrequited no more.

Found: set of four vintage cone-shaped bullet lights on Ebay:

These poor lights had succumbed to several coats of paint over the years. Discovered original color was orange. Convenient. Serendipitous even. Orange happens to be our accent color. We decided to contribute one more layer.

Stripped, sanded, smoothed. And then we got to work on the lights.

Hit with orange spray.

Dig it.

One perceived drawback to bullet lights is their uni-directional spotlight nature. No matter. We embrace all things for what they are, including flesh-mount breast lamps.

Following a brief head scratching session, we recalled seeing Mid Century Modern clip-on light diffusers advertised in vintage home publications. Attempts to find these online netted us nothing. Undeterred, we innovated.

List of materials:

• Decorative sheet metal (available at most any hardware store in a variety of patterns).

• Small lamp shades with clip-on-to-light-bulb attachment. Found at Goodwill for 50¢ each.

Let's roll.

Cut the shade part of a lamp shade to shreds, leaving you with the heart of this project - the "clip" (the two little circles in the center basically "clip" around the top of a light bulb).

Trace clip onto decorative sheet metal.

Cut traced lines with shears. Sand down dangerously sharp edges.

Epoxy sheet metal to clip. We chose Seal-All. Dries fast and clear.

Clamp. Go play Texas Hold 'Em, or splatter a canvas while you wait.

Paint desired color. Or leave metal finish. Which ever you prefer. We won't judge.

Implement.

Enjoy the fruit of one's labors with a balanced mix of friends and adult beverages.

(Image courtesy of Zach Dobson)

Result: nice mood lighting that doesn't blind, confuse, or inspire illicit thoughts.

Cheers,

-Baz

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T09:09:00.005-05:00

We're Busting out a New Year's Revolution.

Image courtesy of Indianapolis Monthly Magazine

2009 has faded like an Eames shell chair left outside for 50 years.

Wasn't all bad. Not all of it. Right?

So, now we're all swimming in a chatter of "New Year's Resolutions." Forget it. So passive. We're choosing instead to bust out our "New Year's Revolution."

A revolution to tirelessly forward the passion for, interest in, and awareness of: good design. Especially that of the Mid Century Modern kind. Uncle MCM Wants You. Bring it.

The propagation of this revolution begins with a little one-page feature in 2010's inaugural issue of Indianapolis Monthly Magazine. On shelves now.

Aside from its ego-inflating properties, press is good. It brings new eyes. New eyes = new minds. Of these new minds, a few will "get it." That's cool. Totally cool. Anything that helps this nation's Mid Century Modern homes survive this kind of "update" is something we can dig. All the way down.

If you're an Indy local, pick up a hard copy of the Indianapolis Monthly. If you're out-of-state, check out the online version.

Goodnight, 2009. Cheers to, 2010. Now go forth and break something MCM off in it. For us.

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Time Capsule

2009-12-21T20:52:00.012-05:00

Memories get wall-sealed.

Our mad, Mid Century Modern renovation updates, start... Now.

Upon early-day tear-down of walls, we made a touching decision; create a time capsule to be hidden inside a rebuilt wall. Touching, right? Fast forward one year. Need to enact said decision has arrived.

Time capsules act as the vintage equivalent of hard drive back-ups. Memories and files stored.

Thoughts of some future renovation couple discovering this time capsule warms our emotions with tingly joy. Which isn't any different than a typical Saturday night at the Atomic Indy abode. Perhaps I've said too much.

Onward.

Hanging drywall goes on with relative ease.

Then things get complicated.

Picture this:

A man. A woman. 100 kilos of fluffy white powder.

Find yourself picturing a scene from any number of Johnny Depp films?

Wrong.

This scenario does however accurately depict our first venture into drywall finishing. Which as it turns out, varies greatly from drywall hanging. Who knew?

Oh. No, officer. Nothing. To. Um. See here. Really. It's, uh, just drywall dust. Really.

One tip: Use a shop vac while you sand. Helps a little. Not a lot.

Mrs. Baz (aka Jax) in full-on painting action. Super hot.

Terryl B. (aka Laughing Lovely) tag-teaming that wall with Mrs. Baz. Double hot.

And... Done.

Joys of a Mid Century Modern home renovation never cease. Completion of each phase brings the reward of sitting back, admiring, and back-patting. I do so love the affirmation of a nice back pat.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Holiday Party

2009-12-14T20:59:00.019-05:00

Atomic Indy knows how to party - all the way down.

First party at our enigmatic in-progress Mid Century Modern abode is complete. Let's call it our inaugural holiday party, which is to mean first annual, which implies reoccurring gatherings hence forth. Implications are implicitly fun.

Roughly estimating 70 Mid Century Modern-loving guests rolled through to celebrate holidays, friendships and glance sneak peeks of our passion project.

One such guest is editorial photographer and Avriel Shull homeowner, Zach Dobson. His camera was snapping with machine-gun-like fury. No one had time to duck. Resulting aftermath unfolds below. Beautifully.

Fine print disclaimer: No MCMers were harmed in the shooting of these images.

Run it...
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Graciously beautiful hostess with the utmost mostest, Mrs. Baz (A.K.A "Jax")

Baz in real life varies only slightly from is cartooned avatar. This is me. Allegedly.

"For relaxing times, make it Suntory time." See reference here.

"May I have your attention please. Just wanted to say... You. All. Rock. Party-on."

The laughing lovely is Terryl B. She saves lives. Among other things.

Love this.

Alexander Girard well represented.

This shot channels Julius Shulman in inspiring ways.

Architect J. Parke Randall, original Mid Century Modernist. He lived the stuff for real.

Thank you, Zach for the photo love. You can take our pictures anytime.
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Renovation notes:

Problem: Have lingering projects in need of completion.

Solution: Invite 100 design-centric people to party at your pad.

Result: Copious renovation headway necessitated by party prep unfurls.

Stand-by for tasty Mid Century Modern renovation updates to feast upon through the breaking dawn of a new year. We're back with tenacious vigor and we've got your MCMin' right here.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Giving of Thanks

2009-11-24T12:13:00.006-05:00

A Mid Century Modern look back.

Thanksgiving approaches with tenacity. Thankfully we will not be hosting. Chillaxin' at the in-law's crib won't be so bad.

That said, we are hosting a Mid-Construction, Mid-Century Modern holiday party at Atomic Indy's world-wide headquarters (our pad), on 12/12/09, 6 p.m. If you're in town, you're invited. RSVP by Facebook. Or by email.

As an ode to tryptophan-induced laziness, we're re-posting an excerpt from last year's Turkey Day entry. Enjoy.

Originally posted 11/29/2008.
______________________

Dining Upon MCM Thankfulness

Thankful for so much beyond countertops.

And now boys 'n girls, gather 'round for story time.

Was to be a Thanksgiving of “firsts”. Firstly - was first time hosting Thanksgiving. First Thanksgiving in our first home. First time cooking a proper meal in our new kitchen. First overnight guests.

It all went down like this…

Tuesday night:

Cleaning space in preparation for countertop delivery. Suddenly hear name shouted from porch. Look up. See architect neighbor with best friend and bottle of wine. Give quick tour of progress. Later stolen away to his place where I’m greeted by 15 of his closest friends. This is the kind of neighborhood we’re creating – social young professionals living in architecturally relevant homes.

Thankful for impromptu neighborhood wine tours.

Wednesday night:

Rocked out solo until 5:30am installing countertops, cook top, sink/dishwasher plumbing, and general clean up. Wife rested in preparation for feast generation.

Thankful for Rabb & Howe for delivering on time though some measurement tweaking of island is still required. Will deal with on Monday.

Thursday morning:

Wife woke to perfectly clean and prepped kitchen with hand-written countertop sign greeting, “Happy Thanksgiving”. She was thankful for my stamina.

Thursday afternoon:

In-law crew arrived after not having seen house since loose install of cabinet frames. Impressed. Amazed. Floored. So much of their hard work resides in these walls. Thankful for them.

Later Thursday Afternoon:

Food served. Perfectly. Deliciously.

Thankful for her.

Friday morning:

Hit 5am Black Friday. Collected new power tools - very on-sale. Thankful for sales. Won’t ever do 5am Black Friday again. Thankful for that.

Friday afternoon:

Spent rest of day, post nap, MCM treasure hunting. Four Goodwill stores, Audrey’s Place thrift store and Midland Antiques.

Scored authentic Heywood Wakefield end table for $29 (that's a really good deal).

(click image to enlarge)

(click image to enlarge)

Found vintage MCM bullet lights – finally.

(click image to enlarge)

Thankful for treasures found.

Saturday afternoon:

Sneaked away for couple hours of work. Like, day-job work. Thankful for a great gig. Doing what you love beats working for a living.

Later Saturday afternoon:

Installed bullet lights on front porch.

(click image to enlarge)

(click image to enlarge)

While outside installing light, neighbor raking leaves was blasting Christmas jazz. Struck by feelings of confirmation; we chose a great neighborhood.

Thankful for neighbors.

Saturday evening:

Eagerly awaited dusk to photograph all three new lights working in tandem from outside in.

(click image to enlarge)

While outside, discovered surprise mail delivery on doorstep. Box on doorstep contained back issues of Atomic Ranch. Used them to stage Heywood Wakefield pics.

(click image to enlarge)

Thankful for inspiration of others work contained in AR's pages.

Saturday night:

Blogging. Here. Now. Thankful for readers. Thankful for, You.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern T-shirts

2009-11-18T19:42:00.015-05:00

Everyone loves T-shirts. Even Mid Century Modernists.

Received an email from someone in search of holiday gifts for her Mid Century Modern loving friends. She was hunting T-shirts that would appeal to us design-centric Mod Squaders. No worries. We've got that covered.

We start with our good friends at Vintage Roadside. They're straight-up rock stars. Get this; they bounce around the nation documenting Googie Architecture's greatest remnants. Then, they turn them into T-shirts.

To make you love them more, Vintage Roadside pairs each new customer with a free one-year membership to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Look good. Do good. Two birds. One stone. Sweet.

Here's a mere sampling of their goodness:

Visit the Vintage Roadside shop here.

Endorsement: We've proudly given these as gifts, and keep coming back for more. Just saying.
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Now we hop over to our equally good friends at Atomic Ranch. If you don't subscribe to their magazine, fix that, here.

Now that we're all subscribers, check the killer store. Peruse mod architectural-inspired, branded T-shirts like this one:

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Dig Eames design? Check this sweet "T" featuring the iconic RAR Rocker. Shirt design by Snowden Flood.

Buy it here.

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Arts & Architecture was the publication that kick-started the entire modernism movement with their Case Study House Program. Along the way they had incredible cover designs, and fascinating ideas bleeding off every page. No magazine has gotten it quite as right as they did.

The pub is long out of print but the design lives on in the form of, you guessed it, T-shirts:

The A&A shop goes deeper. You can procure prints of the killer covers too:

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We've now done our part to ensure the Mid Century Modern community will hence forth be representing in style. Carry on.

Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern = Top 5 Blogs

2009-11-11T19:03:00.005-05:00

Atomic Indy seals top 5 spot.

(this is our badge to prove it)

Brief post to offer quick thank-yous. Shakin' hands and kissin' babies so to speak. Gratitude extended to you for:

1.) Voting for Atomic Indy.

2.) Suggesting a vote to others.

3.) Tolerating our propoganda and campaigning.

Was particularly touched by comments amassed on voting site. Too kind.

We were visited by 275, 100% new readers through Top 50 Indiana Blogs. Several of them have already joined the Atomic Indy Facebook Page and/or followed on Twitter. In short, they're hooked like the rest of us.

Mission to increase Mid Century Modern interest and awareness deemed a success. Plot of world domination by way of "Mid Century Modernizing the Modern World" is well underway.

We can now return you to your regularly scheduled Mid-Century-Modern-loving programming.

Cheers,

-Baz

P.S. Quick shout out to my father, Col. "Baz" on Veteran's Day. Thanks for the love you gave through service.

Vote Atomic Indy

2009-11-04T18:27:00.003-05:00

Vote for Mid Century Modernism Awareness.

Am normally not a "vote for me" kind of guy. So hear me out.

Indiana's Top 50 Blogs contest is going down. Normally wouldn't notice. But our great friend Joe Shoemaker took it upon himself to nominate Atomic Indy. Quickly 116 others followed him and we now sit in 16th place. (update 11/6/09: 5th place. Keep 'em coming!).

With so much grassroots support, only seems right to make a run at this thing.

Please click here, then click "vote". That easy. No registration necessary.

Not in Indiana? No matter. Simply ask yourself, is Atomic Indy my favorite blog in Indiana? Yup. It is. Click "vote".

A vote for Atomic Indy is a vote for Mid Century Modern awareness and preservation.

I'm Baz, and I approve this message.

Vote here. Vote now.

Cheers!

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Artists

2009-11-02T18:56:00.016-05:00

Artists inspired by Mid Century Modern inspirations.

These are a few of our favorite things.

We're gaining renovation ground. This brings us closer to making art selections for near-finished walls. With this notion top-of-mind, we cast our attention on a few of our favorite contemporary artists playing in Mid Century Modern sandboxes. Grab a shovel and pail. Dig it.
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Jenn Ski has long been on our radar. She lives in a sweet Mid Century Modern home, which brings a level of authenticity to her work. Her use of color and atomic amoebas beckon and entice. We're hooked.

Below are several of our favorite pieces. For more, check out her site.

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David Paul Seymour is a graphic design animal of epic proportions. He claws his way to the surface with Mid Century Modern inspired pieces that echo the whimsical work of Jim Flora while revealing the sensibility of truly modern design techniques. He's kind of a rock star.

And he sent me a birthday card, so double points.

Check out some work samples below. For more, hit his site.

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Jim Ward Morris fires on all cylinders for us. Simply put, his work can hang on our Mid Century Modern walls any day. His eye for aesthetic integrity culminates in a balance of photography and graphic design layered eloquently with just the right patina of vintage.

Pieces we drool for below. Craving more? Check out his site.

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Cheers,

-Baz

Mid Century Modern Renovation Progress

2009-10-22T20:27:00.014-04:00

Diligence rediscovered through renovation resurgence.

You may remember that we're renovating our Mid Century Modern home in Indianapolis. Or more likely you've forgotten. Understood. Lulled into complacent leisure, masked in the dubious form of day jobs, vacations, birthdays, anniversaries, Atomic Crash Parties, and blog posts. Life. Nonsense.

Carry us forward to October. Some serious stuff got done.

Think back to epic San Francisco Mid Century Modern Furniture Shop Guide. Recall a certain Louis Poulsen PH 3/4 hanging in a Bay Area shop. Light now floats delicately above our make-shift dining table.

Project 1 complete. Booya.

Testing a theory on a yet-to-be-painted wall. Sketched some shapes. Painted shapes. Contemplating a permanent use for this concept. Digging the notion.

Project 2 down. Check.

Within days of becoming home owners we proceeded to remove walls with tenacious vigor and eager optimism. A year later, remnants of removed walls remained. Exposed studs and precarious wires abounded. Mocking monuments to our early energy.

We will not be mocked. Drywall hanging finally ensued.

Project 3 under wraps. Just the way we like it.

Summer originally held intentions of vinyl siding removal. Didn't happen. Desire to see original vertical wood siding re-adorning our Mid Century Modern crib remains. Until spring.

However, long-awaited gutters were hung on north side of our abode. Months of impromptu blue tarp run-off device have come to an end. Certain our neighbors will miss said tarp.

Really can't wait to get this vinyl off. Showing restraint in expressing true sentiment to this plastic-like material. And the color is a vague shade of suck.

Project 4 ready for winter's worst rain. Bring it.

Break was taken from Atomic Indy abode to help our new hipster Mid Century Modern renovation neighbors with a little Sputnik pendant install. What's not to love about this star burst?

(not our house)

Project 5 lit-up like a sky on 4th of July. Boomtastic.

Finally rounding out our pocket door/coat closet install. Went a little something like this:

Blasted a hole in a wall (as I tend to do).

Hung a pocket door in a frame.

Framed new closet floor. Ran electrical for vintage double cone sconce.

Craftily angled cut to allow for wire feed. Self-patting back for self-proclaimed ingenuity. Thank you.

Stealthily covered over electrical with a new closet floor.

Hung drywall.

Mudded drywall.

Project 6 near completion. Requires door frame finishing, sanding and painting.

Getting. Closer. Indeed.

Cheers,

-Baz

Atomic Crash Party #4 - Preview

2009-10-05T19:21:00.011-04:00

One of Indy's finest Mid Century Moderns plays host to ACP #4

Prior to unfurling details for Atomic Crash Party #4 we have noteworthy news worth noting. Noted. Here we go.

Atomic Crash Party getting all grown up. Thanks to all of you.

1.) Several pics of ACP #3 were featured in Indy Star's Sunday insert. Thanks to hipster photographer Jammy Straub for shooting away and passing images on to important editor type people.

2.) Spring will bring several new Atomic Crash Party cities. Rumors include Portland, Atlanta, Chicago, and Birmingham. If you want to help bring ACP to your town, holler.

3.) Atomic Crash Party will be getting its own site to better handle multi-city ACP info. Will be one-stop-shop for calendar of events, reviews and glorious pics of the nation's finest Mid Century Modern homes.

On to task at hand. Atomic Crash Party #4. Crashing all up in an Evans Woollen home. Woollen is one of Indy's most influentially relevant architects. He's still living but not in Indy. So he will not be attending.

Stopped by this place two days ago. Still drooling. Need a bib.

Appetite whetting pics...

Pics fall short of actual presence this home imposes on your Mid Century Modern loving heart.

Good taste in furniture and art.

Fantastic Danish Mod collection throughout this abode.

Note lovely terrazzo floors.

Some may recognize this pad. If so, good eye. We posted about it in an early real estate round-up. Here's the cool part; home is on the market. So if during the party you find yourself thinking "I would love to live here" - you could make that happen.

Just in the market to party ACP style? Here's all you need to know:

Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2009

Time: 1 pm – 5 pm

Location: 3755 E. 71st St. (map)

Parking: Driveway space is limited. Please park on Cranbrook Drive. See parking map here. If you have kids or otherwise struggle to walk you may use driveway.

Treats: Light refreshments will be served.

Imperatives: Good attitudes required.

Discretionary: Optional donation of $5.00 per person. Less accepted. More encouraged. Should you choose to buy the house drop an additional $399,895 in the jar.

Donation breakout as follows:

• $2 to homeowner: supplements refreshment and prep cost.

• $2 to Historic Landmarks Foundation: Offers support to help preserve Mid Century Modern Architecture throughout Indiana.

• $1 to Atomic Indy: Small token to cover planning/management time.

Please RSVP to Facebook invite. If you, and your other are coming, please have both RSVP.

If not on Facebook, please RSVP via email with a subject line of, "Atomic Crash Party #4". Let us know how many you’re bringing.

We’re trying to be an all-inclusive exclusive group, so if you know other Mid Century Modern enthusiasts, invite them. Please have them RSVP by one of the above methods.

Cheers,

-Baz

P.S. This will be the final Atomic Crash Party of '09. Cold weather and holiday seasons create obstacles. We'll pick back up in March.

Mid Century Modern Chair Score

2009-09-30T18:45:00.012-04:00

A Tale of Two Chairs.

Scored some chairs. They come with a story. It goes a little something like this...

Arrived in San Francisco. Unusually hot but I didn't mind.

Immediately joined up with friends who were heading to an auction at San Fran's famed Presidio. Cool. I'm in.

Auction preview took place prior to my arrival. Missed it. Flying blind.

Entire auction presentation was by PowerPoint. Actual items were in an off-site location. Couldn't get a peek. Flying totally blind.

Was armed with a listing sheet with no pictures.

Lot #115 was labeled "stack of odd ball chairs". Intrigued. I dig odd ball chairs. Hopped on iPhone. Found website for the auction.

Began scrolling. Came upon this image:

Immediately recognized an Eames shell chair and what appeared to be a large Bertoia Diamond chair tossed on its hind side. Both were perched precariously atop a stack of vintage task chairs.

I was certain a large Bertoia Diamond Chair in good condition pulls decent coin. This one showed a few signs of rust but not enough to frighten little 'ol DIY'n me. An Eames shell chair is classic and speaks for itself. There was an opportunity to score. Big time.

(All above deductive reasoning took place in the hurried pixels of an iPhone screen as lot #114 was finishing up.)

Had no knowledge of condition or notion of how I would ship eight chairs. Details.

Bidding on lot #115 began.

It didn't go far.

Only two other bidders played.

I won.

Cheap.

Moment of joy quickly overshadowed by realization that other bidders had likely attended the preview and were more aware of condition than I was.

Crap.

Too late.

It was done.

To further expand upon my joy wrapped in what-have-you-done? discomfort, I would have to wait four days before physically seeing my chairs. I could handle it.

Put a call out to Atomic Indy's Facebook fan crew to I.D. the task chairs.

Emeco and Goodform was the consensus. Aforementioned fan crew is good. Really good.

Began estimating value based on perceived condition. Without having yet actually seen the chairs. Silly.

Spent next several days creating a detailed guide to San Francisco's Mid Century Modern furniture stores. Enough eye candy to keep my mind occupied.

Finally - time alone with a "stack of odd ball chairs" had come.

Began dismantling the unique architecture a zip-tied stack of vintage chairs creates.

Something seemed off about my Large Bertioa Diamond Chair. Not referring to the rust.

Its oddity wasn't clear until it stood before me. Upright.

Was face to face with a Bertoia Bird Chair. More rare and more valuable. Sweet.

Eames chair was in great shape. No upholstery tears and all glides intact.

Feeling good.

Emeco and Goodform chairs existed in various states of disrepair. Not my thing. What to do?

Craigslisted six Emeco/Goodform chairs as a unit. One day later sold them for 65% of auction winning price. Joyful emotions escalating.

Feeling better.

Now on to the matter of transport for two remaining chairs. Considered Greyhound Shipping. Size restrictions were unfavorable. Settled for Uship. Impeccable experience. Am now a Uship fan. It's like Ebay for your shipping needs except you take the low bidder with best feedback. Brilliant.

Am now sitting upon a newly acquired Eames shell chair throne as I type. Contemplating the light welding and restorative efforts required to bring our new Bird Chair to life.

Some future post is sure to detail said Bird Chair restoration.

Cheers,

-Baz

JetModern Blog Documents Modern Preservation

2009-09-28T17:45:00.006-04:00

Have Jet Pass will travel.

Caught wind of the JetModern project several weeks back. Now finally circling 'round to share with you. Still time to catch-up and tune in for the finale.

National Trust for Historic Preservation's Seth Tinkham has been blogging and Tweeting his way across the country to survey the state of America's modernist structures. Hipster airline Jet Blue is facilitating travel with their All-You-Can-Jet Pass.

He's hitting iconic modernist landmarks like Space Needle and Glass House and sharing his thoughts at each stop. Engaging dialouge shares a point of view.

Seth's itinerary (September 16 - October 2):

• New York City, N.Y.
• Boston, Mass.
• Portland, Maine
• Chicago, Ill.
• Houston, Tex.
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Seattle, Wash.
• San Francisco, Calif.
• Las Vegas, Nev.
• Los Angeles, Calif.

How to tune-in:

• Read the Blog
• Follow on Twitter

Recommend starting here for the set-up. Then here to see Seth's first blog entry. From there you can hang out here and work backwards before catching the culmination.

Now on to other matters requiring attention. Proverbial elephant in the room. Has been brought to my attention our renovation progress has slowed. Month of September is time-swamping busy. Beyond that, unable to argue. Will get back on that wagon. Giddy-up.

Cheers,

-Baz