COLUMBUS, OHIO—The mid-century modern breeze of Columbus makes for one of my favorite tropical getaways.
Part of that comes from the fact I spent time as a kid on North Star Road in the suburb of Upper Arlington. Summer nights were long and songs were short. There were wide-eyed trips to the since-razed Kahiki Polynesian Supper Club, an architectural and cultural classic of tiki life.
And beyond the horizon, there was the South Wind Motel, a place I had not heard about until I visited Columbus over the summer.
The South Wind opened in 1959 at 919 S. High St. in the German Village section of Columbus. It went through some funky times [...]
The future is the foundation of finding every right house.
People bring visions and dreams into a new landscape. Midcentury Modern, or Post WW II architecture came along at the right time. Midcentury ranch homes emerged in 1949, four years after the end of World War II. Americans were looking towards a different tomorrow, one with a more approachable ceiling. The affordability of automobiles led to the growth of suburbs. People downsized from colonial homes to ranch houses with ample windows and open space. Midcentury architecture became clean and linear.
Westchester, IL. is [...]
And for my next move….
I’ve rented apartments and bought a condo. I never owned a house. Before I packed it up I wanted to buy a small midcentury modern ranch house. It was in my DNA. I grew up in ranch houses in Naperville, Ill. (built 1966) and Columbus, Ohio (1959?). My brother owns a midcentury modern ranch house in Nashville, Tn.
It was all a return to forever.
I’ve read the magazine “Atomic Ranch” for years, although I will never have the money to trick out a house like the dreamsicles in Palm Springs, Ca., St. Paul, Mn. and Los Angeles. I wanted to unplug [...]