Betting The Ranch
The Washington Post, April 29, 2004
by Annie Groer
The ubiquitous, mid-century American ranch house — low slung, clean lined and wide open inside — now has its very own magazine.
Atomic Ranch, planned as a quarterly, does not focus on fabulous custom homes designed by famous architects but rather on the millions of post-World War II tract houses that now are attracting buyers in their twenties and thirties, says Michelle Gringeri-Brown. Her husband, photographer Jim Brown, is the publisher. Both have previous magazine experience, she as editor of American Bungalow, he as a shooter for it and several automotive periodicals.
“We are encouraging people to see interesting things that can be done with ranches, how to expand them in an architecturally appropriate way, with cool furnishings,” says Gringeri-Brown.
And what, precisely, is a ranch? “It’s mostly single story — sometimes split level, especially on the East Coast — with open floor plans, usually bland toward the street and oriented to the back yard, with glass doors opening out to a patio,” says Gringeri-Brown, betting that the ranch house is poised for a revival as now enjoyed by the bungalow and its Arts and Crafts roots.
Atomic Ranch, $5.95 per issue, $19.95 per year. 323-258-5540 or www.atomic ranch.com. Sold locally at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW, 202- 272-2448; and Good Eye 20th Century Interiors, 4918 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-244-8516.
