Anyone who considers the classic ranch home out of style needs to check out Sharon and David Byers’ Kansas City-area home. The home, designed by the El Dorado architectural firm, is an ultra-modern reincarnation of a ranch home. Set on four acres in Lee’s Summit, the Byers enjoy tremendous views of the sun setting and storms rolling in across the plains. Long live the ranch!
Source: The Kansas City Star
New York City’s High Line park, built on an abandoned elevated rail line, has been a smash hit since opening day and now Chicago has its eye on a similar project on the city’s West Side. The trail will connect neighborhoods and provide an alternate path for pedestrians and cyclists across the city. Dwell shared this rendering of the finished project, set to open in 2015.
Source: Dwell
The latest awe-inspiring structure from Studio Gang Architects opened on the Kalamazoo College campus — the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. Studio Gang shared this snapshot of students and faculty exploring the space, built from stacked white cedar logs harvested in northern Michigan.
Source: Studio Gang
Detroit’s abandoned houses have been the center of many news stories, but they’re not the stories you might think. They’re the stories of creative entrepreneurs turning the homes into everything from terrariums to ice sculptures. Our latest fascination is Wallace Detroit Guitars, which is making electric guitars from the reclaimed wood. “I got interested in seeing how far we could push that,” founder Mark Wallace says. “What can we build with reclaimed materials from Detroit?”
Source: Model D Media
St. Louis furniture designer Martin Goebel was named 2014’s Young Woodworking Professional of the Year. (We’ve highlighted Goebel’s stunning work on Modern Midwest before.) The design that won over the panel was the pictured table, featuring classic timber frame construction with some ship-building influences at work.
Source: Woodworking Network
GQ just crowned Chicago the Greatest Drinking City in America. Whether you’re looking for a neighborhood dive bar or a world-class cocktail, you don’t have to stumble far in Chicago to find one. The magazine name-dropped a few of their favorite watering holes, including the Sportsman’s Club, which walked away with the “Best Backyard” title. We agree: their outdoor patio is the toast of the town. Let’s hope for a late winter so we can fit in a few more drinks.
Source: GQ
Hold the avocado-colored phone: there is now a set of Mid-Century Modern coloring books. The artist, Jenn Ski, has done several art prints influenced by mid-century design, but now her coloring books let you pick the palette. Call it art therapy or an interior design test run, coloring in these 60s-tastic designs will keep you busy for hours.
Source: Retro Renovation
Condé Nast Traveler just listed the fifteen best new restaurants in the Midwest, and this Chicago gem is begging for a taste test. Endgrain, in the Roscoe Village neighborhood, specializes in Southern favorites and specialty donuts. It’s a one-stop shop for buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken and bacon butterscotch donuts. When they combine their biscuit expertise and their doughnut know-how, you get the doughscuit: a doughnut crafted from biscuit dough. Will this be the next big breakfast craze? Cronuts, your crown is slipping.
Source: Condé Nast Traveler
Don’t let the stately exterior fool you: this 4,000-square foot Lincoln Park home is hiding all sorts of wild design on the inside. Chicago Magazine has the virtual tour, but let’s just say it includes a speak-easy in the basement, faux palm tree and tiki bar. A cut-out of Cleopatra and some gargoyles also make an appearance.
Source: Chicago Magazine
Mobel Link’s furniture designs pull straight from the pages of an architectural guidebook: examine these chairs and you’ll see modern twists on flying buttresses, corbels and cantilevers. Each inventive design is also a model in sustainability — everything is crafted from Baltic Birch Veneer, which is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Alan Kaniarz founded Mobel Link in Detroit to combine his twin passions of original furniture design and environmental responsibility. We’re loving the results.
Source: Mobel Link
Chicago’s Market Supply Co. is bringing life back to the term “general store.” The shop’s grand re-opening in the Pilsen neighborhood offers a little bit of everything, from vintage clothes and accessories to the perfect haircut. Your clothes can even match your haircut, as barber “Mustache Mike” specializes in vintage cuts from the 1920s to the 1960s.
Source: Market Supply Co.
A year ago, we covered Hank Butitta’s extraordinary adventure. For his Master of Architecture thesis at the University of Minnesota, he bought an old school bus and transformed it into a living space. He then took it out for a ride: a 5,000-mile ride across the country with his brother, a photographer friend and other travelers they picked up along the way. Now they’re publishing a book about their adventures and running a Kickstarter to raise funds. If their adventure intrigues you, check it out! $10,000 will even get you your own 10-day trip on the bus.
Source: Hank Bought A Bus Kickstarter
A NASA decontamination chamber. A dynamo built by Thomas Edison. Salvaged machinery from a U.S. Army ammunition plant. Those are just a few of the things you’ll find at Dr. Evermor’s Forevertron, a sprawling sculpture park in North Freedom, Wisconsin. The park also holds the world’s largest scrap metal sculpture, built by park founder Tom Every. “We’re only here for a short time,” says Every. “I’d like to leave something on the planet.”
Source: Atlas Obscura
Minneapolis men’s shop MartinPatrick3 unveiled a sample of their fall styles on Facebook this week, and this hand knit sweater caught our eye. Where else can you find a Fair Isle spin on skull and crossbones? The sweater comes from Canadian company Granted Clothing. Try it on and keep your tough edge as the temperature drops.
Source: MartinPatrick3
Looking dapper, Chicago. Time Out just published a list of their favorite men’s stores in the Windy City and it’s hard to know where to start. There’s the jet set style of Zegna, the custom suits at Alton Lane, the high-end designs at Gallery Aesthete and the down-to-earth denim and more at Haberdash (pictured). The list comes just in time to fill out your fall wardrobe.
Source: Time Out Chicago
If your macaroni and cheese is still coming out of the box, it’s time to up your game. Sauce Magazine sets the bar high with this truffle mac ‘n’ cheese, cooked to perfection in classic cast iron. The recipe for this divine dish comes from The Tavern Kitchen and Bar‘s chef Justin Haifley in St. Louis. Cremini mushrooms, a splash of Madiera wine and a dash of truffle oil. Your taste buds will be dancing.
Source: Sauce Magazine
This wild Wisconsin residence sits lakeside, just outside Milwaukee. Completed in 2011, the home’s design makes space for the natural landscape. Instead of chopping down trees, the architects built the home to curve around them. The stunning range of windows and observation spaces provide unobstructed views of the Wisconsin hills. To explore the equally intriguing interior, head to The Chive.
Source: The Chive
The long-empty LynLake Theater will soon re-open — this time as the city’s newest craft tap room. October 9 is the official grand opening party for the much-awaited addition to the neighborhood. Built in 1914, the building was once home to live theater but has sat empty for almost a decade. In just a few weeks, you can sample what’s been brewing behind that marquee; the menu is set to include their IPA, Gold Ale, Oat Amber, Oatmeal Raisin Stout, and Wheat Pale Ale.
Source: City Pages
12 ‘Zines unveiled their inaugural issue at the Detroit Art Book Fair this past weekend. The project works with young creatives as well as seniors to tell the stories of overlooked objects and places. They will be producing one issue per month for the next year, so this is one to watch!
Source: 12 'Zines
Goodkind opened in Milwaukee this past June and they had some big shoes to fill: they took over the space from Mama DeMarinis, a beloved neighborhood pizza place. The transformation of the space was stunning — and so is the menu. Bright colors and reclaimed wood for the walls, fresh rotisserie chicken and craft cocktails for the crowds.
Source: Milwaukee Magazine
From certain angles, this modernist gem almost looks like a Mondrian painting. The playful use of boxes and rectangles recalls a set of children’s building blocks run wild. Constructed in 1970, the house was designed by renowned modern architect Paul Rudolph, and sits just 30 yards away from Lake St. Clair in Grosse Point, Michigan. The interior is even more mesmerizing — though the house stands only three stories tall, rooms sit at five different levels. Tour the interior with the Detroit Free Press.
Source: Detroit Free Press
“Make love, not junk.” That’s the motto of Dose Market, a pop-up market that celebrates makers and DIY magic all around Chicago. Their next event, the Dose Bomb, launches September 21 with craft cocktails, all-day brunch, knife sharpening, live poetry, tarot card readings and delicious local honey. Dose shared this photo of the sweet preparations for this artsy event.
Source: Dose
Modern Love, the Sunday The New York Times column, is hitting the road. Editor Daniel Jones will make an appearance at the Chicago Humanities Festival to discuss “contemporary love in all its treachery and tenderness.” Jones will be accompanied by Chicago-based contributors to the column. A must-see event on a festival calendar packed with hits!
Source: Chicago Humanities
Ralph Rapson’s iconic Glass Cube home was rocking this summer. The modernist marvel played host to Minneapolis band The Greycoats and videographer Nate Matson. Matson’s latest series, “Spaces,” features bands exploring sites outside the recording studio. Rapson’s Wisconsin getaway lived up to its reputation — the floor-to-ceiling windows offered breathtaking views of soaring eagles and a passing thunderstorm.
Source: Rapson Inc.
Revered Chicago architect Harry Weese has left his mark on the city with buildings like the Time-Life skyscraper, but it’s his River Cottages, tucked on the banks by the Kinzie railroad bridge, that capture the imagination. The townhouses, completed in 1988, feature sharply sloping roofs, winding exterior corkscrew staircases, and playful nautical influences. The best view of the cottages is from the river, by water taxi or river cruise. The original owners are so smitten with the architecture, none of the townhomes has ever been resold.
Source: ArchitectureChicago Plus