Modernism Reborn: Mid-Century American Houses Book

In the late '90s, publishers began to race to get a book out that would cater to the explosive interest in all things midcentury modern. There was Classic Modern, Naturally Modern, and Modernism Rediscovered, to name just a few of the better ones. With the publication of this volume by regular Architectural Digest contributor Michael Webb, we finally have a book that not only provides a plethora of design ideas we can steal for use in our very own living rooms, but also tells the often-captivating behind-the-scenes stories of each great home it showcases. The focus here is on the saving of these houses, and Webb's text is wonderfully insightful. One of the 35 spectacular homes featured is celebrated architect John Lautner's Harvey House in Los Angeles, the very same once-dilapidated house (the book captures it in its newly restored state) over which actor Leonardo DiCaprio went head to head in a bidding war (and lost) with actress Kelly Lynch and her husband, screenwriter Mitch Glazer. The house is a work in progress, full of difficult judgment calls. The expanded kitchen may be cut back and the original St. Charles cabinets reinstalled. The rotunda will be refined and there is a possibility of recreating the aluminum-framed glass breakfast nook--a kind of high-tech gazebo--originally located under the pergola. Meanwhile the owners and their small daughter adore living here. "At night, we can look all the way through and out at the lights of the city," says Lynch. "I find myself caught up in the spirit of the place, wander about, and forget I'm in the middle of watching a movie!" Newly commissioned photography by Roger Straus, known for his panoramic shots of Frank Lloyd Wright structures, is another highlight. Designed and built in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s by architects such as Richard Neutra, Pierre Koenig, Philip Johnson, Eero Saarinen, John Lautner, H.H. Harris, Gregory Ain, Paul Rudolph, John Black Lee, Allyn E. Morris, and Ulrich Franzen, the 35 homes presented here are some of the most sought after in America. If you're into modern or want to know what all the fuss is about, this is the book you'll want to own. --Richard Olsen Read More