The Atomic Age collection features six patterns: Atomic Doodle, Boingo, Gee Gee, Googieland, Interlock and Island.

Atomic Doodle pattern is available in pink, taupe, and turquoise.

Atomic Doodle Pattern

Gee Gee patter is available in bisque, gray, and sage.

Gee Gee Pattern

Googieland pattern is available in gray, ivory, sage, and turquoise.

Googieland Pattern

Interlock pattern is available in gray, silver, and sage.

Interlock Pattern

Visit Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpapers website and check out these incredible wallpapers yourself. You can order 8.5″ X 11″ samples for $1.00 each for color matching. Their wallpapers are handprinted by the silk screen method. They are sold by the single roll and each roll contains 30 sq. ft. (roll dimensions: 27″ x 15′). Each roll cost between $58.00 and $72.00, depending on the pattern.

Some people had asked me to post more detailed instructions, so here it is – I did my best. This is not a carpentry blog, so please forgive me if the instructions are somewhat vague…

Caution before you tackle this project:

• If you have a question, please feel free to contact me. However, I am not a professional furniture builder – I may not be able to answer questions that are too technical.
• I am not sure how strong this bed will be in the long run.
• If you don’t have basic carpentry skills, find someone who does to help you.
• I cannot be responsible if the bed doesn’t turn out right for you.

Instructions:

1. Build a support (bottom) frame – this part will not show once the bed is complete

a. Lay four (4) 2 x 6 pieces flat and attach (screw) them together with wood glue and four (4) metal braces.

b. Attach (screw) three (3) 2 x 4 pieces inside of the 2 x 6 frame with wood glue and five (5) metal braces for additional support.

c. Attach all eight (8) legs.

d. Attache two (2) L-shaped metal braces for a headboard. Attach while the bottom frame is still upside down. You will need to prop the bottom frame up to do this. Leave an enough space for the headboard to slide in (between the support frame and corner of the braces).

e. Flip the bottom frame once the glue is dry.

2. Attach (glue and screw) the top frame to the support (bottom) frame – the top frame is the visible part of the bed. The side and foot pieces overhangs by 2″ – be sure to screw where the mattress covers the screw holes. Use clamps!

3. Attach (glue and screw) slats to the support (bottom) frame.

4. Fill the screw holes with wood filler, sand and stain the top frame. Follow manufacturer’s instruction.

5. Headboard

a. I used iron-on oak veneer edge banding for edges. I then sanded and stained before attaching it to the body.

b. Attach the headboard. Be sure to use the short screws for the upper part of the L-shaped braces (so they don’t go through to the other side). Screw (with longer screws) into the support (bottom) frame as well.

6. Finished product.

Material List:
This material list is to make a queen size bed that measures 64” W x 82” L. You may need to make adjustments according to your needs and the size of your mattress.

You should be able to obtain all the materials locally except the hairpin legs. You will need to order the legs from hairpinlegs.com. These legs are made to order, so I recommend ordering them ahead of a time.

You will need a lot of different kind/size screws. I cannot remember exactly what kind/size of screws I used. All I can say is that you would want to use the strongest/longest screws possible for maximum support. If you are not sure what kind/size of screws you need, please consult with a store associate (good luck!) where you are purchasing your materials.

For the Support (bottom) Frame:
The support (bottom) frames measures 58” W x 79” L. The top frame will over hang the bottom frame by 2” on each side and foot of the bed.

* 2 – 79” 2 x 6
* 2 – 47” 2 x 6
* 1 – 68” 2 x 4
* 2 – 22″ 2 x 4
* 9 – 10” metal braces
* Screws to attach the metal braces
* 6 to 8 – 8” Hairpin legs (only four legs are visible from outside – I used four hairpin legs and four wooden legs, but I recommend using the same type of legs because it can be hard to match the height of the two different kind of legs)
* Screws to attach the hairpin legs
* 2 – 10” L-shaped metal braces to attach a headboard
* Screws to attach the L-shaped braces to the support frame

L Shape Brace

For the Top Frame:
* 1 – 64” 1 x 6 red oak board
* 2 – 76 ½” 1 x 6 red oak board
* 1 – 52 ½” 1 X 3 red oak board
* Screws

For the Slats:
* 11 – 52.5” 1 x 4 (you may need more/less 1 x 4s depending on your spacing between slats)
* Screws

For the Headboard:
* 1 – 22” x 64” Furniture grade oak plywood – I cut a notch on each side (bottom)
* Screws to attach the headboard to the L-shaped metal braces which are already attached to the support frame
* Iron-on oak veneer edge banding

Tools:
*Drill
*Saw
*Clamps
*Wood glue
*Tape measure
*Pencil
*Carpenter’s square
*Sanding block or paper (150 grit)
*Wood filler
*Safety glasses
*Wood stain of your choice and tools recommended for applying the stain

Kay Bojesen Wooden Monkey

Kay Bojesen (1886–1958) was originally a silversmith. In the 1930s, he began expanding his craftsmanship using other materials. He realized that wood had a great potential for industrial treatment and styling which led him to create his toy soldiers and wooden animals. Through his wooden toys, he became known as one of the great pioneers of Danish art manufacture.

Kay Bojesen’s wooden monkey is made in Denmark from teak and limba wood. Teak is from sustainable plantations in East Africa and limba wood is from Congo. It has movable head and limbs and is about 12” tall with arms extended. As Rosendahl claims, it is very well made with superior craftsmanship. I was very happy with the quality of the monkey until one day… I was dusting off the monkey and the leg just fell off!

Oh, my leg!!!

I discovered that the leg was attached with a rubber band and tiny nail. I could not repair it myself, so I sent an email to the Rosendahl customer service inquiring about repairing the monkey. I was pretty upset about the fact it broke so easily and so soon. Here is what the customer service rep said: “I assume it is the rubber band that have broke. The rubber band is a natural material and can be affected by different things in the environment like light, temperature or moist. Sometimes it breaks after a short while, sometimes it can hold for 30-40 years. We do have a spare part kit, that I am glad to send to you, so your monkey can be fixed.”

A rubber band holds the limbs...

I received the repair kit within a few weeks. It included: an instruction manual, a piece of string, two rubber bands and four nails (they call them “seals”). The instruction looked easy enough, but the rubber band was so small that it didn’t look like it would stretch enough.

Kay Bojesen Monkey Repair Kit

Here is how to repair the monkey:

1. Remove remaining limb, rubber band and seals (tiny nails hold the rubber band).

All removed!

2. Attach a piece of string to each end of the rubber band.

String attached!

3. Use the string to guide the rubber band through the leg, body and leg.

PULL!!!

4. You can use a hook to help you, as shown on the drawing (below) – that’s what the instruction said, but since I didn’t have a hook handy, I recruited a help. You have to pull REALLY hard from the both ends. If I had a hook on a wall to do this, the force would probably yank the hook out of the wall!

PULL HARD!

5. Insert the seals (nails) taking care not to damage the rubber band – you have to do this while you are pulling the string. I had to use a nail punch to push the seals all the way in.

Almost done!

6. Cut the pieces of string off.

All done!

My monkey is as good as new and I am really happy

Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham

The 192 page book features 52 fun and easy-to-follow projects inspired by many iconic mid century modern designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, and Alexander Girard. This book is perfect for any school age children with all skill levels. Some are simple enough for kids to do by themselves and some are fairly challenging that require adults’ assistance. All projects have easy to follow instructions and appropriate photographs. Most of projects can be done with inexpensive supplies and/or ordinary household materials.

Fort of Cards Project

Kid Made Modern is not only a creative craft book, but also a great educational tool. The book introduces youngsters to art and design by integrating sections called the “All About” pages that explains the fundamentals of art media and techniques. There are sections on mid century modern designers that inspired the craft projects as well. If you are a parent, this book will provide hours of creative fun for your child. If a project is too complicated for your child, why not join your child? It will be a good bonding experience for you and your child.

Learn about Designers

Todd Oldham has successfully introduced the readers a concept that good design was for everyone by coming up with brilliant mid century modern inspired DIY books for both adults and kids: Handmade Modern and Kid Made Modern – what’s next? I have five dogs and two cats, so I’d like to see a DIY book dedicated for pet stuff. Call it “Pet Made Modern” – what do you think?

*****************************
Special thanks to Sara at AMMO Books

Mid Century Modern Books

This list is by no means complete – if you have a book to suggest, please let everyone know by adding a comment!

Alexander Girard Designs for Herman Miller (Schiffer Design Book)
By Leslie A. Pina

An Eames Primer
By Eames Demetrios

Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes
By Michelle Gringeri-Brown

Case Study Houses (Taschen 25th Anniversary Special Editions)
By Elizabeth Smith

Cliff May and the Modern Ranch House
By Daniel P. Greg

Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream
By Paul Adamson

Forgotten Modern: California Houses 1940-1970
By Alan Hess

Julius Shulman: Modernism Rediscovered
By Pierluigi Sorriano (Author) & Julius Shulman (Photographer)

Mid-Century Modern: Interiors, Furniture, Design Details (Conran Octopus Interiors)
By Bradley Quinn

Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s
By Cara Greenberg

Whether you are looking for authentic originals, licensed reproductions, or unlicensed lookalikes, you may find the special piece you have been looking for at Lushpad – just browse through their website and find out! If you don’t find what you are looking for, you can place a “wanted” ad for free.

Selling your surplus mid century modern furniture on Lushpad is easy. You can list your item for up to three months with just one listing fee. There are no commissions or back-end fees on your sold items. Sign up for a FREE account and start selling! Be sure to use discount code TWEET50 and get 50% off ad listing fees until the end of March, 2010.

Listing Pricing Information (as of February 2010):
Wanted items – FREE
Items under $250 – FREE
Items between $250 and $800 – $8
Items over $800 – $12

For more information, visit Lushpad website.

Make It! Mid-Century Modern

“Make It! Mid-Century Modern” is divided into six chapters according to designer: Charles Eames, Alexander Girard, Alexander Calder, George Nelson, Piet Mondrian, and Eero Saarinen. Each chapter includes designer’s background and DIY projects with user friendly step-by-step instructions and pictures.

One of the easy projects

If you are looking for a simple, easy, yet stylish DIY project, this book is perfect for you. Most of the projects featured here are small and not time consuming. The instructions are very well written with appropriate pictures. The book is available in two formats: high-resolution PDF download (US$9.99) or print version (US$18.00). For more information, visit Curbly website.

or try something more challenging...

Galaxy - Close Up

The Hourglass Collection features four handcrafted aluminum light fixtures: Galaxy, Asterix, Vektr, and Spektr. The design of these light fixtures were inspired by the 1959 Stockholm series from EJS Lighting Corporation. As most of you already know, these iconic hourglass shaped light fixtures were used in many residential and commercial buildings in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Galaxy in Dining Room

Rejuvenation has done an excellent job – these fixtures are not only historically accurate reproductions, but also customizable to fit your space. Check out their website to learn more about the Hourglass Collection at www.rejuvenation.com/hourglass

Product Pricing & Dimensions
Galaxy Chandelier: 28” in diameter, $399-$699
Asterix Chandelier: 22” in diameter, $379-$679
Spektr Single Wall Bracket 5-1/4” wide $129
Vektr Double Wall Bracket 11-1/2” wide $229

Photos: Courtesy of Rejuvenation

First thing first, I needed to pick a new wall paint color. My usual course is to visit a local home improvement center and stand in front of bazillion color samples with fancy names for a few hours. This time I visited a Sherwin Williams store instead. I was glad I did – they had a series of color palette called “Suburban Modern.” The brochure reads “Your future is bright. With clear, cheerful colors the 1950′s exhibited a new American outlook. The exuberance showed up on the walls as striking shades like Chartreuse and organic shapes like boomerangs. Whether you just feel nostalgia for those optimistic days, or you want to recreate the period in exacting detail, our Suburban palette provides the hues you desire.”

Suburban Modern Brochure Front

Suburban Modern Brochure Back

The brochure for interior paint offered 10 color choices with possible matching palettes (wall, trim, and accent) suggestion. How convenient! I wanted the colors that match with my bed spread, so I picked “Chartreuse” for wall and “Classic French Gray” for accent. I painted the entire room in Chartreuse and a wide border going across two walls. There are some imperfections on the wall from the previous owner I couldn’t fix, but I love how it turned out so far. I am planning to build a new bed and two night stands. I will follow up with my progress in a future post.

Work in Progress