I’m not sure if I’ve ever told you about my true obsession (besides organizing, of course.) I am totally, completely, over-the-top obsessed with mid-century modern design. My obsession is fuelled on a quarterly basis when the only magazine I actually have a subscription to arrives in my mailbox — my beloved Atomic Ranch.

I’m willing to bet that many of you didn’t even know there was a magazine dedicated to “midcentury marvels” as they refer to them. All things mid century are featured in this magazine, everything from houses to furniture to accessories to lighting to pillows! Many of these retailers are selling modern versions of mid century because much of the original has either been lost and destroyed or snapped up by avid collectors.

I was inspired to share my love of this style of design by a quote in the Summer 2012 issue which just arrived this week and which explains my obsession completely. Here goes, “If it is not useful or necessary, free yourself from imagining that you need to make it. If it is useful and necessary free yourself from imagining that you need to enhance it by adding what is not an integral part of its usefulness or necessity. And finally: If it is both useful and necessary and you can recognize and eliminate what is not essential, then go ahead and make it as beautifully as you can.” — Shaker Proverb.

That quote sounds like a mission statement for simple and functional design. Now I know where some of these companies who manufacture modernist take their inspiration from and why I love the design so much. My grandparents lived in a mid-century home in the Crichton Park area of Dartmouth and their house still looks the same on the outside. I’m willing to bet the new owners have updated the interior, which is a shame since it had so many true period features that my grandparents never touched. When I was a child, I visited them often but of course just thought their house was really weird with the bathroom cabinets that sloped in toward the wall.

I have actually been able to sneak in a bit of mid-century modern here and there with a few clients over the years and once I did design a ’50s-themed den. I think it was while I was doing the research for this project that I discovered the magazine that started the whole obsession. I dream of designing a ’50s-inspired kitchen one of these days. Oh my, the fun to be had online searching for things like “Atomic Doodle” wallpaper, lighting at Caravan Pacific, or George Nelson clocks from Modernruby.com.

And, I plan to fulfil my ultimate mid-century dream of travelling to Palm Springs to stay at the Orbit In (www.orbitin.com) and attend their annual mid-century modern house tour. In the meantime, I pour over the pages of Atomic Ranch, reading every detail about the architects and designers from the ’50s who inspired generations who love clean, simple, functional design.