Mid Century

In Week 2 of American Dream Builders, Lukas was the team leader in charge of renovating a midcentury modern home in Palm Springs. Lukas divvies up assignments amongst his teammates, giving himself the living room and the outdoor dining area. While midcentury modern is not Machnik's forte, we see his potential as a designer and a team player, as he turns a neglected midcentury mess into a modern masterpiece. Photo courtesy of Lukas Machnik.

Grove Desk for Room & Board. Handcrafted by Pennsylvanian woodworkers, the Grove desk features a natural oil-and-wax finish that showcases the grain of its solid wood construction. Mid-century details like turned tapered legs and beveled edges lend an air of refinement.

A pair of mid-century Martz lamps flank the Parsons bed from Room & Board in the master bedroom.

Design tomes, a salient message, mid-century ceramic.

Mid-Century Modern Complete by Dominic Bradbury, $125 from abramsbooks.com Between penning stories for Dwell, writer Dominic Bradbury has created the definitive survey of midcentury design. Divided into sections on furniture, lighting, glass and ceramics, textiles, and more, the book covers an impressive number of practitioners ranging from the well-known to the more obscure. Essays on collecting design and the role of textiles in the midcentury home are not to be missed.