#midcentury-modern

#midcentury-modern

Sixty years ago, Laurance S. Rockefeller looked out at the turquoise waters of Kaunaoa Bay on Hawaii Island and imagined something extraordinary, a resort where world-class hospitality met the raw beauty of the Hawaiian coast. That vision became the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hawaii Island's first resort and an instant icon of midcentury modern design. Fast forward to 2026, and the legend just got a serious glow-up.

"I'd been looking for probably six months," he tells AD. "There are not many unique options in Western New York. A lot of it is very cookie-cutter, traditional prefab homes." Then, while touring potential properties with his friend, interior designer Caryn Dujanovich, Milano got a call: an off-market tip-and a directive to drop everything and get over here now. The duo complied and were among the first to see a 3,700-square-foot, midcentury-modern-inspired hideaway surrounded by dense forest.

Called the Shaw House, this Lake Oswego home was designed by Yeon and built in 1951 for Lawrence Shaw, owner of the Modoc Lumber Company. In 1953, it made the cover of House Beautiful magazine, which declared it "the architecture of the next America." Sixty years later, it was in poor shape, with signs of dry rot and water damage. Sitting on a generous 0.61-acre lot, it was also under threat of being torn down in favor of splitting the property in two.

We have been in our condo for 5 years. We had lots of momentum on minor remodeling when we moved it, but we have settled into how things are. One area that we never got to was putting up a backsplash. We have filled our house with midcentury modern-adjacent furniture with a mostly minimal aesthetic, with allowances where need be. But we haven't yet done anything in the kitchen, sticking with the cabinets and appliances that we received.

Though modern updates have been skillfully introduced to 3772 Gainsborough Drive, for the most part, this midcentury showcase Eichler is a shrine to its original design - a design pioneered by one of Joseph Eichler's principal architects. Since 1964, the home has had only two owners. Your chance to be next comes with a $1.375 million price tag. This historic home was designed in 1964 by Claude Oakland.

After a five-month closure, the Eames House reopens to the public, offering access to the couple’s personal studio for the first time.