We lead off with some summertime dad vibes in this week’s Dez Reads. As summer approaches, Colby Nelson fondly remembers the midcentury modern house through the eyes of reverse home flippers in Atlanta. There is something quintessentially summer-ish about a big, old house bathing in sunlight from its massive windows and open floor plan. I like this potential “un-flipping” trend.
For my part, as a fellow Midwestern dad, I’m stoked to see the American front porch getting its due at the world’s largest architecture gathering this week in Venice. Bring back porch hangs.
As for the rest of the team: Mark Emerson writes his latest installment of “knucklehead kids doing hilarious things,” in which an 8-year old orders 50,000 Dum Dum lollipops on his parents’ credit card. Shoutout Spangler Candy, headquartered in Bryan, Ohio.
Jen Hirshon is optimistic about the future of medicine after CRISPR gene editing saved a baby’s life, and Nathaniel Beach closes us out with a plea on behalf of his hometown, and questions what newsworthiness actually means in the modern media environment.
We’ve been working around the clock for our very busy client roster over the past few weeks, so I’m proud of and grateful to the team for their contributions here this week.
Thanks, as always, for reading along with us.
Here we go.
Design.
WaPo. Their mid-century house had lost its charm. They brought it back to 1966.
Midcentury modern homes aren’t just relics. They’re architectural love letters to light, natural materials, and simplicity. Think clean lines, open floor plans, and giant windows that invite the outdoors in. These homes were designed for living and it doesn’t hurt that they look good too.
Many of these homes have been torn down or lost much of their originality to “house flippers.” For years, investors have snapped up these older homes and added quick cosmetic updates, often erasing the original character in the process.
WaPo recently profiled Dana Jenkins and Colin Davis in Atlanta, who are bucking the trend by unflipping their midcentury modern home. The couple has painstakingly peeled away layers of bland renovations to bring back their home’s original soul. The couple documents their efforts on “un.flipping,” their increasingly popular Instagram account where they highlight everything from thrift shop finds to impulsive decisions to replace their trim and doors. Whether you’re into midcentury architecture or budget-friendly home renovations, their little story has been great to follow.
– Colby Nelson
Bloomberg. America, ‘Nation of Porches’
“The suggestion we make is, rather than a nation of houses, what if we thought of ourselves as a nation of porches?”
This year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, the world’s most important architectural gathering, features an underappreciated American contribution to global property design: the porch. The event’s emphasis on this middle space between home and elsewhere is welcome in a time of insularity, in which much of our world is observed via our screens. Porches are both a shelter and a gathering place, welcoming neighbors and strangers for good old-fashioned outdoor hangs.
Nostalgia is a tricky concept, as the grass often merely appears greener when pining for the past. But maybe if we spent more time in the front yard than the back, humanity would benefit a bit.
– Josh Culling
E-commerce.
NYT. Boy Accidentally Orders 70,000 Lollipops on Amazon. Panic Ensues.
Imagine coming home to a wall of boxes stacked taller than your kid. Inside? Over 50,000 Dum-Dums, courtesy of your 8-year-old’s entrepreneurial spirit and a one-click-enabled Amazon account.
That’s exactly what happened to Holly LaFavers in Lexington, Kentucky, who woke up to find $4,200 worth of lollipops on her doorstep. Her son Liam was only trying to plan a carnival for himself and his friends, but accidentally hit the “place order” instead of the “save for later” button… sure buddy. And the result of this mishap was a delivery of 22 giant boxes of candy and a bank account that immediately went into the red.
I remember being in elementary school and getting a Dum-Dum from the teacher was the equivalent of a gold star. So honestly, I can’t blame Liam for cutting out the middleman and going straight to the source. But I’m guessing his mom didn’t find this gesture quite as sweet. Amazon eventually refunded the charge, and the family is now donating the mountain of candy throughout the neighborhood to schools and local organizations.
This story makes me smile. At the end of the day, the kid just wanted to throw a carnival for his buds. As far as one-click disasters go, 50,000 Dum-Dums and a dream isn’t the worst way to spend $4,200.
– Mark Emerson
Health.
Wired. A Baby Received a Custom Crispr Treatment in Record Time
Reading the WIRED article about the baby with CPS1 deficiency – a rare genetic disorder that prevents the liver from processing ammonia – really struck a chord with me. I can only imagine how overwhelming it must have been for that family to face such a serious health crisis with their newborn.
Instead of going through the long and difficult process of a liver transplant, this baby was given a groundbreaking gene-editing therapy. Using CRISPR technology, the doctors were actually able to rewrite his DNA and fix the problem at its source. It’s truly incredible, and thanks to this cutting-edge approach, this little boy now has the chance not just to survive, but to truly thrive.
Stories like this make me hopeful about the future of medicine and what’s possible for those with rare diseases.
– Jen Hirshon
Media.
CBS News. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission launches review after last month’s severe storms
Did you know that Pittsburgh was hit by a major storm a couple of weeks ago that left hundreds of thousands without power? Chances are you didn’t. I know I didn’t, and it’s where I was raised.
I only found out because a friend texted me to say their power had been out for days. That one message opened the door to everything I hadn’t seen in the news like widespread damage, downed trees, neighborhoods in the dark, and hospitals and nursing homes frantically trying to care for patients. Some residents are still waiting for their electricity to be restored. People died. And yet, for some reason, it never became a national story.
Pittsburgh is a major city. When something like this happens, it should be covered. People should be informed and aware. But this time, it felt like the city went through a disaster in silence.
I keep thinking about how easily this all could have gone completely unnoticed if I hadn’t heard from someone back home. That’s what’s been bothering me about this. Not just the storm, but the silence that followed. What happens when a city is hurting and no one’s paying attention?
– Nathaniel Beach
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