How to decorate for Christmas Retro Style

We had a tour around our followers and followees on Pinterest yesterday and found some fabulous and wonderful approaches to decorating for the holidays in Retro Style. Typical of our Mid-Century Friends, some did it kitchy style, while some took a more minimalist approach, but all of these did a wonderful job of doing up […]

Review: It’s a Mod Mod Mystery! (or two!)

We’re behind on our book reviews and yet we’ve read some fabulous ones lately! If you’re a cozy mystery fan and love to dream of fabulous mid-century decor and fashion, Diane’s books are for you! I already reviewed her first book in this series “Pillow Stalk” but haven’t had a chance to tell you about […]

The influence of the Atom Bomb on 1950’s America

In surfing around the web, we find some folks who have done a fantastic job of capturing important parts of Mid-Century life. One of our favorites is Uncle Jack’s veryvintagevegas.com and in surfing his site we came across this fantastic online master’s thesis from Monique Gaudin on the topic of the Atomic bomb’s influence on […]

Fabulous acrylic Modern Christmas Trees

Matt Bliss, has been selling acrylic Modern Christmas Trees based on his grandfather Bud’s mid-1960s design since 2011.   The trees feature a sleek design and fabulous reflective decorative elements.  They are a great holiday decorative element for people who live in modern homes or sleek apartments or who simply want something different and with a […]

Review: Pillow Stalk, Mad for Mod Cozy Mystery

We haven’t done book reviews on Mid-Century style yet, but perhaps that’s because we didn’t know “Pillow Stalk” was out there.   Written by Diane Vallere, this book is custom made for Mid-Century fanatics who enjoy a good cozy mystery! Born on the same date, Interior Decorator Madison Night has modeled her life after Doris Day, […]

Guest Post: Home Office Essential – The Eames Office Chair

A home office isn’t an essential space for all homeowners but, for those who get to experience the privilege of working from home, it is nothing short of essential. It just isn’t possible to work effectively at home unless you have a space dedicated to it. Working from home is becoming increasingly prevalent in the […]

Underground house for sale – another cold war bunker, but with style!

If you’re looking for another unique cold war home, you can’t get any better than this. Girard “Jerry” B. Henderson built a 6,000 square foot luxurious underground home near the Alexander Dawson (named after his father Alexander Dawson Henderson, along with the Alexander Dawson schools) buildings in Las Vegas where he lived . Henderson, made […]

How to stock a Mid-Century cocktail bar for the summer

It’s summer and this long winter we seem to have depleted our bar selection, so it’s time to stock up!  So, what do you need to stock the perfect Mid-Century Bar? The Alcohol Selection: Gin Vodka Rum Bourbon Scotch Tequila Sweet vermouth Dry vermouth Cointreau For the non-mixed drink crowd: White wine Red wine Beer […]

1950’s Modernism: A guide for the clueless.

What is characteristic of Modernist architecture? Do the major design features involve steel and glass? Was the design machine-inspired? (does it look somewhat like a machine?) Do the upholstery’s and fabrics look like those found at www.maharam.com? Does the design lack unnecessary details? Does its form follow its function? Does the design emphasize linear qualities? […]

How to build a color scheme

Taken from the “Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book” Copyright 1956, we thought we’d turn Mid-Century Photo Friday into a learning experience. This week we tackle color – which if you’ve seen full color photos in the 50′s, they had a different interpretation of. I wonder how many interior decorators still follow the following rules?