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From Flame to Flicker: Inside a Working Neon Shop

You walk into a neon shop expecting nostalgia. You leave thinking about chemistry, electricity, municipal zoning codes, and 1940s craftsmanship. That’s what happened when I toured Morry’s Neon, a family business opened in 1985 by Morry and his son Glen, a business built on a neon legacy that began in 1946 when Morry first started bending glass. Established the same year America decided diners, drive-ins, and optimism were perfectly reasonable things to mass-produce, Morry’s has

Route 66 at 100: Why the Centennial Is Igniting a New Era of Retro Road Trips

As the Route 66 Centennial approaches, something interesting is happening. This isn’t just an anniversary tour or a nostalgia lap. It’s a full-scale reawakening of interest in the American road trip—one rooted in history, preservation, and the lived experience of the road itself. The centennial is acting like a spotlight, illuminating not just the highway, but the stories, architecture, roadside culture, and communities that grew up along it. And people are paying attention. Travelers want

Los Angeles Potteries: A Whimsical Walk Through Mid-Century Ceramic Dreams

From our retro coffee table to yours comes a great book – an awesome gift or something to pour over in our own home! Suppose you’ve ever spotted a cookie jar shaped like a hamburger or a canister set with tropical fruit motifs and thought, “I remember that design!” or “I have to have that design!”. In that case, you’ll want to get your hands on Los Angeles Potteries: A Collector’s Journey through Artistry, Craft,

El Cortez Hotel: Where Vintage Vegas Still Lives

Opened in 1941, the El Cortez Hotel & Casino is one of Las Vegas’s oldest operating casinos — and one of its most authentic. In a city obsessed with reinvention, the El Cortez is a rare survivor, maintaining its vintage spirit while still feeling alive and relevant. Preservation That Matters In 2013, the El Cortez earned its place on the National Register of Historic Places, and it’s easy to see why. The building’s Spanish Colonial

Design Idea Guide: Modern Makeover for a Clawfoot Tub

Great post over at “House In Progress” under their: Design Idea Guide: Modern Makeover for a Clawfoot Tub, wondering how to “hide” a clawfoot tub to make it blend in more with a 50’s house. I found this picture in the Ladies Home Journal 50’s decorating book: It looks like a clawfoot tub under…what do you think? I’m wondering what the material is surrounding it? Kind of a cool idea! I have to say “hooray”

Stylish Windows

Window dressing was huge in the 1950’s, but we don’t seem to have resurrected the love of pinch pleats:Interesting suggestions – would you use these in your home? And we couldn’t resist – the wall of curtains! Taken from the “Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book” Copyright 1956, we thought we’d turn Mid-Century Photo Friday into a learning experience. As usual you can leave a link to your Mid-Century Photo Friday in the comments.

Help Save The Kronish House

In another Mid-Century preservation attempt, the Neutra Institute for Survival through Design is attempting to save The Kronish House. Word just received pressures us to provide info for the dismantling of the house as soon as 9/20, for demolition action week of 9/26! There’s no time to be lost; if this new plan has a chance to succeed! Get those letters going! The original post from the Neutra Conservation page: July 16, 2011 – Dion

Century 21 domed theater is worthy of being listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

We’ve written about the endangered domed theaters in California in the past, and a small victory was won this April by the State Historical Resources Commission agreed that the former Century 21 theater in San Jose is worthy of being listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In an article from the Eichler Network, the owner of the Century 21, however, has opposed the listing and wants to tear the dome down. Being named