Home - Mid-Century Style Magazine

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

Final Trading Spaces Post

Ok, so I finally got over to take photos of my friends completed home…the 2nd of the Trading Spaces houses: The piece of furniture they built! It looks great…not sure if you can see in the picture, but there are lots of little details (like the one on the upper left on the ceiling). It did have a refrigerator and microwave in there, but she has removed it because the kids aren’t allowed to eat

1950's furniture arranging

I got to thinking today about what has made our house more of a 50’s home. I think part of the challenge of living in any period house is to try to keep within the time, but to update it and make it your own. Our furniture is partially 50’s and partially – well, “dorm room”. I refuse to update any of it until the kids and pets quit destroying it and/or until I find

Pasadena Heritage presents Pasadena 1940 Forward

This spring, Pasadena Heritage will offer unique programs in a Getty-initiated celebration of the city’s modern architectural heritage through exhibitions and programs at cultural institutions in and around L.A. A leading historic preservation organization founded in 1977, Pasadena Heritage will host a three-part lecture and panel discussion on May 16 and an architectural tour of modern-era homes on May 19. Oral histories will also be recorded and published. Modern Architecture in L.A. is a wide-ranging

Update on the Boots Motel – SAVED!

A huge update from the Boots Motel website! IMPORTANT UPDATE: August 15th., 2011 The Route 66 Chamber of Commerce is happy to announce that two Route 66 “Roadies” (fans of the Mother Road) have been successful in their effort to obtain financing to purchase the Boots Motel in Carthage, Missouri, and expect to close on their purchase in about a week from this date. The buyers plan to restore the historic motel and re-open at