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

Backgrounds set the mood!

Presenting pinch pleat walls of drapes! Have you found those in your 1950’s home and wondered why they’re there? Read all about why you use them as a “background” and other 50’s style tips! 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.

1950's Bathroom Inspiration

Something I think most folks forget about the 50’s are the garish and horrible colors! Some might like them, but eek! The “toned down” versions of 50’s bathrooms you see now are not what most were pushing in those days and these pictures prove it – I like the duckie design on the wallpaper on this one! This room is almost like something out of Hollywood…good heavens, the colors tho!For folks who really really really

Long Lost John Lautner Home

With this post, we welcome Marni Epstein, who’s going to be a fabulous addition to our team. Check out her biography and website! Editor Modern Architect John Lautner, who studied under the tutelage of Frank Lloyd Wright, is primarily known for his residential design. As a mid-century architect, his homes had a distinctly warmer quality than more typical austere designs of the time. That is owed much to Lautner’s organic-modern approach in which he embraced

Indiana Landmarks to recognize MCM

Baz over at Atomic Indy, has all the info necessary to become one of the first time ever Mods to be awarded in these two awards categories. The Indiana Modern “Stewardship Award” (for preserving an MCM) The Indiana Modern “Rescue Award” (for restoring/saving an MCM) Visit his post to check out all the information and to get info on how to enter Entries are due on April 29th, 2011. Winners will be chosen and announced