Home - Mid-Century Style Magazine

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

Saving Vegas in Lights: A Look Inside the Neon Museum

When you step into the Neon Museum in Las Vegas — known as the “Neon Boneyard” — you step into a glowing archive of the city’s mid-century soul. This outdoor museum is home to more than 250 rescued neon signs, each telling the story of a bygone era when Vegas was all glitter, glamour, and grit. From Preservation Dream to Living History Efforts to save Las Vegas’s neon history began in the late 1980s, driven

Interior Design

Detail of Kitchen handles from other house

My friend over at Ranch Handy posted about this Kitchen (not hers) quite some time ago, but I’m not sure she ever found these handles…aren’t they cool? I also LOVE the knotty pine cabinet doors. We had a ton of this in our old house – knotty pine built ins and we loved it. Even when we ripped out a wall with closets between two very small rooms, we carefully saved all the lumber. The

Lighting

Most of us love Mid-Century Lamps – Mid-Century had some great styles, but it was practical too! 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.

Drivelapse Route 66

Totally awesome and worth the watch – makes me want to hop in the car for our next trip! This Timelapse / Drivelapse video shows the Defrees Productions road trip down the entire length of Route 66 (The Mother Road) from Chicago to Los Angeles in August 2012. USA Route 66 Cross Country Road Trip Map, Data, Summary, Photos, Equipment Used: Uncut full length version and the DeFrees Productions Website

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