Houses of Spirits
A sampling of Los Angeles midcentury, atomic, and retro liquor stores by new contributor Diane Vallere. Read more about her here. You don’t have to wait until the cocktail hour to appreciate the influence that midcentury modern style had on liquor stores all over the country, but you may want to act quick. The atomic […]
Retro Roadtrip: The Blue Swallow, Tucumcari, NM
We have had the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM in our Motel Directory for a long time.It’s as much of an icon along Route 66 as the WigWam Motels. Owner Lillian Redman, a legend along Route 66 ran the motel from 1958 to 1997. By a stroke of luck, owners over the years after […]
Retro Roadtrip: The Historic Route 66 Motel, Tucumcari, NM
The Historic Route 66 motel was built in the International Style that was enormously popular in the mid 20th Century. In typical Palm Springs fashion, each room except the suites feature curtain wall, floor to ceiling windows. You can just see Don and Megan Draper pull up out front for a 60’s weekend away! The […]
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, […]
A linear time capsule of epic proportions
By Jim Hinckley It is a time capsule of epic proportions with an overlay of Disneyland and America’s longest attraction for a legion of international enthusiasts. It is iconic Route 66, America’s most famous highway. From Chicago to Santa Monica this Route 66 renaissance is serving as a catalyst for the refurbishment and restoration of […]
Mid Century Time Capsule in the Oklahoma Panhandle
Traveling over the holidays, we made a point to stop at the Cimarron Heritage Center Museum & Information Center in Boise City, Oklahoma.Why you may ask? The primary draw at the time was that it houses the largest collection of dust bowl memorabilia in the United States. With photographs and even some of the amazing […]
Raising Retro Kids: Pedal Cars
Pedal car history goes back to the 1890’s when toy makers took their cue from real cars on the road. At the turn of the century, the cost meant that these cars were playthings for only wealthy families especially with many families reeling from the financial devastation of The Great Depression. No pedal cars were […]
Futuro Houses
After having this picture (below) go viral on our Facebook page, we decided to conduct further investigation into their history. There are several sites dedicated to tracking the whereabouts of current houses as well as the history of them. Here’s what we found in brief: The Futuro, or Futuro House, is a round, prefabricated house designed […]
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 […]
Retro Roadtrip: The Sunset Motel
We love personal recommendations for motels – one of the great reasons to stay a place is that you’ve heard positive feedback. This past week, we put a request out on the Route 66 Yahoo group and got some amazing feedback about The Sunset Motel in Moriarty, New Mexico. We “have gotten to know Mike […]