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Mid-century/contemporary furniture Owner Richard Domenco offers Vancouverites a little bit of New York SoHo at his West 4th Avenue location in Kitsilano, and by that we mean his space has a hip and upscale vibe without being pretentious. A mix of vintage mid-century, Danish modern and contemporary home furnishings is what you’ll find here as well as large scale art pieces Read more...
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Mid-century architecture museums Through their educational programs and compelling exhibitions, the West Vancouver Museum’s mandate to “foster awareness and understanding of art, culture and history” has always been at the forefront when it comes to shining the spotlight on west coast mid-century artists and architects. This modest institution, located on the North Shore in West Vancouver, houses works by the region’s foremost Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses On (or adjacent to) N. Sunnyview Drive. between Simms and E. Molina roads in North Palm Springs sit seven unique, early 1960s homes designed by noted modernist architects Donald Wexler & Richard Harrison and built by the Alexander Construction Co. Their innovative vision; to make affordable desert housing for the masses from prefabricated all-steel and glass components that Read more...
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Mid-century vintage fashion Carrying a unique selection of men’s and women’s finery from the 1970s, 60s, 50s, hell, all the way back to the turn of the century as a matter of fact, this small Main Street boutique offers wearable vintage items and accessories you can coordinate with your contemporary closet for a real original look. Their mission is to “woo” Read more...
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Mid-century residential buildings From streamline moderne to dingbats to high-rises (including the Ocean Towers) and everything in between, the seventeen square block area “West of Denman” – bordered by Stanley Park, Beach Avenue, Georgia Street and Denman Street – has arguably the largest concentration of mid-century residential buildings in all of Vancouver, and for good reason… Prior to the Second World Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings 750 17th St, West Vancouver, BC, V7V 3T3 The District Municipality of West Vancouver‘s Municipal Hall has been an iconic landmark since its design and construction by Toby, Russell & Buckwell, in 1964. With its wall to wall glass, rectilinear open courtyards and recessed ground floor, this 3-story horizontal concrete building appears to float above its luscious Read more...
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Mid-century vintage signs Few signs in the world are as immediately recognizable and iconic as the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. Located on the median at 5100 S. Las Vegas Blvd. just south of Mandalay Bay, the sign – which is of classic Googie & Atomic Age descent – was designed in 1959 by Betty Willis (Stardust Casino and Moulin Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Located in downtown Vancouver just blocks from Coal Harbour hangs – yes, hangs! – one of the city’s most iconic late-1960s structures, the West Coast Transmission Building. Engineer Bogue Babicki used suspension bridge principles and hung the building’s 9 occupied floors from thin steel cables draped over a 12-story concrete core giving it greater earthquake resistance, clear views Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings The 1950s and 60s saw rapid growth in Honolulu and many of the residential buildings that went up in and around Waikiki at this time are considered to be of the tropical modernist variety. If you wander the streets between the Ala Wai canal and Kalakaua Avenue you’ll come across several low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise mid-century modern Read more...
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Mid-century modern tours There are multiple tours and tour operators in Palm Springs, most of whom offer walks around neighborhoods featuring mid-century modern architecture. For our money the Palm Springs Historical Society is the most comprehensive and they have 7 different tours to choose from! If you want to learn about movie stars’ homes, there’s a tour for that. If you’re an Read more...
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Mid-century walking tours Las Vegas has a variety of niche tours that cater to just about everyone but for our money it’s Las Vegas Pop Culture Tours that satisfies. Created by Babs Daitch (one-time social secretary to Frank Sinatra) and Richard Hooker (former Urban Arts coordinator), their signature 90-minute Fremont Street Walking Tour makes a great primer for anyone wanting Read more...
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Vintage Chapels Nothing says Las Vegas better than a quickie marriage (or a quickie annulment) and there’s no shortage of wedding chapels here in which to do so. If you’re looking for the perfect vintage or retro spot to share your vows there are four chapels that jump to the top of the list (from north to south)… click on Read more...
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Vintage mid-century decor This eclectic shop is actually comprised of multiple pop-ups, each specializing in unique Las Vegas vintage style. From old carnival signs to black & white television sets, jewellery, fashion, home decor and much more. If you’re looking for the obscure or hard-to-find, make Vintage Vegas your first stop. Located in the downtown Arts District. Read more...
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Mid-century/googie buildings Housed in what used to be the Tramway Enco Gas Station, designed by noted modernist architects Albert Frey and Robson C. Chambers in the mid 1960s, the Visitors Center‘s unique hyperbolic paraboloid roof is a not-so-subtle reminder that Palm Springs isn’t just your average desert resort town. Home to arguably the highest concentration of mid-century modern architecture in North Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses The Vista Las Palmas neighborhood began as Las Palmas Estates in the late 1950s when the Alexander Construction Co. (run by father & son team, George & Robert) employed architects William Krisel (Palmer & Krisel) and Charles Dubois (responsible for the many so-called Swiss Miss A-frames, among others) to design over 300 “Summit Homes” that would be nestled into Read more...
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The 1960s was a period of rapid growth for the hospitality industry in Honolulu. With expanded air travel came more visitors and larger hotels, many of which were designed with tropical modernism in mind. Although this list isn’t anywhere near being complete, these are some of our favorite larger hotels, architecturally speaking, anyway, with corresponding photos above. We’ll continue to Read more...
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Retro Mid-century Apparel Now located in the downtown Container Park, this cozy pin-up boutique offers new designer fashions with a decidedly retro, post-war look. From snazzy patterned 1950s-style dresses to the vintage accessories that go along with them, if “mid-century housewife” or “Bettie Page” is the look you’re going for then Vintage NV can hook you up. They also carry Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings With the demolition of The Riviera Hotel & Casino in 2015 and the Tropicana in 2024, only three original mid-century properties remain on The Strip. Many have been rebuilt and remodeled over the years – several times – but some of their bones are still there and worth a visit, if not to stay at then to Read more...
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Vintage diners & restaurants With the shuttering or bulldozing of iconic restaurants and diners over the years, like Don the Beachcomber, Huddle’s Springs and the Town & Country Restaurant, only a handful of true “vintage” Palm Springs eateries remain. Our picks are listed in no particular order … just click on addresses below for Google map locations. Keedy’s Fountain & Grill (73633 Read more...
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Vintage diners & restaurants Restaurants come and go, in foodie-centric Vancouver especially, which is why it’s nice to see a handful of mid-century joints still doing what they do best. We’ll keep adding to this list, but for now here’s a sampling of our favorite vintage eats in Vancouver… click on addresses below for Google map locations. Save on Meats Read more...
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Mid-century restaurants Although the vast majority of Honolulu’s mid-century Polynesian-themed restaurants, drive-in diners and Tiki bars have long since been torn down, there are a handful of establishments still thriving after all these years. We’ll be adding to this list, but for now here are half a dozen or so that we like and one we wish hadn’t been turned Read more...
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Mid-century neon signs At one time Vancouver boasted over 19,000 neon signs. That’s not a misprint. In 1953, Vancouver reputedly had more neon than any other city on earth, except for Shanghai. One of the world’s leading sign manufacturers, Neon Products ltd., was based in Vancouver and led production from the 1930s through the 60s, but when values later shifted and Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Located on the windward (eastern) side of Oahu near Kaneohe, the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, best known for its 1960s replica of the 11th Century Japanese Byodo-In Buddhist Temple, was founded by real estate magnate Paul Trousdale (Racquet Club Garden Villas, Trousdale Estates) in 1963 and is the final resting place for thousands of island Read more...
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Modern home/design accessories Named for the under appreciated architectural style of home design popular in Greater Vancouver throughout the 1970s – the Vancouver Special – it’s no wonder this busy Main Street shop is popular with local architects and design enthusiasts. In fact, its owner Anne Pearson is a founder of P4A (Party for Architects) and an organizer with Vancouver Design Week. Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings If you’re a fan of circular buildings – and what self respecting modernist isn’t? – then you’ll want to check out the Varsity Building on University Avenue. Designed by Honolulu modernist architects Wimberly & Cook, this 5-story concrete Brutalist beauty was built to house the First National Bank when it opened in 1963 and is one of Read more...
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Mid-century vintage diners Restaurants come and go, especially in Las Vegas, which is why true diner culture connoisseurs can appreciate a little mid-century authenticity. Unlike the Vegas kitsch of the stand-alone Peppermill Restaurant & Fireside Lounge, these “lunch counters” are old-school and can all be found inside other establishments, which was the norm back in the day. We’ve listed the following from Read more...
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Mid-century vintage fashion Billed as the largest vintage clothing store in Canada, what better place than upscale Robson Street to showcase this diverse collection of retro “couture” dating back to the mid-century. You’ll find everything here from 1950s house wife sun dresses, colorful Aloha shirts and a very nice selection of vintage sunglasses. They even have kitschy accessories from the Read more...
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Mid-century modern structures The USS Arizona Memorial marks the final resting place for many of the 1,177 sailors killed aboard the battleship USS Arizona during the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The memorial structure itself, designed by modernist architect Alfred Preis and dedicated in 1962, is an exquisite 184-foot long bridge of sorts that seemingly floats above the submerged hull of the ship, Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses The Alexander Construction Company (run by father & son team, George & Robert) almost single handedly changed the face of Palm Springs between 1955-1965, building nearly 2,500 post & beam mid-century modern homes and doubling the city’s population in the process. These houses have since been dubbed the “Alexanders,” a majority of which were spearheaded by architect William Krisel Read more...
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Mid-century buildings The campus at the University of British Columbia is a modernist’s dream, so pack a lunch and spend an afternoon getting schooled. Founded in 1908, UBC moved to its current Point Grey location in the 1920s where it began with only 3 permanent buildings. After World War II the student body tripled and continued to grow, as did new Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Founded in 1907 and relocated from Thomas Square to its current Manoa Valley location in 1912, The University of Hawaii campus at Manoa expanded dramatically during the post war boom years leaving behind a legacy of mid-century modern construction by noted architects like Vladimir Ossipoff, I.M. Pei and Alfred Preis, among others. To put it mildly, this campus is a spectacular Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Established as the Nevada Southern University in 1957, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus boasts well over a dozen handsome mid-century modern buildings, and although the campus has grown to over 330 acres since then, these modernist structures are all within easy walking distance of each other and can be viewed in about an hour. If Read more...
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Vintage mid-century fashion Many Vancouver vintage clothing stores have come and gone over the years but True Value Vintage has endured as one of the first and best places for mid-century fashion finery. Having relocated from downtown to its spacious Main Street location in 2011, they still pack ’em in by offering affordable ladies and gents gear and accessories from the 1950s – Read more...
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Tiki Culture/Polynesian Pop If you’re a Tikiphile and looking to get your Polynesian Pop on, Vancouver has a couple of options… The Shameful Tiki Room (4362 Main Street ) – Situated in the heart of eclectic Main Street where you could easily do some vintage shopping before dropping in for a tropical cocktail or pupus, this lively yet intimate place is relatively new but Read more...
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Tiki Culture/Polynesian Pop If you’re a Tikiphile then you won’t want to miss “Tiki Caliente,” an annual 4 day event that brings the hip vibe of cool island living to the desert. Every Spring (in mid May) you can gather with like-minded enthusiasts and immerse yourself in Polynesian pop culture; a retro vibe that was made popular in the post-war U.S. when Read more...
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Hawaiiana & mid-century collectibles This shop is filled with vintage, retro, rare and collectable Hawaiian ephemera such as maps, fruit labels, advertising art, hula dolls, pin-up girls, postcards, Tikis, ashtrays, Polynesian restaurant menus, jewelry, movie posters, books and Aloha wear… and that’s barely scratching the surface! If Hawaiiana is your thing we highly recommend the Tin Can Mailman, located in Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Through a nondescript breezeway off N. Palm Canyon Drive, between Destination PSP and a bar & grill, you’ll discover an overlooked outdoor oasis of mixed-use retail, residential, and office space that has seen better days. Currently vacant, this pedestrian friendly outdoor courtyard – which occupies a large area between Palm Canyon & Indian Canyon Drives – is Read more...
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Mid-century residential buildings Located southwest of downtown and bordered by the waterfront, Georgia Street, Burrard Street and Denman Street – although historically, everything “West of Denman” is also considered the West End – this neighborhood’s landscape is ripe with mid-century architecture as well as construction from the turn-of-the-century… the turn of both centuries! The last 150-odd years have seen posh mansions, row Read more...
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Hawaiiana & vintage mid-century Off the beaten track, Then & Now is more of a warehouse than a storefront but worth seeking out for vintage mid-century collectibles and Hawaiiana. Located in the town of Kaneohe on Oahu’s windward side, in the light blue warehouse complex directly across from Windward Auto Spa and next to Kikuya Japanese Restaurant and Willie’s Auto Read more...
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Tiki Culture/Polynesian Pop For fans of Polynesian Pop, stepping into an authentic Tiki bar is like riding a time machine back to the 1950s or 60s, and although there’s little trace left of the Stardust Hotel & Casino’s famous Aku Aku Polynesian-themed restaurant & cocktail lounge (or any other vintage Vegas Tiki bar for that matter), there are fortunately two really Read more...
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Mid-century design & decor Designed by E. Stewart Williams in 1955 as the Harold Hicks Real Estate and Insurance building, this iconic structure is now called The Shops at Thirteen Forty Five, home to a design collective comprised of 10 diverse shops ranging from vintage and contemporary furniture, interior design, art, photography and jewelry; most with a nod towards the Read more...
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Mid-century Accommodations Located in the Historic Tennis Club neighborhood just steps from busy Palm Canyon Drive, this intimate hotel was designed by Herbert Burns in the early 1950s and has been lovingly restored by the same folks who own the Del Marcos Hotel across the street. Formerly known as the Calla Lily Hotel, the Three Fifty has been dusted off Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations Although mid-century modern, specifically, isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the stylish Parker Palm Springs, the hotel actually began its evolution in 1959 as California’s first Holiday Inn. Purchased two years later by cowboy actor Gene Autry, the Melody Ranch, as he called it, changed hands in the 1990s and was converted to Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations Built in the 1930s and expanded to its current footprint in the early 1950s, The Palm Springs Rendezvous (originally known as the Mira Loma) served as a haven for Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Veronica Lake and Gloria Swanson back in the day. Today, 10 updated modern themed rooms, with a “tip of the hat” to the Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations The Riviera Hotel opened in 1959 and was an instant hit, quickly attracting Hollywood’s elite and becoming the place to see and be seen during the swinging 1960s. The likes of Elvis Presley, Desi Arnaz and Sonny & Cher all stayed or performed at The Riviera. After several years of decline, however, the iconic hotel was renovated and Read more...