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Modernism photography At photographer Gary Dorothy’s Imageville Gallery you’ll find hundreds of striking desert wilderness images sharing space with his architectural photography. Combining nature and mid-century modern has been Dorothy’s gift since opening Imageville in 2000, and as his many repeat clients will surely attest, Dorothy’s unique limited edition large-format canvases and smaller glossy prints are eye candy for the Read more...
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Modernist home furnishings If you want high end mid-century classics from the likes of Herman Miller, Knoll or Artimide, look no further than Inform Interiors in historic Gastown. Their 3-story showroom feels more like an interior design museum with classic pieces by Eames, Nelson, Bertoia and Saarinen displayed to appreciate, or covet, as well as offering a decent-sized area devoted Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations The former “Golden Palm Villa,” a 1958 mid-century modern Inn, reinvented itself in the 90s as Palm Springs’ leading clothing optional hotel for gay men. INNdulge has since become one of the places to stay in the Warm Sands area for gay modernists. The hotel has 24 updated rooms and suites (some with kitchens), an original kidney shaped Read more...
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Vintage mid-century collectibles Clocks aside, these guys have a remarkable array of interesting vintage items that have been lovingly restored, each one seemingly with its own unique origin story. From vintage Coca-Cola branded collectibles to mid-century advertising props, as well as the usual antique store bric-a-brac, the friendly owners and staff also seem to go out of their way to educate Read more...
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Mid-century inspired design/books Whatever was fabulous about the 1950s, 60s and 70s, this busy boutique store has it in spades; architectural books, design books, Hollywood glam books, Tiki culture books. Did we mention they sell books? In addition, Just Fabulous has a great selection of retro-inspired greeting cards, gift ware and home accessories, with the odd piece of Jonathan Adler Read more...
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Vintage mid-century & Hawaiiana On Oahu’s windward side there’s a handful of nice shops that specialize in mid-century collectibles and Hawaiiana. Kauilua Pickers (in Kailua) offers up nearly thirty different dealers under one compact roof, each displaying their vintage wares which include Tikis, Polynesian restaurant ephemera, homeware items and highly sought after 1940s and 1950s Fire King dishware. Located in the parking lot Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings It’s been called the Miracle Mile of the Pacific, a reference to the mid-Wilshire district of Los Angeles where a plethora of deco, streamline moderne and mid-century modern architecture styles have come together over the years. On Honolulu’s tree lined Kapi’olani Boulevard – between Kalakaua and King Streets – there are no less than a dozen modernist structures Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Named for Pittsburgh department store magnate Edgar J. Kaufmann, this “machine in the desert” as it’s been called, was designed by famed modernist architect Richard Neutra as a winter retreat for the Kaufmann family, and completed in 1946. It’s been said that no house at the time had done as much to advance the modernist movement as this one, Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations Situated on over 2 and a half manicured acres in South Palm Springs, L’Horizon Hotel was designed by noted modernist architect William F. Cody in 1952 as a getaway retreat for a big time television producer and his Hollywood friends. Beautifully updated in 2015, yet retaining all its mid-century modern amazingness, this 22 room, high end “hotel” has Read more...
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Mid-century/googie buildings Currently pulling double duty as a Visitors Center and the gateway through which guests can enter the Neon Museum’s “boneyard,” the La Concha Visitors Center started out as the iconic lobby to the La Concha Motel, designed by noted modernist architect Paul R. Williams, in 1961. Its unique design stood out on The Strip during the 1960s-90s where Read more...
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Tiki Culture/Polynesian Pop The Tiki Bar and Restaurant at La Mariana Sailing Club has been serving up the best Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails on the island since 1957 and is one the last vestiges of Honolulu’s glory days when Polynesian Pop themed bars & restaurants seemed to be everywhere. Hawaiiana abounds at this tropical watering hole where many of the Read more...
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Vintage mid-century collectibles Laura’s is jam packed with such a diverse array of retro, antique and mid-century collectibles that you could easily spend several hours (or more!) sifting through it all. Their showroom, which opened in 2014, downtown, has since moved to Decatur but is still filled with vintage housewares, glassware, tinware, toys, wall art, Tiki collectibles, vintage Vegas memorabilia and much more. Owners Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings The 1400 block of Liliha Street – between N. Vineyard Blvd. and Kiapu Place – is a delight of mixed-use and smaller low rise commercial buildings, some dating back to the 1950s. Most have seen better days but the area is definitely worth a look, especially for the modernist library. Listed from SW to NE … click Read more...
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Mid-century vintage fashion Located on the north end of the wonderfully bohemian Commercial Drive, this busy shop is overflowing with a large and varied collection of hand-picked vintage men & women’s clothing from the 1930s – 1980s. Styles that set the trends for nearly fifty years are here, such as rockabilly, pin-up, tiki, mod, carnaby and more. You name it, if Read more...
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Mid-century & vintage antiques Here’s an antique store your grandmother might feel at home in that’s brimming with reasonably priced second hand items such as home furnishings, accessories, jewelry, art, collectibles and various other knick-knacks. Mostly consignment items here, they also have a lot of non-mid-century merchandise so you might have to spend some time sifting through things to find Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Located in the rocky northwest corner of Palm Springs, just south of Chino Canyon on the edge of the Little Tuscany neighborhood, sit half a dozen or so architecturally significant private homes built between the mid 1940s and the late 1960s. Although some of the houses are not as visible from the street as most modernists would Read more...
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Mid-century/contemporary furniture located in Vancouver’s Armoury Design District, the Living Space showroom was created by internationally recognized designer Omer Arbel and boasts 2 large levels of high end designer furniture and home accessories. In addition to featuring a curated collection of mid-century name brands like Knoll and Herman Miller from period designers such as Bertoia, Nelson and Saarinen, Living Space also features Read more...
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Vintage Las Vegas memorabilia This cozy store has the misfortune of being located across from the extremely famous and extremely popular Pawn Stars’ Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, (and Pawn Plaza ) but it should definitely not be overlooked. Lost Vegas Antiques is filled with all sorts of Vintage Vegas curiosities and collectibles from the Rat Pack and Mob eras Read more...
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Vintage eats Luv-It Frozen Custard has been in business and in the same location since 1973! That’s practically historic status when it comes to Las Vegas and its penchant for knocking things down. They offer walk-up counter window service (no seating) and boast the best freshly-made frozen custard we’ve ever had (check their website for the daily specials)… and if you Read more...
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Vintage mid-century antiques A large store with multiple vendors, Main Street Peddlers is like a scaled down version of the Charleston Antique Mall but with the convenience of being downtown. There are multiple vendors peddling their kitschy wares here, many of which include vintage mid-century items like home accessories, fashions, art, lighting, glassware, pottery, curios, Tiki memorabilia and more. Located right Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Located northeast of downtown Honolulu, the residential area of Makiki (not to be confused with Makiki Heights) surrounding the Makiki District Park was mostly built up during the late 1950s through the 1970s and is a treasure trove of mid-century tropical modernist low-rise, mid-rise and even high-rise residential buildings by some of Honolulu’s foremost architects. Modernists could easily Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Located at Vanier Park – a few minutes walk from the modernist H.R. MacMillan Planetarium – the Maritime Museum has been a fixture on Vancouver’s Kitsilano waterfront since 1958 when Raymond O. Harrison and CBK Van Norman designed the modest low lying concrete and brick building (which holds a collection of historic maritime art, artifacts, a library Read more...
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Vintage apparel & housewares Martin’s Mart is a true “thrift store.” Nothing fancy or repurposed here, just a genuine place to find nice vintage, gently used clothing and housewares at a good price. Located on Antique Alley downtown in the Arts District. Read more...
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Vintage lounges & bars When name-dropping the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Elizabeth Taylor or Liza Minnelli, you’re bound to raise a few eyebrows, but for local hotelier Mel Haber it’s all in a days work. For over 40 years Haber has welcomed guests to his Palm Springs landmark hotel, the Ingleside Inn, which dates back to the 1920s, Read more...
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Mid-century modern furniture PERMANENTLY CLOSED Established in 1984, Metropolitan Home was one of Vancouver’s very first stores to specialize in vintage mid-century modern furniture & home decor and is still at the top of the list for those seeking out well crafted, unique vintage pieces that tell a story. Owners Mary Watson & Dana Coburn are friendly, knowledgeable and have connections that Read more...
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Mid-century inspired art Using vintage metal as his canvas, artist Michael Weems combines iconic mid-century imagery with recycled automobile parts to create what he cleverly calls, “Autoerotica.” The same cheeky verbiage emblazoned on his gallery window will no doubt draw you in, where more unique works of art by Weems are on display, such as tableware, glassware, jewelry and sculpture. All Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern buildings Vacation rentals abound in the Coachella Valley and condos are a great option if you’re planning to stay for more than a week at a time. Plus, if you’re looking for a spot that boasts a little more architectural significance (and what self-respecting modernist isn’t?), Palm Springs does not disappoint. Vacation rental condos at the following half dozen Read more...
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Mid-century vintage fashion Don’t let the small entrance fool you, for inside this former hardware store lies over 3,000 square feet of vintage mid-century attire that might just blow your mind. Men’s and women’s coats, jackets, blazers, pants, dresses, shirts, ties, hats, foot ware, jewelry, accessories and more from the refined 1950s to the glam 1970s are here for the Read more...
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Mid-century modern home design This large commercial & residential design showroom features all the latest in modernist home renovation and decoration materials. From tiles and wallpaper to counter tops and carpeting, Modern Home has everything you’ll need to make your new or vintage property look positively retro, with the added bonus of also offering “real” vintage furniture and accessories, a Read more...
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Vintage mid-century collectibles If you’re in the market for repurposed memorabilia and vintage collectibles, then you’ve come to the right place. Modern Mantiques specializes in unique, quality, one of a kind treasures that range from classic art deco to mid-century modern and everything in between. They buy, sell and trade items such as classic automobiles, slot machines, militaria, sports memorabilia, vintage toys, Read more...
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Midcentury Modern Tours If you like the idea of taking a midcentury modern driving tour of Palm Springs’ timeless architecture but would rather go at your own pace, you can either bring Modtraveler.net with you … or check out Modern Tours Palm Springs! Their self-guided multimedia architectural tours require a smart phone (don’t forget your charger!) and can take between Read more...
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Mid-century & vintage furniture The best of the 1950s, 60s and 70s for furniture, lighting and accessories, Modern Way is a Palm Springs institution and has been repeatedly voted “Best Vintage Store” in the Coachella Valley. You’ll find mid-century staples like Eames, Knoll, Panton and Saarinen along side rare(er) one-of-a-kind items, and for modernist audiophiles, Modern Way even carries vintage Read more...
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Mid-century modern tours There are a handful of decent modernism tours in Vancouver and a couple of great resources if you’d rather go the self-guided route. The Vancouver Heritage Foundation offers walking tours throughout the year, a select number of which focus on mid-century modern architecture. Check their website for details. Additionally, Walking Tours of Vancouver are organized by civic historian John Read more...
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Mid-century modern events As far as annual celebrations of all things mid-century modern go, Palm Springs Modernism Week is not to be missed. Held every February over the President’s Day holiday weekend, Modernism Week celebrates a movement defined by clean lines and elegant informality; think House Hunters meets Mad Men! It’s a 10 day plus event where thousands of enthusiasts Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Within a few blocks of each other in downtown Vancouver are a handful of nice mid-century structures originally built to house the Western headquarters for some of Canada’s national banks… just click on addresses below for their Google Map locations. Bank of Canada Building (900 West Hastings Street ) – Designed by Thompson, Berwick & Pratt and Read more...
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Mid-century bank buildings Bank design in the post-war years seemed to be about inspiring optimism and consumer confidence. Bigger was better so of course what better place than Las Vegas for these institutions to make their mark. The biggest and boldest designs are listed below in no particular order… click on addresses below for Google Map locations. Nevada Savings & Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Like the rest of America during the post-war boom years, Honolulu banks and their building headquarters were all about inspiring consumer confidence and optimism. Bold designs capturing the State’s growing presence in the world while looking towards the future. And like most mid-century modern construction in Honolulu, there are lots of banks to choose from so we’ve Read more...
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Mid-century modern churches Modernist churches abound in Las Vegas but they don’t all adhere to the typical A-frame design of the period, especially when it comes to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). The following three Mormon chapels and two others are highlighted because of their unique, non A-Frame, mid-century qualities… click on addresses below for Google Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings As construction boomed in the post-war years so too did the number of places to worship. Modernist A-Frames dominated the religious landscape on the West Coast but there were also more unique structures being built. We’ve listed a handful here (along with some A-Frames) with corresponding photos, and will continue to add more… click on addresses below for Read more...
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Mid-century churches A good chunk of Honolulu’s modern infrastructure was built during the 1950s and 60s resulting in more modernist churches per capita than most American cities. These places of worship vary greatly in design but have one thing in common; they’re all mid-century amazing! We’ve listed a bunch here (in no particular order) and elsewhere on the See Honolulu Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Vancouver Fire & Rescue currently has twenty-two Fire Halls serving the city, a handful of which were built (or, rebuilt) during the 1950s and 60s. Here’s a quick run down of these modest mid-century structures with corresponding photos… click on addresses below for Google Map locations. Fire Hall No. 2 (199 Main Street ) – Clean, simple, compact and Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings & art There are over 20 branches of the Vancouver Public Library with only a handful from the mid-century still serving their original function and one, the former Central Library, which was repurposed. The best are listed here in no particular order with corresponding photos… click on addresses below for Google Map locations. Central Library (750 Burrard Street Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Representing the only Statewide system of libraries in the United States, the Hawaii State Public Library System has twenty-three branches on Oahu and fifty locations in total, with a handful of their modernist buildings still in use. We’ve listed a few of them and will continue to add more when we can …click on addresses below for Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings This simple two-story circular building acted as developer Irwin Molasky’s unique base of operations from where he oversaw the 1960s development and construction of his master-planned community, Paradise Palms, adjacent to the Las Vegas National Golf Course. The round, smoked glass structure – now used for medical offices – is hard to miss when driving along S. Read more...
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Mid-century churches A good chunk of Honolulu’s modern infrastructure was built during the 1950s and 60s resulting in more modernist churches per capita than most American cities. These places of worship vary greatly in design but have one thing in common; they’re all mid-century amazing! We’ve listed a bunch here (in no particular order) and elsewhere on the See Honolulu page. Read more...