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Mid-century/desert modern houses Once home to an apricot orchard and a dude ranch, this area was subdivided in 1952 to make way for the Deepwell Estates, a new subdivision that would be comprised of large ranch and mid-century modern-style homes custom designed by noted ‘starchitects’ such as Howard Lapham and Barry Berkus. The stylish neighborhood with its lushly landscaped grounds and Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern buildings Designed by noted desert modernist architect William F. Cody in 1947, for which he received the American Institute of Architects Design award, the Del Marcos Hotel was lovingly restored in 2012 and has since received Historic Landmark status. The 17 room mid-century property is a dream come true for adult-only guests who want to get away from Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations Designed by Herbert Burns in 1955 and nestled at the base of Mt. San Jacinto, this classic apartment-style hotel boasts 14 rooms (many with small kitchens) surrounding a common pool & spa area that is great for short or longer-term rentals. In fact, the hotel’s founding owners lived and raised their family on the property for many years. Read more...
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Mid-century modern furniture Finding classic mid-century furniture on the Hawaiian islands is harder than you’d think. Fortunately there’s one-stop shopping at the Design Within Reach store, a mainland staple, located at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Modernists looking for furniture and accessories for their home and office can find brand new editions of classic pieces from Herman Miller, Knoll and Artemide Read more...
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Modernism gift shop In addition to the usual “gift shop” branded apparel, Destination PSP offers modernists their choice of official Modernism Week souvenirs along with mid-century inspired glassware, ceramics and artwork. Palm Springs Film Festival and Desert AIDs Project items are also available, as are large-scale reproductions of vintage Palm Springs Life magazine covers, which are very nice! Destination PSP is Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Designed for singer, actress and television personality Dinah Shore by noted modernist architect Donald Wexler in 1964, this Old Las Palmas home may not reveal much from the street, but behind its discrete facade the 1.3 acre property defines timeless mid-century modern design, even today (especially today!). Walls of expansive floor to ceiling glass embrace its environment Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings With no less than a dozen mid-century modern buildings (including casinos, listed separately ) in the downtown area, modernists will feel like they’ve hit the jackpot. All are within easy walking distance of each other and we’ve listed them from north to south (more or less)… click on addresses below for Google Map locations. Old City Hall Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings When called upon to design a new downtown office building in the early 1960s, rather than go full-on high-rise, architect Gerald Hamilton designed a more intimate 8-story complex; a cluster of three towers (1 low and 2 mid-rise) artfully finished in white marble resting on green arched columns above a raised courtyard. He adorned nice minimalist embellishments on Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings In a city that often overlooks its history in favor of the next big thing it’s rare to find a mid-century modern building that still functions as it was originally intended to. Such is the case with the Edward A. Greer Education Center on East Flamingo Rd; still operating as an office building for the Clark County School District. Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Located northeast of the Palm Springs International Airport, the El Rancho Vista Estates was the first tract of homes developed by noted modernist architect Donald Wexler and is a really nice example of your typical late 1950s mid-century modern neighborhood. Wexler and his partner Rick Harrison used inventive desert-modern finishes on the homes which included decorative concrete block walls, clerestory Read more...
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Vintage apparel This cozy clothing store has a real 1970s vibe going for it, offering vintage and retro-style fashions and accessories including t-shirts, jackets, jeans, dresses and a great selection of rare – and quite possibly collectible – vintage patches and pins. In the downtown Arts District. Read more...
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Mid-century furniture & collectibles Permanently Closed, May, 2020 What happens when a movie set decorator and a certified antique Appraiser open a shop? You get Filmgo Sales, one of the most unique vintage and collectible stores you’ll likely ever set foot in. Part consignment showroom, part clearing house for Hollywood North’s film and TV productions, FilmGo Sales carries a large and Read more...
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Mid-century bank buildings Dotting south Palm Canyon Drive between Baristo and Camino Parocela stand a handful of elegant mid-century buildings that, in their day, represented the majesty of finance and inspired post-war optimism and consumer confidence. Some still serve the residents of the Coachella Valley as banks, while others have been restored and repurposed. All still inspire… corresponding photos are Read more...
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Mid-century brutalist buildings/plaza Comprised of three stunning Brutalist buildings and an inspired outdoor space, the Financial Plaza of the Pacific was originally conceived by Victor Gruen Associates in the mid 1960s as part of a four block revitalization project to make downtown Honolulu more pedestrian friendly. Only one block was fully realized – opened in 1968 – and consists of the 6-story Read more...
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Mid-century/brutalist buildings The tallest building at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus is also it’s most interesting. Built by modernist architects Walter Zick & Harris Sharp in 1970, and named for popular State Assembly woman Flora Dungan, the Humanities Building at UNLV is a unique example of combining the International Style with brutalism and desert modernism; a clean facade, lots Read more...
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Vintage & contemporary decor This shop offers high end, select, mid-century modern furniture, home accessories, vintage jewelry and Scandinavian glassware, but it’s the original art that may be the first thing to catch your eye as you walk into this gallery-like space. Flow Modern exhibits revolving collections by photographers, painters and sculptors to help put a contemporary finishing touch on Read more...
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Mid-century popular culture Las Vegas in the 1960s wouldn’t have been the same without Frank Sinatra and his legendary Summit performances with the Rat Pack. Today, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, and all, there are a few options to relive those retro days… ♣ The Rat Pack is Back have been entertaining Las Vegas audiences since 1998 and features a Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Designed in 1947 by noted modernist architect E. Stewart Williams, The Frank Sinatra House set the bar in Palm Springs for sophisticated yet cool & casual modern living. Sinatra’s weekend desert retreat, however, was originally to have been a Georgian-style mansion if he’d had his way. Fortunately Williams’ concept for using non-traditional building materials with clean lines and open Read more...
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Vintage Casinos The original Las Vegas was built around Fremont Street, downtown, and started to take off during the Great Depression (yep, that’s ironic) when casino gambling was legalized and construction began on the nearby Hoover Dam. The real casino building boom on Fremont took place in the post-war years and at least six of these locations are still standing. Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Prolific architect Albert Frey lived and worked in Palm Springs for over 60 years, producing more than two-hundred home and building designs and pioneering what would later be termed “desert modernism.” His first home (1210 N. Via Donna), built on the flat lands near the El Mirador Resort in 1940, was a sleek and simple exercise in minimalism and Read more...
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Mid-century modern furniture Billed as Vancouver’s largest mid-century & Danish modern, vintage and contemporary furniture showroom, this place has a lot going for it including a great selection of new and vintage pieces in immaculate condition. Scandinavian designs by Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl and Hans Olsen are featured alongside mid-century classics by Charles & Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen and George Nelson. Read more...
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Vintage Clothing and Collectibles Fun Häus is a treasure trove of vintage style just off Commercial Drive, featuring an eclectic mix of clothing, vinyl records, toys, artwork, home décor and pop culture collectibles. Whether you’re searching for the perfect vintage Aloha shirt or a nostalgic piece from decades past, the constantly changing inventory rewards repeat visits. More than just a Read more...
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495 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1Y0 Mid-century postal buildings Occupying an entire city block in Vancouver’s downtown core, the currently decommissioned General Post Office was designed by John McCarter & George Nairne and constructed between 1952-1958. It’s the city’s biggest, boldest and perhaps most distinguished mid-century modern structure still standing, so naturally it has no protective status and its Read more...
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Vintage mid-century apparel Inside this little yellow and orange trimmed house with the white picket fence (we’re not making this up, look at the photo!) is a shop busting with vintage clothing mostly from the 1960s and 70s, so if you’re looking for that Charles Manson-era flowy top or abstract print, chances are Glam Factory Vintage will have it. Owner Stephanie Geniza Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Near the end of Kalakaua Avenue, past Waikiki towards the base of Diamond Head, sits a strip of mid-century buildings on the Makai side (ocean side) of Kapiolani Park. Plantation style and contemporary houses also fill the neighborhood further along, but for our purposes it’s the mid-rise and high-rise buildings that give the “Gold Coast” its tropical modernist Read more...
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Vintage fashion and more The thrift store to end all thrift stores, the majority of Goodwill Hawaii’s vintage merchandise – which includes retro furniture, housewares and some really great vintage Aloha wear – comes from donations. They are also largely a volunteer-run operation which enables them to put their proceeds straight back into the community which assists those in need Read more...
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Mid-century/googie buildings The wacky architectural stylings of Googie can be defined by its Atomic Age-inspired geometric shapes, exaggerated rooflines and generous use of glass. Or you can just think The Jetsons meets modernist coffee shop. In fact, the word “Googie” comes from the original 1949 John Launter designed West Hollywood coffee shop, “Googie’s.” Unfortunately, that establishment was torn down years ago. In Palm Springs you’d Read more...
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Mid-century/googie buildings When defining the wacky architectural stylings of Googie, just think The Jetsons meets modernist coffee shop! In fact, the word Googie comes from the original 1949 John Launter designed West Hollywood coffee shop, “Googie’s.” Unfortunately, that establishment was torn down years ago. Las Vegas still has an array of eye-popping Googie buildings though – defined by their Atomic Age-inspired Read more...
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Mid-century modern churches Built on land donated by “Mr. Las Vegas,” Moe Dalitz (in a bid to improve his Mob-centric image, no doubt), pioneering modernist Paul R. Williams was enlisted by the Catholic Church to design the Guardian Angel Shrine in 1963. Raising the stakes on your typical mid-century church A-frame, though, Williams’ exaggerated Googie-like design did not go unnoticed Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings & art Distinctive for its ocean green rectangular enamel panels that alternate with its glass facade, the Guinness Tower was designed by Charles Paine, circa 1967-69, and is one of the city’s finest examples of the International Style. The 23-story tower is located in downtown Vancouver’s financial district and adjacent to the equally modernist Oceanic Plaza. Its main Read more...
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Modern & Retro Inspired Furniture CLOSED IN 2025 – Visit their store in Palm Desert. 74180 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 If you’re looking to renovate, redesign or redecorate your mid-century modern or retro inspired home, this is the place to come. Howard Hawkes and Kevin Kemper (the H&K in H3K) specialize in upscale design consultation and project management, Read more...
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Mid-century brutalist buildings A Vancouver landmark since it went up in 1977, the Harbour Centre Tower was designed by the Webb, Zerafa, Menkes and Housden partnership employing the then, more oft-used, mid-70s Brutalist style. Its smooth unadorned concrete exterior holds two glass elevators and stands 28-stories tall – more than 40 if you include its distinctive flying saucer-shaped topper which Read more...
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Hawaiiana & mid-century collectibles The Hawaii All-Collectors One Day Show and Wiki Wiki One Day Vintage Shows take place throughout the year at the Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall and if you’re lucky enough to be in Honolulu when they’re happening we highly recommend checking them out. For strictly vintage, the Wiki Wiki shows in March, October and November are where Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Oahu’s modernist architecture was not limited to commercial and residential developments in the 1950s and 60s, in fact, some of the island’s most inspired mid-century designs could be – and fortunately still can be – found in its memorial parks. Like the Valley of the Temples, also situated on Oahu’s windward (eastern) side, the modernist structures at the Read more...
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Mid-century/contemporary furniture One of only two Workplace Resources in Canada, this official Herman Miller dealer creates workplaces of the future for individuals and companies by offering up some of the most iconic designs from the past. Newly manufactured mid-century chairs, tables and desks from designers like Eames, Nelson, Goetz and Noguchi are all available, as are modern classics like the Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations Designed by Herbert Burns and built in 1951 (to which Burns later added a second floor at the behest of the owner), The Holiday House was recently reimagined as a designer boutique hotel and boasts 28 rooms, a restaurant & bar, and lush landscaping surrounding a common pool area. Located in the Historic Tennis Club neighborhood, mere steps Read more...
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Mid-century buildings Built in 1954 for the famed Holsum Bakery, this historic property is actually comprised of 3 separate yet connected buildings and was completely renovated in 2004 when it re-opened as the Holsum Lofts, a live/work space for artists and designers. Its original clock & iconic signage were also restored. Today the property is home to design group Henrikson Read more...
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Tropical modernism structures This one’s for you, Tikiphiles! In 1962 the designer of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Alfred Preis, was enlisted to create an eye-catching entry building for the flourishing Honolulu Zoo, resulting in an awesome Polynesian-inspired Hawaiian modern undulating A-Frame, with design elements not dissimilar to that of his USS Arizona Memorial. This island-style structure served as a Read more...
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Mid-century accommodations Built in 1948 by an ex Marine inspired by his time in the Pacific during World War II, the Polynesian-themed Waldorf Hotel and its Tiki Bar (designed by Mercer & Mercer) were a sensation in Vancouver during the 1950s and 60s and are making a comeback thanks to a recent extensive renovation. The colorful East Vancouver property holds Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern buildings Although not located in Palm Springs proper, we have to give a shout out to the Hotel Lautner; a mid-century modern enthusiast’s dream accommodation situated in the middle of the desert. Desert Hot Springs to be exact. Designed by renowned modernist architect John Lautner (the Elrod House, the Bob Hope House) in 1947 as part of a Read more...
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Mid-century & vintage curiosities Vintage, mid-century, industrial and … taxidermy? If these words are in your wheelhouse then Hound & Quail is definitely worth checking out. Curating a unique collection of diverse vintage items from Hawaii, the mainland and around the world, you can expect the unexpected here. Mid-century sofas? Sure. Vintage filing cabinet? Yep. Anatomical skeleton model? Absolutely! They Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings & art Beautifully rendered in precast white concrete and perhaps representing the forward thinking optimism of 1960s space exploration (is it a spaceship?), the H.R. MacMillan Planetarium and Centennial Museum complex – now known as the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and Museum of Vancouver (MOV) – was designed by Gerald Hamilton and named for B.C. forestry magnate Read more...
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Mid-century buildings Designed in the streamline moderne style by one of the most prolific theater designers of the mid twentieth century, S. Charles Lee, the Huntridge Theater opened its doors in 1944 and was an immediate success, screening movies to the public – in one form or another – for nearly 50 years. Through the 1990s the theater was supported Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Designed by noted modernist architect Vladimir Ossipoff for computer giant IBM in the early 1960s, this iconic building exudes tropical modernism primarily because of its unique precast concrete honeycomb facade; a brise soleil designed to keep the structure cool as well as to look like the automated punch cards synonymous with the computer industry at the time. The building Read more...
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Mid-century fashions & housewares Located around the corner from the Bootlegger Tiki bar and next to Ernest Coffee, this unique vintage shop offers a varied assortment of apparel, housewares and select furniture for those yearning to live the perfect, atomic-age lifestyle. From dinnerware, ceramics and Tiki mugs to Aloha wear, rat pack-era skirts, blouses, suits & ties, to groovy furniture and other wonderful knick-knacks you Read more...