Any other mid-century modern fans here?...

[misanthrope]

...My wife and I are renovating our house and adding some elements we like, most all of them derived from the aforementioned school of design.

We're getting another Eames Lounge Chair Wood (I found a place online that sells replicas dirt cheap) and are looking for other bits of furniture and the like. It's looking like we may end up making a sofa using a design we partially borrowed and partially collaborated on. The trick will be finding someone with the tools to help us.

Found some decent stuff at the sites for Target, CB2, Ikea and Eurway. Design Within Reach is nice to look at but for us the prices are, well, out of reach.

Anyone know of good spots to find end tables, table lamps, pendant lamps, rugs and other extraneous stuff?

I'd also be interested in knowing of any good online spots you've found for Mid-Mod fans.

Thanks

[tonkatoy57]

1. Count Me In

My wife and I are big mid century modern fans. We live in an early '50's house and have slowly revived it to resemble what it must have been in it's glory days.

As far as sources for decorative items, furniture, and for all around good ideas on '50's decorating I'd suggest picking up a copy of Atomic Ranch magizine. It's published quarterly and we usually find it at Barnes & Noble or one of the other high end chain book stores. Atomic Ranch has features on homes that have been renovated and decorated in keeping with the period and there are tons of ads for businesses catering to the decorative tastes of mid century devotees.

If you live in an area that had lots of post-war suburban development I'd look at estate sales too. We picked up a beautiful Haywood Wakefield dogleg dining room table, chairs, buffet, and hutch for @$1200.00 at an estate sale. Also, a Wakefield bedroom set, torchere lamps and 3 or 4 space age lighting fixtures were found in a neighborhood that was being torn down for a shopping center development.

Happy hunting.

[misanthrope]

3. Check this out...

...A little Mid-Mod magic in Palm Springs.

Orbit In

Note how the iPod seems to meld right in with the rest of the design feel.

[tonkatoy57]

4. Very Nice

I'm booking a room even as I type.

I especially loved the concrete block outdoor bar, the chrome starburst wall clock in the bedroom, the outside metal doors with the circular preforations, and the metal kitchen cabinets.

I'm looking now for a complete set of metal kitchen cabinets that I can sand down and take to the auto body paint shop to be repainted.

[Leopolds Ghost]

2. Yes!! But more in commercial architecture. The Waffle Shop in Washington, DC

There is an e-book on the web and in print somewhere with
postcards of beautiful mid-century modern cafeterias from
the Golden Age of Battleship-Sized Family Restaurants and roadside diners.

I think it's called "Chrome and..." something or other...

[unpossibles]

5. My wife and I love it

a couple of years ago we found an awesome couch & coffee table on eBay from an estate sale. We're the second owners. It needs a little work but the price was jaw-droppingly cheap.





there's a third section too!

[misanthrope]

6. That's the original finish on the table?...

...Not too bad if so. And that sectional is really cool!

[unpossibles]

7. yes, both are in original condition

which unfortunately means they both need some work at some point. The table has a large discoloration hidden under that large candle in the middle, and the couch needs some new springs, but otherwise we're very happy with them. Sadly, our living room is not big enough to put the entire thing together, but that's ok. :)

The house where these were found was amazing. It had been redone in the 50's, and was filled to the brim with great antiques, many of which were bought new and in decent shape still. If we had more truck space and money we might have gotten more, but as it was got a good deal, including 3 garbage bags of clothes that fit my wife perfectly for like $5.