Dallas and Fort Worth Mid-Century Modern

Say Hello to "The Ghost of Goodnight Lane"

2011-08-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

We realize it's unbecoming to brag, but we've never been good about doing what we're supposed to. We're psyched about playing a part in an independent feature film called The Ghost of Goodnight Lane. It stars Billy Zane, at right, (so gorgeously creepy in Dead Calm and, admittedly, less exciting in Titanic) and Lacey Chabert, who's been in tons of things but whose biggest movie was probably Mean Girls. Producer/director/writer Alin Bijan is directing and co-wrote the film, which is being shot in Dallas. The movie is -- get this -- based on real paranormal events that have taken place for years at Bijan's production company, Media World Studios in Dallas. Apparently, paranormal investigators have confirmed the hauntings. This is serious, people. But back to us. Actually, the furniture, linens and housewares that we sell at RetroMania appear in the movie -- we don't. (Though our little Fort Worth shop was promised a mention in the film credits.) We've had a blast with our cinematic foray and made some new friends, like the movie's production designer, Adam Dietrich. There was one casualty during filming: the side table that was part of the Tropitan set we wrote about in our last post. The good news is that our two chairs and ottoman are fine and dandy and the price of the now-three-piece set is $295. We gladly suffer for art.

Bar Carts: Not Just for Liquid Lunch Anymore

2011-07-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

God bless Don Draper and his pickled little heart. He seems to have single-handedly resurrected the cool factor on the old-fashioned bar cart (not to mention the Old Fashioned itself.)

Not that long ago, they seemed to have gone the way of the three-martini lunch. Now they are back stronger than a New Year's Day hangover. Above is a picture of the bar cart in my office. You'd be surprised how many people are up for a touch of brown liquor in the middle of the day.

A couple of musts (beyond the booze) for any bar cart (IMO) are a great ice bucket, a funky ashtray, cool retro matches, funky swizzle sticks and cool serving tray.

What about y'all? Share your bar cart stories in the comments. What makes a good bar cart? How do you put yours together? Do tell. I'm curious.

2816 Ilahe Drive Dallas, 75233 - $209k

2011-07-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

Check out the Palm Springs awesomeness - an amazing Mid-century Modern ranch house designed by noted architect David Braden. This Oak Cliff 2012 SF 4 bedroom, 2 bath beauty is built into a hillside at the end of a cul-de-sac amongst drought tolerant landscaping. Inside you will find vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, brick fireplace, clerestory windows, walls of glass & original built-ins. A covered dining terrace just off the main living areas is surrounded by a custom horizontal cedar slat fence. More pictures can be found on the Virginia Cook website.

Built in 1963, the post and beam home in the Keistwood Estates was custom designed in harmony with nature. The buyer gets original sputnik fixtures, grand clerestory windows and the original blue prints. The best part is they didn't mess up the kitchen.

Braden, a Dallas native, was a renown architect, business leader, and civic leader. Before he rose to fame as a commercial architect, he gained high praise and recognition for the few number of mid century modern homes he designed around Oak Cliff. In fact, it was the design of his own modern residence that wowed fellow architects with its hillside construction. Braden was awarded 1st prize at AIA Dallas competition, just two years receiving his degree in Architecture from University of Texas at Austin.

A few facts about Braden:

Successful commercial architect, business leader, civic leader, lecturer & humorist

Served as President Dallas Chapter AIA and Texas Architect Society, and much more

Personally chosen by George Dahl (architect of Fair Park) to replace him as president and CEO of his successful commercial architecture firm upon retirement in 1973

Only few residential designs, mostly in Oak Cliff, including his personal residence

Braden’s home won the AIA Dallas 1st prize, just two years after the architect received his degree from UT, and it recently was placed on the OOCCL Home Tour in 2009.

The Saga of Our Mid-Century Sleepy Hollow Chair

2010-10-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

This spring, we found ourselves a tad flush, which meant, of course, that the money must be spent ASAP. We decided to restore some mid-century pieces, one of which was this chair (the cat stayed home). Apparently, this is what's known as a "Sleepy Hollow" chair. Here's one definition: "An armchair of the mid-19th century, sometimes on rockers, having a single piece forming a high upholstered back and a concave upholstered seat." While it's clearly more from the mid-20th century, it's definitely got that cool "single piece" aspect going for it.

I'm showing it off because its fantastic looks are a stark contrast to the way it looked when we first saw it: The poor chair had sat out in the middle of a courtyard at an antiques shop, in the midsummer sun and through several rainy days and nights. Because it isn't an Eastlake or a Duncan Phyfe, the shop owners held it in such low regard that they wouldn't even bring it indoors.

Our furniture doctor of choice is always Hank Tosh of Tosh Mahal (see my earlier post to learn more about Hank and what he does). Taking stuff to Hank may seem like a weird way to get your kicks, but nothing is more fun than bringing a thing of beauty back to its glory. And Hank seems to feel the same way, because he is truly a master at it. And he's intrepid.

He had to be, as it turned out. He does a much better job at explaining exactly what had to be done to restore this chair on his blog. Check out the before pics and read Hank's blow-by-blow account of the surgery, if you're like us and you love to geek out on this kind of stuff.

Vinyl Tile and Mid-Century Floors in Fort Worth

2010-10-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Lots of people struggle with what kind of flooring to put down in a mid-century-modern house. When we bought our house and renovated it in 2006, we decided to go with vinyl composition tile -- some people call it commercial vinyl tile, others call it vinyl commercial tile, VCT, CVT. It's basically the same stuff we all remember from school. One of the coolest things about it: There are scores of colors and limitless color combinations. (We had asked the installers to use a random pattern, but, as with so many things that happened during the renovation, he wasn't really listening ...)
I had to share these pics with you to show you how great it can look when it's stripped, waxed and buffed. We use a company called Jackson Quality Janitorial here in Fort Worth. We didn't get any kind of price break for sharing this info., we just like the work they did. And Lewis Jackson is hands down one of the nicest guys we've ever had cross our MCM threshold.

Elliott Erwitt, Fort Worth, Texas - 1962

2010-09-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Like many MCM aficianados, Sunday night is for Mad Men, Monday is for Mad Men analysis. One of my favorite Monday reads is the breakdown over at Slate.com. This week in special bonus coverage, a photo collection of period images, including this one from the great Elliott Erwitt taken right here in Cowtown. Hey, fur kills, baby, but you look great. Fab living room, too.

4000 Hartwood Dr., Fort Worth, 76109, $247,500

2010-08-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me a link to this house with the simple words "I want" in the subject line. This midcentury beauty just looks so cool and shady, sprawled out there in Tanglewood's forest. It was built in 1959 and is 1,664 square feet, with three bedrooms and two full baths.
It has beamed ceilings, hardwood floors and that pillowy saltillo tile. If you look closely at the living room pic, on the left you can see a built-in planter, one of those totally charming mid-cen touches that are so often ripped out. I want, too!

Wayne Grubb and "The Brown Trail House"

2010-07-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Does the name Wayne Grubb ring a bell? I mentioned him in a previous post, the one about the fantastic pink enamel kitchen appliances. As cool as the appliances are, the real story turned out to be Wayne -- a local genius who in 1957 designed and built the home the appliances came from, this googie-licious house on Brown Trail in Hurst. The bad news: It is NOT on the market. The good news: The fourth generation of this WWII veteran's family lives there, and I'm told they've adhered to MCM style.

Wayne, who was also a philosopher and inventor, worked as a general contractor on large custom homes in North Texas until his death, in 1997. His daughter, a graphic artist named Revis Grubb Plemmons, has been extremely generous with text and photos so that I can share information about her father and the fantastic house she grew up in. "Inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, especially Fallingwater, my dad used various woods and crabstone to give the house an organic ambience," she says. I'd never heard of crabstone before, but it apparently has gorgeous coloration and texture.

The house also wreaked havoc with visitors' internal compasses: There are no square rooms in the 2,600-square-foot house except for the two bathrooms. "Dad told me that he would decide the square footage for a room, start with conventional right-angled shapes, then skew the shape," Revis says, recalling that it wasn't uncommon for people to forget which way the street was after stepping 15 or 20 feet into the house. The house is as dazzling and disorienting, says one of Wayne's bios, as a philosophy discussion with the man himself.

Wayne, a native of Bangs, Texas, had tinkered with objects ever since he was able to walk. His earnings from "Solar Windows," which he invented and patented, enabled him to build the house. The design featured screens and movable panes, which could be opened to various degrees to control airflow. They can still be seen in homes and businesses throughout Dallas-Fort Worth. Revis says she remembers her dad bringing home the prototype to the family's tiny duplex apartment in Fort Worth when she was about 4. (Later, Wayne invented a machine that automated the task of prepping doors for hanging. It's been estimated that at one time, 85% of all doors produced worldwide were cut on his machinery.)

People started talking about "the Brown Trail House." It wasn't unusual for strangers to pull into the driveway and get out of their car to look around, Revis says. Once, her mother opened the front door and sort of jokingly offered the visitors a tour, which they immediately took her up on! Photos that Revis sent me include these images of the interior, taken in 1959. Oh yum. Wanna take a tour, too? Let's go, kids! (This is a baby Sputnik light fixture in the living room.)

At left is the living room. When you look at touches like this divider, you can really see what a labor of love the home was.

Just off the living room is the dining room. Looks like grass-cloth wallpaper, which looks so smart and is so hot again. (On a TV redesign show a couple of years ago, I watched as designer Kenneth Brown suggested grass-cloth wallpaper to a well-heeled couple, who recoiled in horror -- bet they'd like a do-over on that one ...)

The kitchen is so stream-lined. Really well-done. Wayne designed special cabinets for maximum efficiency. The upper cabinets operate on a weights and pulley system. The lower area conceals drawers and cabinets. Many of the drawers and cabinets have spring-open catches.

And, of course, there are those fantastic pink enamel appliances.

At the back of the house is the den, which sported a long, low, lovely custom sofa. The Scandinavian look of the sofa along with the natural elements of the plants and all the stone ... good lord, what's not to love??
Behind the curtains are doors leading to the patio. The tray ceiling is really something special.
(Cool bottles -- and great chair!)

Isn't this the kind of image we conjure when we think about a tall stacked stone fireplace in a really fabulous, well-designed midcentury ranch house?
Lucky children!

7270 Baxtershire Drive, Dallas 75230 $799K

2010-06-30T08:29:00.001-07:00

When you talk about mid-century modern neighborhoods in Dallas, the houses on the Disney streets usually come up first, and they certainly are among the googiest. However, I have a special place in my heart for the majestic, rambling ranches in the neighborhoods between Forest and Royal, between Preston and 75. Many of these houses were custom-built, high-quality homes in their time. Many of them have enjoyed a fantastic second life in the hands of owners who respect their heritage.

A great example: 7270 Baxtershire. This house was designed by Fred Tycher in 1961 for himself and his family. It's got great curb appeal and the inside features soaring vaulted ceilings with full length architectural beams. The current owners completed a major renovation and restoration in 2007. The results are stunning.

7341 Malabar Lane Dallas, 75230 $520K

2010-06-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a very cool looking MCM built in 1958 that appears mostly undisturbed in a neat little mid-century neighborhood off Forest Lane and Central. Great lot and trees, lots of windows, washed wood paneling and brick floors. Is that a St. Charles kitchen? The deets and the pix are here.

Mersman Surfboard Coffee Table For Sale

2010-06-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

So much furniture, so little square footage. Anyone who is looking for an awesome MCM coffee table, check out our post on Craigslist for this sweet, sweet Mersman surfboard coffee table, just restored by the magic hands of Hank Tosh.

6840 Brants Lane, Fort Worth 76116 - $279K

2010-06-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ridglea Hills is one of best mid-century neighborhoods in Fort Worth and this nicely remodeled gem is, IMO, something of a steal. I love this house. It's close to Luther Lake and has an Eichler vibe that you don't see all that often in Cowtown. I think curb appeal is a little bit of an issue, but if I were in market for a mid-century house on the left side of the Metromess, this would be at the top of my list. Click here for more details and lots of photo goodness.

The Graf Residence in Dallas

2010-06-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

I picked up a fascinating book at an estate sale in Fort Worth recently -- The Super-Americans by John Bainbridge. Bainbridge was a writer for The New Yorker who moved to Texas for nine months in the early 1960s and produced a sociological portrait of Texas at mid-century that outraged many Texans at the time but still makes for interesting reading.

As I thumbed through the book in search of good Fort Worth stories, I found an interesting passage about Mrs. Josephine Herbert Graf, the heiress to a Fort Worth oil fortune that built the house pictured above in the Preston Hollow section of Dallas. The house, which was designed by Edward D. Stone, who also designed Fort Worth's current city hall building and the U.S. Embassy in New Dehli, has been meticulously renovated by current owners John and Jennifer Eagle and Dallas architect Russell Buchanan and earned an award in 2008 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Mrs. Graf's back story is interesting reading. She married the son of a New York millionaire, John W. Herbert III, who came to Texas to get into the oil industry in the 1920s and succeeded quite nicely. The couple eventually settled in Fort Worth after a stint traveling in Europe, but with the outbreak of World War II, John Herbert enlisted in the Army Air Force at the age of 42. With her husband away, Josephine set about learning how to run the business in his absence. Unfortunately, she found out on Christmas Eve 1942 that her husband was lost on a combat mission over New Guinea. With that, Mrs. Herbert became principal owner of the Herbert Oil Company.

After the war, Josephine married again, a European by the name of Bruno Graf, and eventually moved from Fort Worth to Switzerland for several years before moving back to Texas and settling in Dallas and beginning construction on this house as a way to avoid paying capital gains tax on the sale of her $450,000 Fort Worth residence.

Stone's design was modern yet ornate and five to six dozen artisans working on the job steadily because everything is custom-made, including 54-inch squares of white marble veined with gold, seventy walnut doors and custom furnishings from T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings among other touches. The coolest feature: a white marble island above a swimming pool where the dining area is located. Said Mrs. Graf in Bainbridge's book: "When you go into the pool, you push a button and the water level goes down six inches -- that's so it doesn't splash." Yeah, just like at my house.

Over the top? Yes. Accessible modern design? Not hardly. Cool as all get-out. You bet. I'm just glad that as we seem MCM landmarks going the way of the wrecking ball in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, some people have the commitment and the money to preserve some of the landmarks. I hope more people follow their lead.

We're Still Here!

2010-05-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

Rumors of our demise are premature. We have been off the radar a while, but we have lots of stuff we still want to share. Please be patient! More Dallas - Fort Worth Mid-Century goodness is on the way!

Wayne Grubb and the Midcentury Pink Kitchen Near Fort Worth

2010-01-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

For months now, I've been meaning to write about a Craigslist experience I had in June, one that cost me nothing but was extremely cool. It started with this ad:

"We recently remodeled our parents home in Hurst. We have a very unique Westinghouse Refrigerator/Freezer, circa 1957 that we would like to GIVE AWAY, rather than see it hauled to the dump. It is a side by side, built in the wall unit. I have been told that there were only 15 of these ever made and that one is in the Smithsonian. I have only seen one like it and it was in Frank Sinatra's home in Beverly Hills. ... It has the original mid 1950's pink enamel paint and is in really good condition. We have the matching pink built in oven, which still works, also."

OK, what MCM freak WOULDN'T sit up and take notice? With nowhere to store it and a vintage turquoise double-oven already hooked up and working in my kitchen -- and it's not what I would sell at RetroMania -- of course I answered the ad to claim it! (I was under the influence of some powerful appliance porn, people!) Just look at these pictures and tell me you wouldn't have done the same. You'd have to be made of stone.

A woman named Revis Grubb Plemmons answered my e-mail and told me that the appliances are from the house of her late father, Wayne Grubb, a designer/builder/philosopher/inventor who worked as a general contractor on large custom homes in North Texas until his death, in 1997. He designed and built the home, which is on Brown Trail in Hurst, in 1957. Apparently, it was so unusual that it became known as "the Brown Trail House." Now, the fourth generation of the family lives there.

I'll delve into some detail about what made the house so awesome and what made Wayne even awesomer, in a separate post, with pics and news clippings, courtesy of Revis. The good news: The family did major remodeling to the house but adhered to MCM style, I'm told. To which I offer a huge PHEW! and a heartfelt "BLESS YOU, FAMILY."

Back to the appliances: I thought better of accepting Revis' generous offer after she told me that someone from Dallas who had answered the ad after I did was crestfallen to learn that he had been scooped, because he was actually redoing his kitchen retro-style, with pink enamel appliances. What kind of monster would stand in the way of a mission so pure? Incidentally, that's the fridge interior (above).

More to come on this talented local visionary, the late Wayne Grubb, as well as some of his projects.

Hank Tosh, MCM Furniture Savior

2009-09-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Because we're coco-poofs crazy about MCM furniture, we've had Hank Tosh on our radar for some time. Hank owns and operates Toshmahal on Hampton Road in Dallas, where he restores and refinishes furniture and also does custom framing. This man truly appreciates midcentury and deco furniture and is an artist at what he does. Hank says he's been restoring and refinishing furniture for about as long as he has owned furniture, about 18 years. He's serious about his craft, but he's also one of the nicest guys on the planet (just don't tell him you own a sander!). Hank was kind enough to answer our gajillion questions, some sillier than others (Does he watch Mad Men? Um, no.)

Why such an interest in midcentury pieces?
I have been into midcentury-era things as long as I can remember and had collected and fixed up many things of my own (plus I had a little background in finishing and woodworking from working in other mediums) before I started doing it for a living. I do work on earlier pieces as well, just normally, since I do work for a lot of dealers around town, this ends up being the majority of what I work on.

We'd love to restore every MCM piece in RetroMania. How did you learn how to do it?
I started many years ago when I first moved to Dallas, doing gruntwork like sanding, and stripping -- a little staining -- at Lakewood Furniture under the tutelage of Billy Keith Leatherwood (RIP). he taught me quite a bit. The rest I have learned by reading everything I can get my hands on, lots of trial and error, experimentation, and my trusty friend and mentor, Rik Wood, who is a 3rd generation craftsman and worked in Dallas for many years with his father.

How come so many people buy great midcentury pieces and then "ebonize" them? What's up with that?
There are a lot of designers out there who seem to know more than their refinishers and like to do bad things to good furniture. It is unfortunate but true. Sometimes it is just because they want to match everything so badly, but other times it is because the piece may have been damaged and just looks better that way. I think ebonizing is still a good look, sometimes. Fortunately, I think a lot of designers are coming around to the idea that it is not necessarily a bad thing to have many different natural woods in the same house or the same room, so hopefully it will make for less of this. I really don't like to ruin good furniture. I am in the 'restoration' business and it hurts me a little to 'paint' something or to make something a white laquer that should be a light mahogany or a light walnut.

Can you give us a little insight into some of those old finishes that we see on midcentury furniture and nowhere else -- stuff like the dark-gray/light-black stain that shows the wood grain, and also the yellowish brown that resembles spicy mustard)?
Most of this is done with oak or ash because they have a very open and deep grain to them. They will rub a glaze or a mixture of color
into the grain and then use a stain or a toner over that and then clear it. (this is a very simplified description, but it is all based on
the fact that the deep grain holds the color of whatever you rub into it when you wipe it). The lighter finish you are referring to has many
names, but many people did it: One is called the 'limed oak' finish. The darker is just a variation of this. There are also finishes that
were done with mahogany (called a white mahogany, or a bleached mahogany) that are also quite a process. It also takes a lot of work
to restore these pieces. Somehow, in the late '60s I think, faux finishing got really big and people started hiding beautiful wood grains.
I say, if you want plastic or fiberglass, then buy it and don't ruin the look of a beautiful wood grain. I think today, more people are wanting to see the wood grain and the natural color of the wood.

Is Heywood Wakefield the "gateway drug" of midcentury furniture? (As in: You start there and the next thing you know, you're into the heavy stuff.)
Well, there is a lot of Wakefield out there. The great thing about the early Wakefield is that some of it is actually just on the verge of
deco and entering into the modern realm, which I love. Another thing is that (and there are also many misconceptions about this) it is
made of solid maple (not birch. Only the newer stuff is made of birch), so you can literally bring some of this stuff back from the grave.
It definitely leads to other stuff ... Conant Ball, Paul McCobb -- also all solid maple. I have done many Wakefield pieces and am actually one of
the only people around who knows these finishes. It took me a little while to perfect the recipes, but I have them, for both the Wheat and
the Champagne (there are, even from the factory, about 3 different variations on each finish).

As a refinisher, what pieces are your favorite projects?
All of the Danish walnut stuff. A beautiful Walter Kagan chair was definitely one of my favorites. And, of course, all of the Heywood Wakefield stuff, because I really love both deco and modern.

You've got such an interesting niche here in DFW: How did you become the go-to restorer/refinisher for area midcentury dealers like Sputnik Modern?
Most of these clients hear about me word-of-mouth. It is the best way to get business and the only way to survive as a small-business person. It boggles the mind, how some businesses can get away with some of the travesties I've witnessed. It just makes my head spin.

If you could recommend one product for keeping wood furniture looking nice, what would it be?
I always top everything off with a good coat of carnuba wax. I don't get the beeswax because it is usually cut with some chemical. I use one that has a good, thick feel to it. (Trewax) The one I use has enough carnuba in it that it acts as a great cleaning agent as well as adding a little extra protection to the finish against some of the moisture it might encounter.

Another Cliff May house in Dallas

2009-09-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Andrea Lane area in Dallas (north of I-30, west of I-635) is lousy with Cliff May houses, it seems. The latest one to come to our attention is at 2651 Andrea Lane with a price of $146,000 for 1,291 square feet. There's been some updating, but from what we can tell, nothing that looks too egregious.

Cliff May Bargain in Dallas

2009-07-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

This just in from reader comments:

"Just wanted to let you know in case you or any of your readers are interested. There is a Cliff May house in forclosure, 2647 Andrea Lane going for $28,900! I'm sure it needs tons of work, but it would be a good flip or redo for someone looking for Mid Century Modern. We live on the same street in a Cliff May that has been redone, and would love to see it sale to another mid century enthusiast. Not sure who is listing it,there is a sign in the yard. Thanks!"

If anyone out there has details, let us know at dfwmcm AT gmail DOT com.

6704 Woodstock Road, 76116 $254.9k

2009-07-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

This is best straight-up Mid-Century Modern house in Fort Worth, Texas for the money. I wish I was in the market. Go ahead and feast on these pix. Lots of wood paneling and other original features. Hope this home finds the right buyer. I'd hate to see this house poorly "updated."

Forest Park Train Turns 50

2009-07-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

The Forest Park Miniature Train ride doesn't have the cool MCM Diesel anymore, but the train ride is still rolling through Trinity Park today. Thanks for the memories!

What a Maniac!

2009-04-19T15:47:00.001-07:00

Well, we've done it now ... we've got a little shop, where I'm partners with two other mid-century fanatics, who scour heaven and earth to keep the shop packed to the gills with one-of-a-kind finds for regular joes and janes like us -- people who appreciate great design and craftsmanship in furniture and housewares but can't pay an arm and a leg. The name, appropriately enough, is RetroMania. If you're in the neighborhood, stop in and get your goggle on. We're in Butler's Alley, an up-and-coming strip of shops behind Butler's Antiques at 2221 8th Ave. (south of Mexican Inn and north of Braum's).
Here's an idea of what you'll see.

This 9-foot midcentury sofa has the original fabric! (The cushions are sporting new foam.) The base is ebonized wood with curved-under Asian-style legs. Dunbar lines. Too lovely. It's $599, and there are 10% discount coupons at West and Clear and at Theater Jones.

Sigel's Sign Will Be Saved

2009-04-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

The sign at the Sigel's Lemmon Avenue location in Dallas appears to be safe, the Dallas Observer reports. The sign, a long-time monument to googiness in Big D, will be soon leaving its current location due to the demolition of the Lemmonwood Shopping Center, but officials at the company are saying not to worry, the sign will find a new, yet-to-be-determined home. Whew.

R.I.P. Maurice Jarre

2009-04-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

There are probably three movie themes that say the 1960s for me -- Goldfinger is one. The other two belong to three-time Academy Award winner Maurice Jarre, who died last week at age 84. Those are Lawrence of Arabia (above) and Doctor Zhivago (below).

Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury

2009-03-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Midcentury aficionados, better book a room at the Hotel San Jose (or a friend's couch), because you've gotta see this show at Austin's Blanton Museum of Art.
The exhibit, which takes its name from a 1957 Miles Davis compilation album, features more than 200 objects, including: Eames furniture, films, and archival materials; Noguchi sculpture; Julius Shulman's Case Study House photos showcasing the architecture of Richard Neutra, Pierre Koenig and others; fantastic abstract paintings ... oh, just hit the link. The show continues through May 17.

above Julius Shulman photograph of Case Study House #22, (Pierre Koenig, architect, Los Angeles, 1959-60) right Karl Benjamin's Black Pillars,(1957) 48 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

Design Within Reach

2009-03-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

The rumor is that Design Within Reach is opening a store in Fort Worth, on West Seventh. Hey, DWR, what took ya so long?

Yates-Ottmann Building in Fort Worth

2009-03-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

Fort Worth actually may be waking up to the realization that it needs to protect its midcentury architecture: The Yates-Ottman Building, 1020 Summit Ave. (north of the Hospital District and I-30) has been designated one of the city's historic and cultural landmarks. Historic Fort Worth, Inc. recently decided to try to educate the public about these local treasures, and getting the Landmarks Commission's seal of approval is a big step forward.
Thank you, HFW! But you've got your work cut out for you, having to outrun the bulldozers and the builders of faux-Tuscan McMansions. (We've lost so much history already.)

Craigslist Furniture Update

2009-02-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

It's high time we indulged our sweet tooth with a dose of retro eye candy!

1950s Bar with Three Stools, $350:

Suddenly, I have an overwhelming desire for a Haleukelani Cocktail ...

Midcentury side tables, $75 each:

They're just begging for a fantastic Raymor lamp, maybe some Stig Lindberg ceramics. Hope they have more luck than I've had!

Midcentury Steelcase Metal Desk, $125:

Cool American beauty. Makes one feel downright patriotic.

RIP - Blossom Dearie

2009-02-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

Blossom Dearie, the great jazz vocalist with the little girl voice, died Saturday at age 82. New Yorker critic Whitney Balliett once said that her tiny wisp of a voice "would scarcely reach the second storey of a doll's house," but her phrasing was as sophisticated as anything the great Frank Sinatra crafted. Watch her above on The Jack Paar Show in the early '60s.

3900 Bellaire Drive, Fort Worth, Part Deux

2009-02-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

Our inner Gladys Kravitz took over when, a few days after we wrote about our lust crush on this baby (scroll down a few posts), an "Open House" sign appeared! We had to see the inside, along with quite a few other gawkers, including a couple of architecture students.

The gate to the back entry. Every home should come with its own 2-foot-tall Egyptian-style guards. The only way I would've loved this more is if the little guys had hopped down and whipped me up a Rusty Nail.

Buttah. A gorgeous, gleaming terrazzo floor that (we heard) extends the length of the house, much of it under the carpet.

Life would be so much simpler with an intercom system like this.
"Nick, darling, could you bring more cracked ice to the rumpus room?"

Plant your rubber tree in this corner while belting out "High Hopes."

Robsjohn-Gibbings Mesa Coffee Table

2009-01-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

Every collector has a Holy Grail, an item you dream of finding when you walk into an estate sale. This is mine: the T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Mesa Coffee Table. This one pictured above sold at auction last fall for $66,000! To put that in context, in 2002, you could have bought that table at auction for less than $20,000. Would that I could have a 401(k) that could do that. But such is the demand for Robsjohn-Gibbings furniture -- it's little known by most estate sale hounds, but crazy sought-after by collectors.

Of course, then there's the one that got away -- the Robsjohn-Gibbings tripod tables. This pair here is going for $5,600, refinished. I saw a pair at an estate sale on Warnock in South Fort Worth for $10 apiece. They had already sold. I cried a little that day.

Plycraft Mania

2009-01-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

Plycraft is perhaps best known for their ~~knockoff~~ interpretation of the Eames 870 Lounge chair. However, I've always found the Plycraft lounger below to be a much more distinctive design. I found the one below at an estate sale ... somewhere in DFW (I don't remember where.) But I've seen these from time to time at other sales in Fort Worth.

What's odd is that after I bought this chair, in started to pop up in other pieces of MCM ephemera I bought, including this Robert Goulet album. Of course, the real mystery there is who put the tin foil on the floor.

Then there's the picture of the bachelor pad your Dad moved to after the divorce. Nice socks!

But my favorite is this hi-fi room from a period home improvement book. As PeteW would say, it's totally googie.

I Only Read It For The Furniture, Too

2009-01-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

Don't tell Felicia about this, but those old Playboys have some pretty googie furniture in there. For instance, check out this post from the Mid-Century Modernist. It's mostly SFW with the naughty bits blocked out, but the furniture is easy to see. And that's what's important, isn't it?

Clown Burger in Haltom City

2009-01-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

Generally, Haltom City kind of scares me. Mainly, it's because it seems like every tornado that roars through Fort Worth makes a bee-line for H-town. But, on the other hand, they've got lots of great Vietnamese food there.

And, of course, they have Mid-Century Modern signs. There's lots of googie signage in the Beach Street/Belknap area like Clown Hamburgers. Photographer David Kozlowski took this image, and he said that you could get an entire ClownBurger feast for less than buck on Wednesday to celebrate this place's 50th anniversary. Sorry I missed it!

6421 Camp Bowie, Fort Worth 76116

2009-01-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

I've always wondered about this building at 6421 Camp Bowie, and Cosmic Cool sheds some light on it. Turns out this building was designed by the Houston architectural firm of MacKie & Kamrath and constructed in 1956-57, this building was originally home office headquarters for Commercial Standard Insurance Company.

3900 Bellaire Drive S., Fort Worth 76109

2009-01-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

This gorgeous beast goes on forever. We can just see ourselves rollerskating through all 5,451 fabulous square feet. The price per square foot on this bad boy is an amazing $101 -- somebody buy it before we squander our IRAs! What's that? They've already been squandered?

Long, low lines. Sigh. And check out the built-ins in the background. Think of all the collectibles they would hold: ceramics, dishware, barware, tiki glasses ... Let me just get my drool bib.

Hollywood Regency would be quite at home here.
Lucite, this is your time to shine.

RIP, Bob May

2009-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Bob May, ~~the voice of~~the actor who played the Robot on the 1960s' sci-fi classic Lost in Space, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 69. ~~May's signature line, "Danger, Will Robinson" obscured the fact that he could also sing a bit, as evidenced by the clip above.~~

Steelcase Furniture and the Modern Office

2009-01-19T06:29:00.000-08:00

I think that sometimes we overlook the simple industrial beauty of Steelcase office furniture because it is still easily found in many office environments today. But this post at The Mid-Century Modernist shows off the Steelcase sex appeal quite nicely. One question, though: WTF with the bear skin?

Westwood Drive, Arlington 76012

2009-01-18T12:59:00.000-08:00

Where cool lives
Not in our neck of the woods, but we were driving by and had to snap a quick pic of this gem.

2301 Ridgmar, Fort Worth 76116 - $122,500

2009-01-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

MCM-licious condos. Yum.
Thank god places like this still exist, huh? Gives one hope.

Capitol Records Building -- Totally Googie

2009-01-13T06:29:00.000-08:00

Is there anything any googier than the Capitol Records Building down on the Strip? A friend duked me with a bunch of old Architectural Digests from the 1950s last year, one of which included this spread. Of course, there's lots of other cool stuff in there that I plan to share soon. Until then, enjoy!

I want everything in the waiting room below.

Don Draper? Why aren't you in the conference room?!

I wonder if Frank Sinatra ever hit anybody in here?

Cool Finds

2009-01-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

We're back to our estate- and garage-sale cruising now that the holidays are over. At a church rummage sale, we found this copper chocolate set for $2.

This 34-by-14-inch "motel art" -ish oil painting of a turbaned gentleman, (by the artist known as "Drake") cost $1.

Got this General Electric "Telechron" lucite-and-metal battery-operated (!) clock, below, at an estate sale the day after Christmas. It cost $12, a little more than we like to spend, but we decided it had enough zing to justify the cost.

We know. You hate us. It's OK.

MCM Podcast Out of Fort Worth

2009-01-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

Tracy and Joe discuss the characteristics and virtues of mid-century modern at Design Talk Radio.

Francoise Hardy - Oui!

2009-01-11T21:01:00.001-08:00

I have a fever called Francoise Hardy. Watch the video above, and you will be hooked, too.

BTW, my friends, Paul Boll and Angie Cassada have a band called Los Noviembres, and they play the old Hardy hit called "Le Temps De L'Amour." Angie more than does it justice. Check them out if you ever have the chance.

Happy Birthday, Shirley Bassey!

2009-01-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

Happy 72! And now for ... Gold-FINGAH!

Appliance Porn

2009-01-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

Is their anything tastier than a Frigidaire Flair? We stumbled on this one while browsing Craigslist and are sorely tempted to buy it. It's $100 and in the TCU area of Fort Worth.

Automotive Awesomeness: Volvo P1800

2008-12-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Saw this awesome Volvo P1800 at Case Manana yesterday. You know, like The Saint used to drive. You remember The Saint, don't you?

UPDATE: Crestview Doors Closing, Only Changing

2008-12-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

Update on Crestview Doors, 12.23.08 -- the Mid-Century Modern custom door manufacturer run by David and Christiane Erwin that I wrote about a few months back.

Yes, they are ceasing production of new doors. However, they are still doing business, but it a different way.

"We are scaling way back," David said by email. "The downturn in the economy has forced us to, and in doing so we’ve taken a serious look at how our business affects the environment. Really, we hope every business is doing that right now.

"Our Doorlite Kits are a great example of how we are addressing the environment and the economy. They keep old doors out of the landfill, require less trees to make, require less fuel to ship, are easily repaired, and cost much less than a new door."

In a post on their blog, Christiane explains the situation and lists some deeply discounted doors for anyone interested.

Sorry about the error, guys. Best of luck to you.

3800 Pelham Rd, Fort Worth 76116 - $274k

2008-10-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Awesome Ridglea Hills MCM for sale from original owner. St. Charles kitchen with a Frigidaire Flair included.

Crestview Doors Provides Solutions for Mid-Century and Modern Sensibilities

2008-09-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

As anyone who has ever browsed the selection of doors at Home Depot or Lowe’s already knows, your design choices are pretty limited.

You can get traditional or … traditional.

David and Christiane Erwin found themselves in that same position a few years ago when they were remodeling their Mid-Century Modern residence in North Central Austin. They wanted a modern door that would match the rest of their house.

“I told my contractor exactly what I wanted, but he came back and said it didn’t exist,” David said. “I didn’t believe him. I mean, how hard could it be?”

But after many Google searches and visits to local home improvement stores, they realized that if they were going to get the door they wanted, they would have to build it themselves.

And build it they did. And from that idea came Crestview Doors, the company that has quickly become the leading provider of new solid-wood doors inspired by Mid-Century Modern design. Although they have an Austin showroom and workshop, much of their visibility and business is generated through their website (pictured below).

“There are plenty of people out there who are looking to buy a modern door but would get by with something else if they didn’t find us,” David said. “They aren’t going to build it themselves.”

Many of the doors that Crestview offers were inspired by houses in the Erwins’ neighborhood nestled between Lamar Boulevard and MOPAC along Koenig Lane. What's constitutes a Mid-Century or Modern door? Mostly the windows -- multiple geometric and sometimes asymmetric windows are the usual defining characteristic. And although many of the Erwins' customers are on the coasts or in Austin, they have shipped their doors all over the country.

The Erwins didn’t plan on building a business, just a few doors almost as a hobby that would bring in a little extra income to supplement David’s job as a graphic designer.

“I thought I could build a door a month and make a few extra bucks for stereo equipment or guitars,” David said. He planned to post a few messages on Mid-Century and modern design message boards to gauge the level of interest. “I figured we’d do it for a year, do 12 doors, and see how things went.”

When the first 12 doors sold out in six weeks, the Erwins knew they were on to something. The challenge became how to keep up with demand. Although they never intended to build a business, it became clear late last year that David needed to quit his job as a graphic designer and focus full-time on Crestview Doors.

Today, that decision seems to be paying off. With a design studio and showroom a short bike ride from their home, David and Christiane have new equipment that allows them to produce a door a day. Now the Erwins are even looking into new products, such as DIY kits that provide people with windows and templates to customize their own doors. The Erwins are even experimenting with tiki/Space Age room dividers and screens.

Now when David walks through his local big box home improvement store and sees someone grimacing at the selection of doors, he knows that’s a potential customer.

“Most door manufacturers have gotten so caught up in the race for features, like R-value, that they have completely ignored the design aspect of their product,” David said. “What I want to do now is reach the people who, before they saw our designs, didn’t even know they wanted a modern door.”

Sigh! Bill Melendez Checks Out

2008-09-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Bill Melendez, the animator who brought 'Peanuts" to life through animation and who created an animated work of art with "A Charlie Brown Christmas" died this week at age 91.

Because his much-loved 1965 animated tone-poem to childhood and the Christmas season has become a classic, it's hard to appreciate how revolutionary it was. CBS thought Melendez and Charles Schultz were the blockheads for wanting to produce a cartoon without a laugh track, a jazz soundtrack, real child actors voicing the characters and quotes from the New Testament. Melendez and Schultz got their way, and the result was a holiday classic and six Emmy Awards.

Melendez is should be remembered not just for his animation, but also for his voicing work -- when Snoopy speaks, that's Melendez's voice. Perfect.

Austin’s Uptown Modern Sets The Standard

2008-09-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Although Texas has a number of really impressive Mid-Century Modern furniture stores, Austin’s Uptown Modern on Burnet Road has leaped to the top of my list of favorites with its mix of brand-name vintage furniture and decor, kitsch and designer sensibility.

We had a nice talk with the owner, Jean, about the state of the MCM in Texas and my wife and I found out something that we already knew – selling MCM is a tough go in Texas, and it isn’t just because so many people still want to live in a Tuscan villa or still buy into shabby chic. There are plenty of people who want modern furnishings, but they want to pay $200 for a sofa. That makes margins pretty tight.

Although Austin Modern and Room Service are still a couple of my favorite stores, Uptown Modern is a cut above with its Knoll credenzas, Bitossi and Raymor-inspired lamps with silk shades and Danish Modern sofas and chairs. The design sensibility is impeccable and the pricing is quite competitive on most items. Jean also carries an impressive array of MCM outdoor furniture.

My parents living room looked just like this growing up.

The yellow Dux sofa looks wicked cool with the chrome and glass table.

Monster flat screen TVs have given old modern credenzas new life, but old MCM lamps aren't quite as appreciated. Too bad because the quality blows away most of what is available today.

Jean started out collecting jewelry and she has a fantastic collection of jewelry in the front case.

I totally want these!

RIP Lou Teicher -- Makeout Music King

2008-08-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lou Teicher, half of the piano duo Ferrante & Teicher, whose florid and sentimental versions of movie themes and love songs made them gods of easy listening and earned them wide popularity beginning in the 1960s, died on earlier his month in Highlands, N.C. He was 83 and lived in Sarasota, Fla.

The album cover above really expresses what Ferrante & Teicher were all about -- makeout music for your parents (or grandparents). After "Bonanza" was over, get the kids in bed, mix up a pitcher of martinis, dim the lights and cue up the Ferrante & Teicher. Yeah ... it was definitely Mom and Dad time.

'Mad Men' Moves MCM Mainstream?

2008-08-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

From Ad Age: "Thanks to Don Draper, Joan Holloway and the gang, slim suits, skinny ties, sheath dresses and pearls are finding their way into the closets of consumers.

"'As far as TV shows go, ["Mad Men"] probably has the most influence [on fashion],' said Kevin Harter, VP-fashion direction at Bloomingdale's. 'And we're going to see this influence continue.'"

Pete and Tari at Shady Dell

2008-05-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

I'm more than a little behind with posting. How far behind? I've been meaning to post these photos since February. Pete Geniella is my colleague at West and Clear, my friend and one hell of a photog. When he and his lovely wife, Tari, made the drive from Fort Worth to San Francisco a few months ago, they stopped at the Shady Dell in Bisbee, Ariz. It's a wonderful little MCM anachronism that I must add to my travel to-do list. Sez Pete:

"A place like The Shady Dell has real potential to go overboard on the retro-nostalgia-George Lucas-PT Cruiser-Diner-Letterman’s Jacket-sock hop tip, but they managed to keep their pants on and delivery a pleasant, authentic experience."

For more photos, go to Pete Geniella Photography.

"This is a crime scene"

2008-04-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

Another MCM landmark bites the dust in Dallas. Click thru for the after pictures -- they'll make you sick. Sez Unfair Park:

"The neighbors knew something was up yesterday: Workers were in and out of the building, removing whatever they could salvage. But no way did they ever imagine that come 8 a.m. today that 2505 Turtle Creek Boulevard would be only an address -- a patch of land atop which now sits a pile of twisted metal and busted bricks that used to be an office building designed by the late Harwood K. Smith. "It's a crime scene," said one devastated neighbor this morning, surveying the wreckage cordoned off by yellow 'Caution' tape."

I keep thinking that one day people will wake up to how they are cavalierly destroying America's Mid-Century architectural heritage. But when they do, how much will we have lost?

Mike Wallace Online at the HRC

2008-04-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

Before there was 60 Minutes, there was the The Mike Wallace Interview. Broadcast journalist Mike Wallace's interviews from the television program which ran for two seasons in 1957 and 1958, will be available online on the Web site for the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

You can now watch interviews with Mid-Century luminaries such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Salvador Dali and Steve Allen. The only downside is you have to download their Media Player to few these. Still, I'm going to wear that thing out. I can almost smell the cigarette smoke now.

One Man's Trash

2008-04-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

I've always contended that the Dallas-Fort Worth area is better for finding MCM furniture than most people on the coasts might think. However, sometimes that ain't always true.

Consider the Hans Olsen table and chairs above. When he lived in NYC, my friend J found a set like that left out on the street for the trashman. Something that cool would never be out by the side of the road around here. The Big Apple got us beat there.

3825 Glenwood Dr., FW, 76109 - $365k

2008-03-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful old ranch in the heart of Fort Worth's hoity-toity Tanglewood neighborhood that would be a great home for some MCM enthusiast, but given its location, I'm betting someone is just about to turn this into their Tuscan dream home. Another ranch home about to bite the dust? Probably. Enjoy it while it lasts.

I Love a Good Stool

2008-02-08T09:14:00.001-08:00

And six of 'em ... even better! I have been on the hunt for the perfect stools for my breakfast bar at El Rancho Deluxe, and today the quest was complete.

It's hard to find two or three awesome MCM bar stools. Today, I found SIX. Here's the check. Thank you very much. Plenty of MCM goodness remains at the Anne Bourland estate sale on 4009 Hildring in the 76109 part of FW.

1744 Martel, Fort Worth, 76103 -$179k

2008-02-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

I love this house. I mean, I LOVE THIS HOUSE. It's another beautiful Mid-Century Ranch on the much-maligned East Side of Fort Worth at 1744 Martel on Scenery Hill. This 1951 ranch is 3,200 sf (!) with a kitchen to die for -- metal cabinets, a Frigidaire Flair range (Appliance Porn alert!), and a semi-circular breakfast bench. If I were in the market, I would buy this house. However, the extreme downside is that you are probably looking at three gas wells in your backyard in the very near future. Not good. Still, I hope this baby finds the right buyer.

609 Candlewood, Fort Worth 76103 - $181k

2008-02-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

East Fort Worth is much neglected and much maligned, but there are some awesome Mid-Century houses there. Take for instance 609 Candlewood. Very ranchy and modern. A spacious 2,700 sf. A killer view of downtown. $181,000. Unbelievable!

Unfortunately, a lot of people don't want to live on the East Side. Too bad. I hope that attitude changes and I hope this house find the owner it deserves.

Allan Melvin, R.I.P.

2008-02-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

Allan Melvin, the veteran character actor best remembered as Alice's main squeeze Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, went to the Big Casino a few weeks back. He was 84. For a remembrance of Melvin, check out this very thorough post on I'm Learning To Share.

Craigslist Furniture Update

2008-01-30T15:35:00.000-08:00

Been while since I did one of these, but here are a couple of cool things in Arlington

Danish Modern coffee table: One owner, purchased in 1964. No-name modern. Teak. Will accept reasonable offers. The Dimensions are L -67 " H-17" W-25". $175.

Two green vinyl chairs: Original Vinyl in good shape. One has a couple very small dings in the vinyl but nothing major. Metal base. $50.

Rhapsody of Steel

2008-01-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

Once on an old TV sitcom, I saw a bellboy ask for a tip. The cigar-chomping fatcat he was helping told him, "Buy U.S. Steel."

Well, U.S. Steel may have faded from its mid-century prominence, but some of their work endures, and not just in buildings and '57 Chevys. Rhapsody of Steel, was an industrial film like no other.

Not only did the U.S. Steelers hire former Disney staffer John Sutherland to produce the film and Oscar-winning composer Dmitri Tiomkin to score it, they hired legendary stylists Eyvind Earle (Sleeping Beauty, Pigs is Pigs) and Maurice Noble (Duck Dodgers, How The Grinch Stole Christmas) to create the bold, colorful illustrations. To see some of the images from the film, visit the Hollywood Animation Archive.

Frank Sinatra Birthday Party To-nite!

2007-12-12T09:31:00.001-08:00

For those of you in Fort Worth, drop by Ricki Derek's fantastic new club, the Scat Jazz Lounge, for the Frank Sinatra Birthday Party for a ring-a-ding good time. The event is appropriately sponsored by Jack Daniels, the Chairman's drink of choice.

If you haven't been by the Scat Jazz Lounge, check out my review of the opening night festivities at West and Clear.

Fort Worth MCM Sale in Wedgwood

2007-11-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

Anne Bourland is at 3501 Lawndale, Fort Worth, TX 76133. Wedgwood house has a Heywood Wakefield king bedroom set and (Appliance Porn Alert!) an avocado green fridge. From Southwest Loop 820 exit Trail Lake and go south, staying in the left lane to take Woodway. Go south a mile to Lawndale and turn left. Mapsco 89Z. Hours are Friday and Saturday 10-5, Sunday 1-4.

Kaufmann House Up for Auction

2007-11-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

The Kaufmann House, a 1946 glass, steel and stone landmark built on the edge of Palm Springs by the architect Richard Neutra, has twice been at the vanguard of new movements in architecture — helping to shape postwar Modernism and later, as a result of a painstaking restoration in the mid-1990s, spurring a revived interest in mid-20th-century homes.

Now it's on the auction block with a presale estimate of $15 million to $25 million.

Such auctions are bringing a new level of scrutiny to a form that, little more than a decade ago, attracted so little notice that the Kaufmann House was being offered for sale as a teardown.

Although some preservationists would prefer that the houses like this one be tended by a public institution or trust that guarantees continued access for architecture students and scholars, one of the owners of the Kaufmann House, Beth Harris, begs to differ.

“It’s an odd thing, but the more money this house goes for, the better it is for preservation in my point of view,” she said. “I think it will encourage other people who have the income to go out and get places like these to restore, rather than just looking for some pretty palace somewhere.”

If it can get people to stop razing MCM houses to build McMansions, I hope she makes a bundle.

MCM Estate Sale in Dallas

2007-11-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

Looks like a good one at 5210 Pershing Street, Dallas, 75206 (Dallas Mapsco 35V). Russel Wright dining suite, Vladimir Kagan coffee table and end table, Samson Burman credenza, a pair of Baughman tub chairs, Heywood Wakefield chest and end tables.

Times are Friday & Saturday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Out of the Attic sales take cash, checks and credit cards (for purchases over $50.) And if you want the cool stuff, be there early Friday and be prepared to fight for it -- which is why I probably won't be there.

For a map, click here. For pictures, click here.

Fort Worth, Meet Ricki Derek

2007-10-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Fort Worth, you may not know Ricki Derek yet, but you will. That's because the Dallas-based jazz singer is coming to Fort Worth in a great big way.

In December, Derek is bringing jazz back to Sundance Square, filling the void left when the old Caravan of Dreams club closed its doors in 2001. His club -- the Scat Jazz Lounge -- located in the basement of the Woolworth Building, will bring sophisticated cool to the heart of Fort Worth.

But who is Ricki Derek? In Dallas, you can catch his show at the Cavern on Sunday nights or the Library Bar on Mondays. Maybe you can see him at one of the many private shows he plays for the hip hipsters -- weddings and such. His sound is Vegas cool swinging Mid-Century jazz. It's east to say he's a little bit of Frank Sinatra, a dash of Tony Bennett. But he really succeeds at being Ricki Derek -- a local original.

So take a few minutes to get to know him before he opens in Fort Worth. Drop by his Web site and listen to his music. My full interview with Ricki is available at West and Clear. Check it out and get hip to this guy's vibe!

Robert Goulet, R.I.P.

2007-10-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

I know I am only posting obits right now -- and I promise that will change soon -- but Robert Goulet went to the big casino yesterday. Above is one of my favorite Goulet album covers -- the man lounging in his Plycraft recliner, surrounded in a room wrapped in tin foil. I own that very same recliner, but even if I manage to wrap a room in tin foil, I could never be as suave as that cat.

Thanks for the memories, Bobby.

Moneypenny!

2007-10-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Lois Maxwell has left the building. My heart breaks!

The plucky Canadian said fewer than 200 words and was on screen for under an hour during her 23 years appearing in Bond films, but I couldn't imagine the series without her.

One of her best moments from Dr No in 1962:

Bond: Moneypenny. What gives?

Moneypenny: Me – given an ounce of encouragement. You never take me to dinner looking like this, James. You never take me to dinner, period.

Bond: I would, you know, only M would have me court-martialled for 'illegal use of government property'.

Moneypenny: Flattery will get you nowhere. But don't stop trying.

Presenting The Goldwaters

2007-08-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of these guys? The album is dreadful, but the cover makes me laugh. Believe it or not, I actually found an interview with one of the members on conelrad.com.

Sez the site: "In the pantheon of strange political gimmicks, The Goldwaters would have to rank fairly high on the list. Right up there with Michael Dukakis "boxer" action figures. The idea to assemble a conservative folk combo, have them record a bizarre, nearly unlistenable album and then put the group on the road with the 1964 Republican nominee for President was the warped brainchild of the Nashville-based Bates Brothers, Buford and Mark Clark. To fulfill their unique vision, the brothers recruited four kids with moderate musical skills from nearby colleges. The result was the Republican answer to the Chad Mitchell Trio."

If you're hooked, go read more. If not have a laugh and go on your merry way.

Cliff May House in East Dallas

2007-08-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

2519 Andrea, Dallas, 75228 -- $175k! Fabulous 50's Mid-Century Modern California Ranch by famous Architect Cliff May, one of only 45 in Dallas. Open floorplan,tons of windows,waterfall in fireplace,remodeled kitchen and baths, great pool, 4 houses from park. For more information, go to www.ranchostyle.com.

James Bond Knockoffs

2007-08-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

Although James Bond had his own brand of inimitable cool, there were still those who tried. Count Basie ... NOOOOO!

And then there were those who didn't even have the pedigree. This guy makes George Lazenby look like ... well, look like James Bond.

The Man With The Midas Touch

2007-08-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

If there is one song that really sounds like the sixties to me, it's Goldfinger. The lush opening orchestration really captures sexiness of the decade. And that's even before Shirley Bassey roars into action.

And as fantastic as this album is, the album below is the exact opposite. I picked this up the other day because how often can you find the Pussy Galore solo album? How bad is it? Unlistenable. But it's hanging on my wall, because Honor Blackman, I'll fly with you anytime. Just don't sing.

This Is Why I Go To Estate Sales

2007-08-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

My wife found this Russel Wright Pinch tumbler at an estate sale in south Fort Worth yesterday. We already have a ton of Iroquois and we wanted the glasses to go with the plates. However, whenever we found them, they were always priced at about $35 to $45 each. Yesterday, we found 11 for $4. Not each -- $4 for all 11. How sweet it is!

James Bond in ... Thunderball!

2007-08-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

I started to do a mondo James Bond post, but I decided to break these up over a few days to make it easier to read. I buy alot of records at estate sales, but I don't really start out to collect something. It just happens. Like the day I found the Thunderball soundtrack album.

Is Connery kickin' it here or what? Underwater scuba ninja fu -- awesome. Of course, then a few weeks later I lucked out and found the Esquire magazine below. But that cover is only the beginning.

These days, can you imagine a celeb being pictured on the cover and not even being discussed inside the magazine. Well, that's what happens here. And, once you get a look, you may not even care. Check these out, then stay tuned tomorrow for ... Gold-fing-ah!

Make Your Own Fallout Shelter

2007-08-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

Who needs duct tape and plastic sheeting? Check out this Flick set that includes a scan of a brochure from the Kelsey-Hayes Company, Detroit, MI for their pre-fabricated fallout shelters, circa 1963.

Some of those designs don't exactly look sturdy, but I find it hard to believe that the good people at the Kelsey-Hayes Company would try and profit from the fears of average Americans. Certainly something like that couldn't happen today, thank goodness.

Serge Gainsbourg Moment

2007-08-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well, not Serge Gainsbourg per se, but a song he wrote in 1965 for France Gall, "Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son." Here's France Gall performing the song for a 1965 Eurovision competition in Luxembourg.

Craigslist Furniture Update

2007-08-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Danish Modern Broyhill "Brasillia" Credenza (pictured) - $350: I'm nuts about the Brasilia line. I'd snap this up in a second.

Sears Mid Century Danish Modern HiFi Sterio - $450: Cool, but too expensive.

Classic 1950's "Baumritter" Mid Century Swivel Chairs! - $495: Very cool and would play nice in an eclectic interior.

Sunshine Yellow Broyhill Mid Century Dining Room Set - $2195: Someone call The Brady Bunch. We know who stole their furniture.

Pimp My Ride -- With A Nuclear Reactor!

2007-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Paul for sending me this: Concept cars of the past. That's my next car up there -- the 1961 Ford Seattle. It would have been powered by a nuclear powerplant. Swell!

Exercise Records

2007-08-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

From the archives, a few of exercise records. Listen, follow the instructions and watch those pounds melt away!

Jack Kerouac Awareness Month

2007-08-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it is really Jack Kerouac Awareness Month, but it is the 50th anniversary of the publication of On The Road.

Truman Capote once famously said of On The Road, "That's not writing. That's typing." And if you buy into the beatnik stereotype, you might just believe it. It's easy to imagine Jack sitting there at his typewriter, pounding out the book on one continuous ream of teletype paper, wacked out of his mind on Bennies. But that sells Kerouac a little short. He was a meticulous keeper of notebooks, and his records of his travels provided the foundation for on the road. And although his voice is often parodied as a beatnik caricature, I think the lyrical nature of his work hold up with anyone in the Pantheon of great American writers.

Although beatniks were often ridiculed as America-hating pinkos, nothing could be further from the truth. Jack Kerouac loves America and it shows in his writing from his descriptions of the great American landscape -- from big cities to small towns, from sea to shining sea -- to unforgetable characters like Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty and Carlo Marx. There's a lot to love about America. And you can find it in this book. Thanks, Jack.

Craigslist Furniture Update

2007-08-01T08:33:00.001-07:00

Things have been kind of slow on the Craigslist front lately, but there is some interesting stuff available now, like this super-bad Stow Davis desk for $1250 (pictured).

If you need some cool bedroom or bar furniture, there’s a ton of American of Martinsville available in Garland, including:

A bitchin’ bar for $259

A chest of drawers for $259

A dresser for $259

And a nightstand chest for $159

Last, there this cool no-name modern Yellow/ Gold Velvet Couch that’s kind of groovy for $100.

In Defense of Mad Men

2007-08-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

OK, we are two episodes into this thing and I'm starting to latch on to AMC new drama series, Mad Men. I'm getting interested in Don Draper and his philanderings and Peggy Olson's missteps trying to navigate the shark tank that is Sterling Cooper.

Of course, I dig the MCM trappings of the show. My wife and I spend a lot of our time going, "Wow, look at that!" or "Is that Wegner?" It gets a lot of the period details right. If you want to get a little of the MCM flava, check the link above for an episode 2 sneak peek (episode 3 is tomorrow at 9).

However, when I look at the comments on the Mad Men blog, it seems not everyone is latching on. More people are bitching about the amount of smoking or whether the IBM Selectric was a 1960 or a 1961. Some don't buy the story as believeable or realistic. Sez one commenter:

As the son of a Madison Ave creative director, I have to laugh. My dad worked for BBDO during this time and he says the show is complete BS, except that they got the decor of the offices right. Sure they drank and smoked, but the portrayal of how things went is totally overblown. It was an intense, high pressure job and there was alot on the line, but they didnt act that way. He also says that he NEVER heard the term "Mad Men" either. My mom was also a million times more sophisticated than the portrayal of the wife of the ad guy too. It's too bad everyone is buying this. I work in the TV biz myself, so I recognize that in an effort to "dramatize" things, a bunch of suits thought this would be good TV. Well, it seems the critics, who are probably too young to have any reference, bought it hook, line and sinker as well. Well done suits, but too bad its just another unrealistic drama...

And then there's this guy:

I worked on Madison Ave fot 2 agencies between 1953 and 1967. At one, i was part of the account team on Lorilard,(kent and newport cigarettes). Later, at Gillette was involv ed with Right Guard.
Where did mr. Weiner get his data, lots of it is not true. The staff was mostly WW2 vets, some with MBA,s from our GI bill-we worked hard, did not drink in the office and the secretary liasons were infrequent-about the same as in every company where bright, younger people work.we believed in our products and helped build the success that
these companies became. P.S-no one ever considered Right Guard as a female product-it was the breakthru product for men.
If your wryers want some unusual stories about agency life in the sixties,
I 'll be happy to share.

To which I respond: COME ON ... IT'S A TV SHOW! We are still in the exposition stage -- meeting the characters and establishing conflicts and plot points. Does anyone want to give this show time to develop other than me? And, by the way, this isn't supposed to be a documentary. It's not about how 1960 really was. It's about how we thought it was, and I expect the show to use this context to discuss issues of sex, race and other social attitudes.

I also expect the show to be less about 1960 and more about 2007. Although it's easy to sit around and watch the casual racism and sexual harassment and feel like things have really changed, I'm thinking that things haven't changed as much as we'd like to believe. Is it a set-up? Where is this show going? I'm curious and I hope enough of you out there give it a chance.

Stay Tuned!

Green MCM Remodel

2007-07-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

I found a pleasant little blog about a couple's re-model of a groovy MCM house in Portland, Ore. -- Green Mid-Century ReModel. They found a nice balance between incorporating new, green technologies and maintaining the period details of the house. And best of all, they have a kick-ass Frigidaire Flair in the kitchen. Check out the virtual walkthrough. It's pretty cool.

The Next Voice You Hear

2007-07-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

Generation Exploitation had a great post on the 1950 movie The Next Voice You Hear. The premise James Whitmore) is listening to the radio one evening when his regularly scheduled program is suddenly interrupted by the voice of the Christian God. As Generation Exploitation puts it: "One can't help wondering, given the year and the context in which the film was made, if this was MGM's attempt to get the House of Unamerican activities off their back. As in, 'See, we believe in God and America - we ain't no commies!' "

Of course, the irony of all this is Whitmore is actually an atheist. In a recent interview on XM Radio's Bob Edwards Show, Whitmore told Bob about how he grew up a very pious young man, an altar boy. However, after serving as a Marine officer through some of the worst fighting in the Pacific, Whitmore came home a changed man. He said that after seeing the things he saw in the war, there was no way he could believe in God anymore. Kind of sad, but it makes an interesting story.

Oh, and another piece of Whitmore trivia -- he played football at Yale, where his coach was his future President Gerald Ford. I remember Whitmore saying that they were related somehow, but I can't find any attribution for this.

Anybody Want Pancakes?

2007-07-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

One of my all-time favorite album covers -- combining my love of children's television in breakfast foods in one tasty combo.

Happy Birthday, Bakelite

2007-07-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's graced everything from Kodak cameras to Russian World War II fighters and as of this month, Bakelite turns 100. In July 1907, Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland applied for a U.S. patent on a substance he dubbed Bakelite, the first "true" synthetic plastic. For more information on our little plastic friend, listen to this NPR segment on Bakelite, starring my old prof from the University of Texas Jeff Meikle, a plastics expert.

1535 Junior Drive, Oak Cliff - $775k

2007-07-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

A nicely updated ranch in the 75208. EXCELLENT kitchen update! Sea grass wallpaper! Lots of original details! Bravo!

TIVO Alert! "Mad Men" To-nite!

2007-07-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

AMC's new MCM drama Mad Men starts tonight at 9 Central. The buzz is good. Mi amigo Robert Philpot is raving about it. Will it make me forget The Sopranos? Give some Eames loungers, bullet bras and decent plots lines and you're on your way!

Dick Cheney: The Formative Years?

2007-07-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

There have been a few posts lately on Boing Boing about whether certain cartoons may have shaped the world view of our Vice President. Look and decide for yourself.

MCM Municipal Architecture in Fort Worth

2007-07-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

I'm borrowing this from a post on my other blog -- The Caravan of Dreams. It's my reaction to the Fort Worth AIA list of their 25 favorite buildings in Fort Worth. There's a few MCM gems on there -- the Amon Carter, Casa Manana, the Kimbell, the Marty Leonard Chapel and the Paul Rudolph-designed Anne Bass Residence. But I wanted to reflect on the merits of one overlooked aspect of Mid-Century Architecture, not just in Fort Worth and Dallas, but everywhere -- Municipal Government MCM. Here's one of my favorites right here in Fort Worth:

Fort Worth Public Health Building, 1800 University Drive, Fort Worth: I know it may not be sexy, but I have a soft spot for Mid-Century Modern municipal architecture, the sort of postwar government modernism that you are familiar with whether you grew up in the US or Europe. I don't know who designed it, and I guess it really doesn't matter. I love the glass, the brick, the angles and -- what is that? -- green marble? I don't know. There just something kind of optimistic about it. And I believe (but I'm not certain) that it has a date with the wrecking ball. (If someone out there knows for sure, please comment.)

However, I couldn't imagine this building holding off demolition for long. As Fred Bernstein wrote in an article for The New York Times in 2004, this style of architecture may be loved by some, but not by most: "In a society otherwise enamored of the styles of the 1960s, the architecture of that decade is rarely loved and frequently reviled. All over the country, '60s buildings are being torn down while much older buildings survive. Functional problems, like leaky roofs and inadequate heating systems, are often to blame."

Yes, it's mostly a matter of dollars and cents, but taste also has something to do with it. Bernstein continues: "But just as often, the buildings are simply disliked by institutions that have enough money to replace them."

This building and others like it may yet have their day, but I'm not expecting them to endure like the Courthouse and Post Office. This style is just not as easy for most people to love. And like many, many examples of Mid-Century Modern Architecture around the Fort Worth and Dallas area, I expect most of them to be gone before most people think preservation is important.

Appliance Porn for Thursday

2007-07-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Looks a little worn and over-priced, but here it is. 1949 Chambers model 90C, bought new and still in use. One owner and used in only 2 locations. Good condition and easily restorable. Color: white. Asking $900.00, OBO. Stove is in Waco, TX. See the DMN for details.

Great MCM Estate Sale in Lancaster

2007-07-12T07:59:00.001-07:00

And they have a Frigidaire Flair! Lots of tiki/bamboo style furniture. Looks like a treasure trove of kitsch! 508 S. Dallas Avenue, Lancaster, TX 75146. Runs Thursday through Saturday, 9a-5p. See thee DMN for more details.

Superman Is A Dick

2007-07-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hey, I don't make this stuff up, I just point you to it. This whole Web site -- www.superdickery.com -- is devoted to examples of Superman being ... well, being a dick.

Now, mind you, I've never thought of Superman is particularly being a dick. And I gotta say, if he wants to use his superpowers to ruin Pat Boone's career -- well, I'm kind of OK with that. He can use his heat vision to melt his white shoes, use his super strength to crush his silly little baby guitar. Go ahead. I'm fine with it. Really.

If that's being a dick, I say fine. Let me be a dick. I'm good with that.

Stop-Motion Green Giant

2007-07-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

Those old Jolly Green Giant ads I remember from the 1970s were kind of cool. This one from the 1950s ... it's just kind of scary.

MCM MB in FW

2007-07-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually one to go ga-ga for vintage wheels -- that's a level of bread and expertise I do not possess. However, this here 1963 Mercedes-Benz sedan is a something I've never experienced before -- a Mercedes with tailfins. It's available from European Motor Cars on White Settlement Road in Cowtown.

Remodel Done Right

2007-06-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article on a couple in Atlanta who remodeled a mid-century house by Cecil Alexander in the Buckhead neighborhood. Alexander is actually still alive and helped them with the restoration when he found out they weren't going to turn the house into a McMansion.

The 89-year-old Alexander studied architecture at Harvard in the 1940s under Bauhaus luminaries like Marcel Breuer and Walter Gropius. As a partner in the Atlanta firm Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothschild and Paschal (nicknamed Fabrap), he designed glass and concrete corporate buildings in Georgia, including headquarters for Coca-Cola and the regional power and phone companies.

Mr. Alexander also worked on half a dozen houses, but did not usually enjoy the process. “My clients, who were otherwise absolutely sane, would get nuts when having a house built for them,” he said. He seems to have let loose as a designer and approached an avant-garde style only once, with his own residence

10315 Gooding, Dallas - $359,900

2007-06-22T12:14:00.001-07:00

A bit of a re-muddle, but still kind of cool.