The State of Mid-Century Blogs

Someone on the Austin Reddit board asked which were the best thrift stores for mid-century furniture. Oh, how the Austin mid-century fans laughed knowing that every thrift store is picked over well before a reasonable person can expect to get there. It did however start a good list of vintage stores in Austin. So good that I updated my list, mainly by moving multiple stores to the “closed” section.

Doing so made me wonder about all the wonderful mid-century blogs I used to read. They don’t really show up in my RSS feed reader anymore. That’s because literally everyone is shut down or stopped posting years ago, even Retro Renovation. 

I have a sad feeling about it all. It feels like it was a Mad Men-inspired moment in time that’s probably passed. It also seems like a lot of it has shifted to social media. However, what I tend to find there is professional photography and vintage stores selling their wares. It’s a bit different.

I never considered Mad for Mid-Century finished, just on extended hiatus, but maybe it’s best to end it.

If you’re someone who used to read this blog and came back for a visit, thank you. I’m not sure if there will ever be additional content but I hope you enjoyed.

If you stumbled upon this mid-century blog for the first time through a Google search or some other means, please look around and give a read. I still check my MadforMidcentury email and comments are monitored.

And if you’re someone who’s still interested in reading a mid-century blog, let me know. I always wrote Mad for Mid-Century for myself but the community that was once around mid-century style and design was nice.

Our Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Remodel

We knocked a whole lot of items off our to-do list with a complete remodel of the kitchen and nook, including removing the wall, putting in a breakfast bar, new (matching) cabinets, new counters, new ceiling lights, new (matching) floor, replacing the back splash with tile and fixing all the electrical problems.

Before:

During

After

The Mid-Century Modern Art of Pyrex Designs

I've been hunting vintage Pyrex bowls at estate sales recently. They scream mid-century kitchen and look great even if you don't have a full set. 

Pocono Modern has an entire line of Pyrex-inspired art that you can hang right alongside your Pyrex collection. The Pyrex designs make a perfect transitions to paper, even when they're simplified and streamlined to give them a more modern look.

The good thing about Pyrex and Pocono Modern is that no matter what color your kitchen is, they probably have something that matches.

Mid-Century Exit Sign Typography

Sometimes you just have to look around you to find amazing mid-century design hidden in the details. This exit sign is in a 1950s building I'm in about once a week, but today was the first time I looked above the door to see it. I love the typography on it. The E that almost closes in a circle, the T that has a loop – you don't see signs like this much anymore in our sans serif, safe font world.

Mid-Century-Inspired Art by Human Shaped Robot

If the walls of your mid-century modern home could use a little more love and color, Human Shaped Robot has well-priced prints that can help. Their work has a modern grunge and pixel feel while still keeping true to its mid-century inspiration

If you want to add a little more kitsch to your kitchen, Just Like Moms is just for you.

Or if your media room needs something a little more analog, check out the Radio Dial.