Supai Motel - Seligman, AZ.
This sign is mid-last-century genius. Check out Stefanie’s Retro Roadside Photography on Etsy; she has taken many wonderful pictures of Populuxe signage and buildings.
sad. little. moon.
Mid-century modernism, populuxe, googie, and more
The house of The Incredibles. My dream home, mid-century modern at its finest.
I’m in love with how seriously Italians take not just the coffee that they drink, but also what they drink it out of.
To inspire whoever drinks a cup of coffee in a bar or at home. To engage not just the sense of taste and smell, but also the mind and the spirit: this was the revolution undertaken in 1992 by Illy, who has since brought a new appreciation to the nuances of a daily ritual that is too often performed quickly, automatically and distractedly.
The Illy Collection, by Matteo Thun
Kon Tiki Hotel, Phoenix
Named after the famous Kon-Tiki expedition, this hotel has one of the most extravagant cantilevered roofs in all of Polynesian pop architecture. Ending in an elongated A-frame frontage with outrigger beams, the roof is nothing less than a space-age jungle hut. The hotel also sported “gigantic tiki masks”, “twin torches that scorched the sky”, and “a volcanic-rock fire fountain” (Phoenix New Times).
This masterpiece was sadly torn down in 1993.
Welcome to a tiki wonderland!
Trader Vic’s (Scottsdale, AZ) opened in 1956 and quickly established itself as the cool, exotic, and chic place in town for the cocktail-loving suburbanite. Renovated and re-invented in 2005, it’s looking better than ever. Definitely somewhere near the top of my to-do list.
Laundromat. Such an innocuous word, such a magnificent sign.
Welcome to paradise!
The Caribbean Motel, in Wildwood New Jersey, was built in 1957 by Lou Morey. It was a doo-wop masterpiece.
In 2004, the Caribbean Motel was purchased by its new owners, George Miller and Carolyn Emigh. Rooms were renovated based upon designs by New York-based interior designer Darleen Lev, and are a re-interpretation of classic 1950s kitsch, combining vibrant colours and giddy optimism with a flare for the exotic.
Visit their website here and check out their photo gallery.
Southgate Shopping Center, built 1957. Populuxe perfection made famous by its use in Edward Scissor Hands.
The world’s oldest operating McDonald’s located in Downey, California. Distinct populuxe arches and tilted roof. The restaurant was built in 1953.
