Lifestyle
Mid-century modern art, culture, and living at its finest
That Magic Glow
Once loved, then reviled, the world of neon art is back in lights—from Los Angeles to San Francisco
Dress to Express
Folks who go retro say it’s all about steppin’ out in style, self-assertion and hunting for clothes
Clay Artist Thinks Big
Once Fresno's best-kept secret, visionary Stan Bitters finds newfound popularity with dazzling grand-scale art he calls 'environmental ceramics'
Dance of a Lifetime
From her legendary open-air deck, dance pioneer Anna Halprin carried on a free-flowing connection between inside and outside
Magical Modern Tradition
Nostalgia and emotion move grandson to keep alive his family's mid-century Christmas tree creation
Eye for the Fantastic
San Francisco artist Michael Murphy celebrates the remarkable and 'forgotten' through his unique, brightly colored abstractions of modern architecture
Fielder's Choice
When San Francisco Giants great Willie Mays ran into the 'color barrier'—then turned to Eichler for a stylish new home
Taking the Plunge
Original art makes the house look great—but it’s oh so easy to get hooked along the way
Jewelry of Our Times
San Francisco artist Margaret De Patta turned ornament into wearable modern sculpture
Catnip for Connoisseurs
Living a dream incognito, hard-working El Gato Gomez churns out art for those who like things sleek and stylish
Plastic Fantastic Living
Disneyland's spectacular 'Monsanto House of the Future' combined science, showmanship and dreams
Bible of the West
How Sunset magazine won over everyday Californians with images of mid-century modern and guidance that lifted their lives
How Ad Men Found Freud
Nostalgic and even laughable in retrospect, print ads of the mid-century underscore the era's genuine desires and anxieties
His Royal Hipness
When verbal jazzman Lord Buckley held court— wailing away way-out humor with a touch of the divine
Whimsy in Wood
Pushing the limits, woodworker Michael Cullen blends serenity of color and texture with a modern, stripped-down feeling
Visionaries on the Wing
As the Bay Bridge reopening nears, lost in the hoopla is Frank Lloyd Wright’s forsaken ‘Butterfly’ design—the most beautiful span of all
Space to Grow
Mid-century modern homes continue to make it easy for kids to run free, enjoy nature and dream
Eichler for the Weekends
Under a playful blanket of snow, the magical A-frame retreat makes a carefree connection with the ‘real you’
