Belleville has a good deal of cool mid-century modern architecture, and one example of this is the former Associated Bank building on East Washington that was designed by Eugene Hausmann and Lyman Wiesenstein in the 1960s as the Citizens’ Bank and Trust Co. The thing that immediately catches my eye are the circles in the windows…they suggest bubbles floating up to the sky:
The entrance itself also has a cool mid-century modern aesthetic:
I’m not sure what is currently planned for this building, but I hope it finds some use, because it is a fantastic example of my favorite type of commercial architecture!
I have mixed feelings about our town’s City Hall. On the surface, I should love it. Built in the 1950s, it has a great mid-century modern vibe. It has a lovely archway in front, and fantastic windows. But I have seen pictures of the old City Hall, and it was an amazing, old, imposing, building, and I have some sorrow that it was torn down and replaced with something much less stately. But it is what it is, and like I said, I do appreciate the mid-century design of the current building.
A real treat can be found inside the building…the familiar outline of the town fountain, against a background of beautiful mid-century tile work!
Sometimes I wish I could see our downtown the way it was, with the old grand City Hall adjacent to the equally grand old county courthouse building on the town square, but I do appreciate the design of this building as it is now (even though I will always think the “new” county building is an eyesore!).
One thing I really wanted to see when we were in Minneapolis is the Northwestern National Life Building. I had stumbled across a picture of it online, and I knew I needed to see this mid-century marvelous beauty for myself. I was not disappointed.
I love the way the tall arches contrast with the sharp line of the roof:
The glass is something to behold, too:
And the use of water out front to offer a reflective surface to lengthen the lines of the building is outstanding!
I’m so glad I actually got to see this gorgeous building!
On the third day of our trip, we set out to see as many things as possible, beginning with the Cathedral of St. Paul in…well, St. Paul! The skyline of the Minnesota state capital is smaller than that of Minneapolis, but I still enjoyed seeing it, and there was something charming and cozy about the city that I really enjoyed!
The cathedral was absolutely stunning…it reminded me of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis in some ways, and was very different in others.
After we toured the whole cathedral, we drove by the Capitol Building:
And then made our way back to Minneapolis, where we found a good view of the skyline:
And a local landmark, the Witch’s Hat Water Tower:
I really wanted to see the Northwestern National Life Building, which is absolutely mid-century marvelous!
We drove around a bit more, and saw the flagship Target store and the Mary Tyler Moore statue, but it was so busy downtown we couldn’t find parking to get out anywhere. Then we stopped at the Basilica of St. Mary. It wasn’t open for tours, but we did walk all the way around it, and it too is a grand and beautiful building.
We stopped by Lyndale Park where we saw some lovely fountains and flowers:
And enjoyed a meal with friends at D-Spot. I had a burger with cheese curds on it, and there were wings with lavender…such brilliant and unexpected culinary offerings!
One more stop at Caribou:
And then a little excitement back at the hotel. Just as Ryan, Turkey, and Ladybug were ready to leave to see the Sonic Symphony at the Orpheum Theatre (the main reason we chose Minneapolis as the destination for our trip), the power went out, and then the fire alarm went off. There were rumors of flames, and I did smell smoke, but in the end, they allowed us to return to our rooms, and the power came back on not too long after. It was a weird time, with a wedding party in full dress and various motorcycle clubs standing around the parking lot (the two main groups staying at the hotel that weekend), and later on the balconies of the hotel, but there was a nice sense of community about the whole thing…I just wish our room hadn’t been on the 7th floor, because that was a lot of flights to climb down in the mostly dark (and then back up again…we didn’t trust the elevator while the power was out, even though it was operating!).
Anyway, they made it to their concert in the middle of the hotel chaos, and I’m told a good time was had by all.
The Catholic Charities building in St. Louis, located right next to the Cathedral Basilica, is one of my favorite examples of mid-century modern architecture in the city. It’s not just that it’s round (which is a huge plus!), but also the windows and the lovely metalwork in the squares encircling the middle of the building…it is absolutely mid-century marvelous!
I’m so excited about this year’s holiday collection from Erstwilder!
“Modern Holiday” is a mid-century take on traditional holiday symbols. There were so many choices, from Christmas trees and snow globes to pieces appropriate for Hanukkah. They all have a bright color palette and geometric shapes in common, and that just screams “mid-century modern!” I had a hard time narrowing my options down, but in the end, I chose my very favorite piece from the collection, “Jingle Bell Rock,” as well as “Make My Wish Come True,” a stained-glass star. I love that these pieces are so unique and frankly somewhat unexpected compared to more traditional Christmas pieces, and I’m looking forward to wearing them all season!
It seems that every year, I like the new Splendette Christmas collection even better than the last. This year’s is something special, with both candy cane striped bangles and bangles inset with Christmas baubles, and they look fantastic with some of my pieces from previous years!
Today I’m taking a look at the new “Breeze Blocks” collection from The Oblong Box Shop. It’s the perfect mid-century modern design in style, color, and pattern!
If you’re unfamiliar with the term “breeze blocks,” it refers to a mid-century architectural style (which is based on older Japanese designs), of patterned concrete blocks which provide privacy, shade, and circulation, and were especially popular in areas with warm climates like Palm Springs. The patterns varied, and they were found on homes as well as larger-scale buildings like department stores. The Oblong Box Shop collection, which features the colors orange and turquoise (great mid-century shades!), includes pieces such as skirts, dresses, sweaters, caftans, and even a cool handbag. I chose the skirt in orange (which has the standard moveable button that I’ve come to love on skirts from The Oblong Box Shop!), as well as the bag, which is well-made, a nice size, and has both a handle and a removable strap:
This was a fun outfit to accessorize, especially since I don’t usually have a lot of reasons to wear a fully orange Splendette stack!
I love how obviously in-your-face the mid-century look of the outfit is!
I know orange can be intimidating to some people, but I really love this shade!
I’m looking forward to styling this in different ways, and trying some bold color pairings!
The St. Louis Central Library is like a cathedral for books. It is a truly remarkable building. But even before I saw that library branch, I was intrigued by another member of the St. Louis Public Library family…the Buder Branch at 4401 Hampton.
This was actually one of the first buildings I noticed when we moved to St. Louis over 15 years ago, probably because it was located right by the Target store at which we first shopped. The turquoise details, the windows, the unique shape all make it a very notable structure.
The interior, while modern, also fits the exterior of the building perfectly.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the library is the spiral staircase, which goes from the basement to the third floor, and is flanked by curved windows made of wavy block glass.
The library wasn’t the first resident of this building. It was originally built as the Hampton Bank of St. Louis in the 1950s (which explains the mid-century modern vibe), and was also home to Missouri Savings and Loan and the Metropolitan Sewer District of St. Louis. The library moved in in 1998, relocating from another mid-century modern building on Hampton which now houses the Record Exchange. It’s good to see this unique building serving the community and busy with students, families, and other people who have a love of books and learning!
Mid-century modern design has really grown on me in the last few years, so when I saw this cool mid-century house skirt from The Oblong Box Shop, I knew I had to have it. It was the perfect thing to wear to the St. Louis Modern exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum earlier this month (I can’t tell you how many staff members there complimented me on it!), and it’s also great for wearing on a day ending in “y” just like my “Jetsons” skirt from the same designer is!
Denialle Von Fitch, owner and designer of The Oblong Box Shop, has teased a mid-century modern furniture skirt, which will be available later this year…I can’t wait to add that to my retro collection, too!
