Star Tribune names MidModMen+friends “Best in MN” (and we’re blushing)

Posted on by

Best of MN_collageThe Star Tribune, Minnesota’s largest daily newspaper, has named MidModMen+friends as the best “Midcentury Furniture and Accessories Store.” The accolade is in the paper’s 2013 Best of MN special section.

MidModMen+friends launched in October 2012 as a pop-up shop with an expected life span of three months. But customer and neighborhood response was so positive — and sustained — that just one month into the retail experiment the store’s partners decided to transition from pop up to permanent.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to be located in an area that’s a hub for vintage style,” said store owner Neal Kielar. “This informal ‘retro loop’ along the Green Line light rail route has long been anchored by Succotash, one of the most highly regarded retro stores in the region.

‘We owe a lot of our success to the trail that they blazed over the past two decades, and also for the incredibly warm welcome they’ve extended us,” he added.

Shag, Spinario and Classic Retro @ Pete’s – along with MidModMen+friends – are all part of the retro loop and within blocks of each other. Only a little further away are even more vintage stores with a mid-century focus, including Up Six Vintage and Sideshow Vintage.

MidModMen+friends is located at 2401 University Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55114, one-half block west of the Raymond Avenue intersection. Hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM. Special store hours, events, inventory postings and other information is available at Facebook.com/MidModMen.

Further reading on this topic at the Mid-Century Vibe blog.

More retro stuff! MidMod(Flea)Market clearance sale May 18-19

Posted on by

MidMod(Flea)Market

We’re extending our clearance sale, with more furniture, lighting, glassware and decor bargains in the store Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19, from 11 AM-5 PM each day:

  • Mid-century furniture: chairs, dressers, end tables, coffee tables and more
  • Vintage industrial: chairs, carts and lighting
  • Vintage and modern glassware, barware & accessories, dinnerware, serving pieces
  • Retro lighting, artwork and decor

MidModMen+friends
2401 University Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55114-1507
- 1/2 block west of Raymond Avenue, around the corner from Key’s Restaurant
- We accept Mastercard, VISA, American Express, Discover
- PARKING on Raymond and nearby streets

STORE HOURS
- Saturday & Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM
- More information at Facebook.com/MidModMen

MidModMen visits NYC’s Fashion District: Chapter 2 – Pilgrimage to Mood

Posted on by

Neal_at_Mood_EDIT

Visiting Mood Designer Fabrics in the New York City’s Fashion District was a pilgrimage of sorts. Here comes the confession…I actually watch “Project Runway” and Mood is a recurring character of sorts on the show. And inasmuch as I also work in television and was staying just around the corner, well, I had to go. Plus, I wanted to meet house dog Swatch – and I did get to commune with her a little fulfilling my dog fix for the trip. (Does this sound like too much rationalizing?)

The space is much tighter in reality compared to what you see in “Project Runway.” Kudos to the camera crew for operating in such tight space and getting great shots of the aisles of fabric. I’m still not sure how the contestants run around the store during the shopping segments. The store entry is on the third floor, which is actually the middle of three floors of merchandise. An internal stairway takes you up one floor to additional clothing fabrics and down to second for upholstery fabric (my area of interest).

Mood is open to the public and a great people watching experience. But you’re really going to go for the goods, plus a few surprises.

Mood_fabrics_collage

Top/bottom image: Remnants bin – remnants!  Middle images: Bolts and bolts, rows and rows stacked floor to ceiling of every kind of fabric and embellishment. For a guy who doesn’t sew (and only irons reluctantly) it was a little overwhelming at first.

Mood_moodbaords_collage

Inspiration boards are posted all around the store.

Mood_mannequins_collage

Don’t miss the display of vintage mannequins, which come in real people’s sizes.

Pillows_collage

Mood comes to Minnesota: We scored three pairs of pillows designed by Mood staff using high-end fabrics and precise construction. (I had to really search to find the craftily hidden zippers.) Each set is one-of-a-kind, and we picked the ones we thought would most appeal to our customers. We had them shipped here and NOW they’re coming to our store on May 10. We’re open Saturday-Sunday from 11 AM-5 PM each day, so come early to get the set you want!

MidModMen visits NYC’s Fashion District: Chapter 1

Posted on by

As a retailer of vintage and modern home decor, we are in the design business. That gives us an appreciation for design in other sectors, too. So, it was in that spirit that we recently visited New York City’s famed Fashion District and brought back some images to share.

Visitor-center_collageFashion District Visitors Center on Seventh Avenue & West 38th Street.

 

Streetscape_collageFashion District neighborhood, including the famed Parsons School.

 

Displays_collage

Storefront displays that take window shopping to a new level.

 

Watch for “MidModMen visits NYC’s Fashion District: Chapter 2″ for a look inside Mood Designer Fabrics. Plus, s sneak peek at exclusive merchandise we scored for our store, MidModMen+friends.

 

Thaden-Jordan molded wood dining table & chairs | circa 1947-1951

Posted on by

Thaden-Jordan_collage

It’s amazing to think that molded wood technology is relatively new. It was borne out World War II innovations in materials and today is as common as…plywood. Herbert Von Thaden and Donald Lewis Jordan were two of the innovators, and after the war founded the Thaden-Jordan Furniture Corporation.

They ported their combined expertise from manufacturing airplane parts to designing and building furniture, including this bent wood dining set circa 1947-1951. With styling cues reminiscent of airplane design, these pieces were produced in limited quantities, making them collectible today.

The set we offer is all original with both the structure and finish in excellent condition. The dining table includes an additional leaf and there are four chairs with cut-out backs.

Table dimensions: 40″ long x 31″ wide + 14″ leaf.

Contact us for pricing.

dsc08989

Rare Conant Ball ‘Norsemates’ Room Divider

Posted on by

dsc08989BELLE OF THE (CONANT) BALL | $2,150

The +friends contingent of MidModMen+friends (Mid-Century Vibe) made an amazing vintage find in this rare Conant Ball Norsemates room divider.
It’s made of solid birch and measures 52″ wide x 19″ deep x 62″ high. This piece is designed to float in a space, which means that is finished on all sides.
Although the Norsemates line was popular, this particular piece was not widely sold, making it a rare find – especially in this condition.
To learn more about this piece and see an original newspaper ad visit the Mid-Century Vibe blog.
Come see it at the store: MidModMen+friends, 2401 University Avenue. St. Paul, MN 55114. We’re open Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM.
Conant-divider_3
Ideal for defining functional areas in an open space.
Conant-divider_old-ad
Vintage newspaper ad that shows optional components that were available.

SOLD: Bozak 302A speakers circa 1958

Posted on by

IMG_4746 IMG_4747 Hi-fi stereo technology came into its own in the 1950s with the advent of the 33-1/3 record and improvements in sound reproduction. That included high-end components like these Bozak B-302A speakers.

They are circa 1958 and come in end table-sized walnut cabinets that are 24″ wide x 20″ deep x 30″ high. The speakers themselves have been rebuilt with these components:
Alnico magnet drivers:
- 1 B-199A Woofer
- 2 B-200X Tweeter
- 1 B-209A Midrange
- 1 N10102 Crossover Network rebuilt with WonderCap capacitors

MidModMixer event features stash of vintage barware

Posted on by

MidModMixer_collage_2

(St. Paul, MN) April 1, 2013 – The critically acclaimed AMC cable network series “Mad Men” returns April 7, and MidModMen+friends is taking that as a cue to host an in-store event celebrating the “cocktail culture” of the 1950s and 1960s.

MidModMixer is a special sales event April 5 through 7 featuring an extensive selection of vintage glassware, bar accessories, serving pieces and even bar carts – all in a “Mad Men” style.

“Cocktail culture is like an uncredited recurring character on the show,” says Neal Kielar, MidModMen+friends partner. “Even though most of us consume less alcohol these days there’s no reason that when we do drink it shouldn’t be done with a bit of panache.”

Vintage glassware and bar accessories are a staple at the store, but Kielar explains that for this weekend and the next they will have an unusually large and diverse inventory.

“We have some fairly rare pieces, and everything is in ready-to-use condition,” he says. Some of the glassware is trimmed in 22k gold, there are crystal decanters, retro ice buckets and even an ice bowl with pink elephants.

There will be bargains, too. The store is inviting customers to create their own set of glassware from a special selection of glasses – all in the same sizes but with different designs.

The MidModMixer sales event kicks off Friday, April 5, from 4 to 9 PM, with an open house. It continues Saturday and Sunday with regular store hours of 11 AM to 5 PM. For more information about the event, visit Facebook.com/MidModMen and look at the events link.

MidModMen+friends is located at 2401 University Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55114, one-half block west of the Raymond Avenue intersection. The store carries furniture for every room, from Danish teak to pieces designed by some of the most iconic names in mid-century décor.

 

Like his designs, resources about Paul McCobb are both beautiful and practical

Posted on by

76124_177693055580952_8302843_nWhile researching some chairs we acquired that were purported to be Paul McCobb-designed, I stumbled across several information resources about the celebrated mid-century designer. McCobb’s designs are sought after and thoroughly modern even 60 years later. He’s worth knowing about, so here are some resources for diving in:

By the way, it turns out that the chairs ARE Paul McCobb — and rare ones at that from his Predictor line of furniture. We’re in the process of restoring them and hope to have them in the store this spring. Here’s what we’re aiming for after restoration. Just the chairs, mind you, but wouldn’t we love to find that desk!

69889_10200766884644993_78756777_n

365 Things To Do Twin Cities features MidModMen+friends

Posted on by

newlogobanner

MidModMen+friends is the latest featured business on the 365 Things To Do in the Twin Cities web site, blog and social media streams.

365 Things To Do has pledged to feature a local Twin Cities business or organization each day in 2013 to boost local activity and serve its readers. MidModMen+friends is featured January 30, and gives an overview of the store, its philosophy and offerings.

Included is a special discount to 365 Things To Do readers: a 25% discount on most art, music and books in the store during store hours Feb. 2-3 and 9-10. The store is open 11 AM to 5 PM each of those days.

MidModMen+friends
2401 University Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55114
Facebook.com/MidModMen
Phone: (612) 234-1201
E-mail: MidModMen@gmail.com

Like MidModMen+friends on Facebook