Oklahoma Modern

The September issue of Oklahoma Magazine features a section on Mid-Century Modern. They asked me to comment on why Oklahoma seems to have more than its fair share of Midmod. The layout featured an excellent photo of a vintage Eames shell chair. From the September 2010 issue of Oklahoma Magazine . Mid-century Modern homes are easy to find in the large, urban areas of Oklahoma, as well as smaller cities and towns like Muskogee, Vinita and Enid. “I think part of the reason (Oklahoma has) more than our fair share of Mid-century Modern (art and architecture) might be the same reason we have an abundance of Art Deco,” offers Rex Brown, author of Oklahoma Modern blog. “The oil business brought with it wealth and a cosmopolitan attitude. The oil barons of the 1920s built impressive offi ce buildings and palatial homes in the cutting-edge style of the time – Art Deco. The ensuing years of post-war prosperity spurred another era of building – only the style that was consi

This Place Matters: Oklahoma church building featured on National Trust for Historic Preservation website . The unusual Hopewell Church in Edmond, OK was designed by Bruce Goff in 1948. Often referred to as the "tepee church," it was completed in 1951, but has sat vacant since 1989. But the National Trust hopes to preserve such iconic structures. You can learn more about the Hopewell Church, or help save it by spreading the word or making a financial contribution through the Trust's Community Challenge . Photo courtesy of Preservation Oklahoma

Certified Good Stuff Did you know you can sell your used designer or mid-century modern furniture on Lushpad? It's true. Classifieds are reasonably priced and wanted ads are free! Sign up for a free account and start listing your surplus modernica today! Shop Local Here's a handy link to all ads on Lushpad located in Oklahoma. This includes all listings, even wanted ads. But you can tweak it to your satisfaction! Oklahoma Listings on Lushpad Enjoy.

Last December the results of the "Downtown Tulsa Intensive-Level Historic Resources Survey" were published. In plain English that means an inventory of Tulsa's downtown architecture. The last such evaluation dates back to 1978, but this recent survey is much more exhaustive. Every building within the Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL) was reviewed. Structures were evaluated for their architectural and historic value- as well as structural integrity. Why go to all this trouble? According to the Tulsa Preservation Commission ... The purpose of the survey project was to document all properties inside the IDL in order to identify which portions of downtown are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, which would in turn make the properties eligible for Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit incentives. The final document identifies 88 structures that merit acknowledgment for their historic status. It also lists fourteen districts that deserve recognition for

Modern Mess The current issue of Fast Company magazine (December/January 2010) has an interesting article about one of the best known outlets for modern style: Design Within Reach. A Modern Mess: the Rise and Fall of Design Within Reach by Jeff Chu is an enlightening read, and a little disappointing. Maybe I'm just naive, but it was news to me that DWR was knocking off some of their most popular products. Most of this has happened in recent years, but one example dates back almost the to company's founding. Up until 2005 the iconic Barcelona chair available from Design Within Reach was actually a clone called the Pavilion. "I didn't feel that good about it... It bugged me ... " - Rob Forbes, DWR founder Apparently DWR finally got permission from Knoll to sell the genuine article- but the practice of touting design and then ripping off designers has tarnished their image for many longtime fans. To his credit DWR founder, Rob Forbes, seems regretful of tha

Last week I noticed new visitors to Oklahoma Modern being sent from Dwell magazine's website. Dwell is one of my fave magazines, so I was curious. I investigated and was delighted to find a new resource listing modern sites of regional interest- such as the one you're looking at now. Here's a link to the page which includes a map of the various sites sprinkled across our Great Land... Dwell's Regional Modern Website Map We don't really consider ourselves a "real estate" site, but that's okay (we're not based in OKC either). Shucks, when we started OK Modern we never thought we'd be in Dwell! We're flattered to be sharing pixels with cool sites like Houston Mod, the Eichler Network and Kansas City Modern. Thanks Dwell!