Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/977271
when movie stars, politicians and publishers escaped the cities to imbibe in this desert oasis with its sleek architecture. Icons in furniture design emerged such as Le Corbusier with his time- less Lounge Chair in1929, the Barcelona Chair by by Ludvig Mies van der Rohe in 1929, Charles & Ray Eames Molded Plywood Chair in1946, the Noguchi Coffee Table in 1948, Eero Sarinen's Tulip Armchair in 1955, and the iconic Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen in 1958. By the mid-'90s, a niche market of collectors had already driven up prices of the original mid-century designs. A New York Times article notes that an original Eames molded plywood folding screen, which had been out of production, was worth as much as $10,000 in 1994. In December 1999, a George Nelson Marshmallow sofa sold for an unprecedented $66,000. A year later, two George Nelson Pretzel armchairs sold for just over $2,500 apiece, while a 1965 George Nakashima cabinet sold for $20,700. Once your eye embraces the smooth lines of molded chairs, sultry vel- vets and daring bold geometrics of this style of design, you will be hooked. The market for these mid-century finds has exploded in the last 10 years. Collectors aren't just snapping up vintage Eames lounge chairs, they are bidding on one-of-a-kind pieces at auction for ridiculous prices in the mil- lions of dollars. If you love low-slung sofas, cigar leather, cocktails and "Mad Men" fash- ion, you are dreaming of Mid-Century Modern style. It's a masterful inter- pretation of modernism, merging the movement's simplicity and poetic repetition of aesthetics with a touch of Star Wars thrown into the mix. Marjorie Snow is a published writer and photographer with a vast knowl- edge of antiques and their history. Snow was the owner of Terra Cotta in Las Vegas, an exclusive architectural vintage gallery, which has been featured in numerous West Coast magazines. Clockwise from top: 1970s wall art of mixed metals in the 'Brutalist' styling, a rare set of Mid-Century barware depicting inebriated gentlemen, and a signed 1960s Murano chandelier by designer Veninni. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 8 89 Mid-century pieces provided by Patina Decor Las Vegas