patina decor: mid-century modern shopping in vegas and blogworld #NMX

I am spending the early part of this week in Las Vegas attending BlogWorld -New Media Expo 2013 #NMX. This morning one of the key note speakers was @GuyKawasaki, who is as about as down to earth as you can get for a technology thought leader and successful venture capitalist. Here are four big things I got from his interview:

1. He owns no IOS devices (but loves Apple)
2. He thinks Google+ is THE BIG THING and we can all be in on the ground floor, 
3. He believes, for all intents and purposes as far as relevancy, Microsoft is dead. "If you wait by the river long enough, you'll see your enemy come floating by,"
4. He is also fore-telling the end of big publishers controlling the book market, as evidenced by his book on self-publishing APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur-How to Publish a Book (I bought it on impulse during his interview, it is actually really interesting butI don't have any plans to self-publish a book -- yet). 

Iconic Stratosphere, Las Vegas, NV, off of Las Vegas Blvd.
as seen from Main Street.

Las Vegas is also a hot bed of new mid-century modern, retro and vintage stores. I took this opportunity to run down to Main Street and Casino Center to see the shops, some less than a year old, that have been established in Antique Alley in the Las Vegas Arts District.

First up was Patina Decor. Honestly, I was beyond impressed.

Patina Decor
Mid-Century Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

1211 South Main Street
Las Vegas, NV 89104

(720) 261-9290

Patina Decor

Rebecca's 5 Point Rating Scale (1-not-so-great and 5-fabulous):

• Store Size / Inventory - 4.5 (Small size store which is crammed to the gills with the most interesting items that can be squeezed into a single store front. The owners are seeking larger space.)
• Merchandise Quality  - 5 (Oh, do they know their stuff. It is not often that I have seen Knoll sofas laid out next to Holmgaard glass objects.The paintings are really nice too and art is obviously a specialty of the proprietors.)
• Organization - 5 (Exceptionally well organized. It is tight quarters so look around very carefully. I wandered up and down the center aisle several times, spotting new items of interest on every trip.)
• Pricing - 5 (The prices here are good as far as I am concerned. The glass prices are reasonable as is the furniture. The owners are charging at or slightly below market value and have high quality items.)
• Service - 5 (I spoke to Kate Aldrich, who is the wife of Tim Shaffer. Tim is the "buyer" for the store. I broke something in the shop ... Kate was lovely. I inquired about a painting and she said her husband would drive it to me and I live in Southern California ... she was lovely. Did I mention she was lovely?)

Total Rating is 5 (out of 5 stars)

Link to Yelp Reviews

I was most impressed with how high end Patina's merchandise is and how well curated. Kate and Tim are NOT stocking kitschy mid-century. Their decor would look appropriate in any Case Study home (for the most part) and certainly very appropriate in any current day contemporary home. Here is a sample of their wares (iPhone photo tour, apologize in advance for picture quality).


This Lucite bar cart is in perfect condition.

Lucite bar cart

Kate called the incredible assortment of glassware and pottery "smalls" and said that she and Tim liked focusing on "smalls" as well as larger furniture and art pieces. They do a great job. I have such a thing for mid-century modern glass.

I loved this chartreuse glass bowl from Italy. About $190 if memory serves me right. Super tempting.

But this fair sized, obviously mid-century covered bowl was only about $60. Reasonable, huh?

The Holmgaard blue bottle was almost mine. They are offering for $225 I think, which is a really fair price.

Just look at the barware! Beautiful.

Lovely little dining room set. Danish modern probably. Okay, there is some kitschy stuff here. It was the 50's. Hard to avoid.

 Another cool chair (not a Knoll womb chair but in that vein?). Looks absolutely perfect.

More beautiful "smalls." All reasonably priced.

A little Russel Wright for Dana, in my favorite color.

I bought this little beauty. Wasn't a giant ton of money. Raymoor Italy ($40 if you must know and remember, I broke something in the store too).

Okay, now I fall apart because I don't know mid-century furniture that well. I love this dresser.

Great piece of metal sculpture. Would look classy in any mid-century modern home, or contemporary home. Great colors.

 Awesome lucite lamp.

Lots of lamps as a matter of fact.

I was so eager to take a picture of this Rosenthal Netter Bitossi pot, I broke a little mug. I should have bought this pot because it matches other pottery I have. But, I wouldn't have been able to get it home, and didn't feel like shipping. It was less than a $100 but I can't remember how much.

Beautiful glass coffee table.

Vaseline glass naked lady ashtray or bowl. I love vaseline glass because it glows in the dark under black lights. I actually have a few pieces. It dates pre-mid-century.

Perfect accent chars. Adore the red hot color.

 Fantastic mirror wall hanging. The sharp toothy thing looks to be a metal color shark part.

Another fantastic Lucite lamp in utterly perfect condition. It would look great in any home. Just needs an updated shade probably.

Fabulous blue Knoll sofa. So perfect. Original upholstery I believe. $4,200.

Now my favorite... for $900 the 1950's modernist reversible painting. I really want this. Here is the front.

And here is the back.

Which side is better? Hard to pick. I think I love the lady. But I also love the abstract piece on the back.  I see at least two to three figures scribbled on it. Fantastic.

Patina Decor is well laid out, and fully stocked with reasonably priced, one-of-a-kind treasures. A Vegas MUST SEE (for us mid-century modern folks). I could easily drive up with a truck and load-er-up. Maybe someday I will.

I have a few more mid-century vintage shops from Vegas to share, which I will, later this week.

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