Changing face of modern real estate

The real estate meltdown may spell the end of the great 21st century housing bubble. But does it spell the end as well for high times for high modern?

Don't bet on it.

Throughout California, in many markets, including San Francisco, the East Bay, and Orange County, both tract and custom-designed mid-century modern homes are selling more quickly, and often for more than their comparable, non-architecturally distinctive rivals, precisely because they are out of the ordinary.

In some markets, prices have already returned to pre-boom levels, including San Mateo Highlands, where values had fallen 20 percent. "We weren't at our absolute high for very long," says Glenn Sennett, a broker in San Mateo. "We're back down now to 2004 prices. From 2004 to 2007, houses went up about 20 percent."

But bad news can be found also. More >

Ten dazzling kitchens:
oh-so-modern finalists
that channel inspiration

Congratulations to the mid-century modern homeowners behind the ten dazzling kitchens profiled this edition. They are the top-10 finalists of 'CA-Modern Magazine's Best Kitchen Remodel Contest.'

Our top-10 finalists were selected for their overall beauty and functionality and cohesion with the mid-century modern design aesthetic. They are kitchens that work well with the lifestyles of their respective homeowners, and at the same time pay respect to the homes' architectural tradition of clean lines and connection to the outdoors.

From out top-10 finalists, two winners will be selected -- one by reader's votes, the other by our own panel of judges. The two winners will be profiled along with their homes and kitchens in the Spring 2010 issue of CA-Modern magazine and edition of Eichler Network Online. Have a peek at our top-10. More >

Cutting-edge and crazy:
the unforgettable kings
of mid-century comedy

Some funny things happened on the way to the second half of the 20th century: America found new ways to laugh and new places to do it.

With shifts towards progressive theater, social issues, and psychoanalysis following World War II, performers uncovered plenty of source material for comedy and tantalizing ways to dish it up.

From the bounty of funny folk on the cutting edge who kept us in stitches into the second half of the 20th century, we've singled out a baker's dozen of some of the best, most meaningful, and most memorable. Join us on a time machine ride back to the 1950s to revisit Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, Shelley Berman, Phyllis Diller, and others. More >