A successful MCM games night at home requires great food and drinks for you and your guests.
As the holidays pass and winter months coast by, the time is right for relaxing indoors. Some of my favorite pastimes during this time of year are casual gatherings for board game nights, snacking and cocktail-making.
Of course, a setup of this nature is deserving of cozy vintage style. In this article, we celebrate mid-century design in its many inspiring forms—from games to glassware and everything in between.
So, kick off the new year with a few friends, fantastic finds and these inviting vintage vibes.
MCM Games: Inside and Out
Collecting board games has been a hobby of mine since I was 12 years old. What started as an obsession with various Monopoly sets evolved into acquiring library-style games, chess sets and beyond. While the contents of a game and how it plays are of great importance, it’s often the packaging design and graphics that have drawn me in.
Some of my favorite games were produced by the 3M Corporation between 1970 and 1971. One of them, a set of nine “gamettes,” features modernist artwork comprising simple shapes, sharp-serifed fonts and vibrant vintage colors. Inside the box of each game is a smart construction of pieces and parts ranging from metal pawns, illustrative cards, dice and even integrated hourglass stands. When I first discovered these games, I was surprised they were produced by 3M but, after examining all the details, it’s no wonder brilliant engineering and designing minds were behind them.
MCM/Medieval Masterpiece
Part of the fun of collecting vintage items is researching and learning about the items we collect.
An oversized ceramic chess set is one of those items I knew nothing about when I found it, but the simplified style and rich glazes immediately caught my attention.
Through a series of online searches, I was able to find that this set was produced by Duncan Ceramic Products in the 1960s and 1970s. From what I’ve found, these sets were offered as bisque pieces, allowing the consumer to apply their own personalized topcoat.
For this set, someone chose wisely when they glazed it back in the day, because its rich mustard and avocado hues create depth and timeless elegance in each figure.
Duncan Ceramics Products was founded in 1946 in Fresno, California. Its iconic campus building opened in 1961 and features 600 feet of stunning tile murals designed by the legendary Stan Bitters. If you have the opportunity to visit this campus, you’ll undoubtedly be mesmerized by the beauty, color, texture and sheer scale of the exterior installations. Knowing that this vintage chess set came from such a stunning historical location makes me love and appreciate it even more.
Floor Décor for your MCM Games Night
Creating a comfortable and cozy environment for gaming doesn’t have to be complicated. When I was a child, my grandmother had giant floor pillows for us kids in the family room. They were a fun and easy way to lie by the fire, play games, build card houses and converse. For me, large floor pillows still offer an invitation to make guests settle in and feel at home.
Try your hand at making a floor pillow sham using plush, designer upholstery fabric (see page 116 for the DIY instructions). The pocket-style design gives you the flexibility to change colors and patterns as the seasons change. A heavy corduroy or velvet is an excellent choice for winter months, while a breathable cotton or microfiber is better suited for warmer weather.
DIY Euro Pillow Sham Cover
Makes one 26×26-inch Euro pillow sham cover
Materials
Euro pillow insert (26×26 inches)
1 yard upholstery fabric (front)
1¼ yards upholstery fabric (back)
Fabric scissors
Stick pins
Cotton thread
Sewing machine
Directions
- Cut the front fabric to 28×28 inches.
- Cut two pieces of the back fabric to 21x 28 inches.
- Sew a 1-inch hem along the long edge of both pieces of the back fabric.
- Place the front fabric face up.
- Align one piece of the back fabric face down on the front fabric with the hem closest to the center.
- Align the remaining piece of back fabric face down with the hem closest to the center. Important: The finished sides of the fabric must be facing inward at this step. The center edges should overlap by 6 inches.
- Fasten the outer edges of the sham with stick pins every 3 to 5 inches.
- Thread your sewing machine with coordinating colored thread.
- Sew the outer edges of the sham with a ¾-inch hem, removing the stick pins as you go.
- Turn the sham inside out.
- Push the corners with the scissors from inside the sham to create crisp points.
- Fill the cover with the Euro insert and fluff the pillow.
As the holidays pass and winter months coast by, the time is right for relaxing indoors. Some of my favorite pastimes during this time of year are casual gatherings for board game nights, snacking and cocktail-making.
Of course, a setup of this nature is deserving of cozy vintage style. In this issue, we celebrate mid-century design in its many inspiring forms—from games to glassware and everything in between.
So, kick off the new year with a few friends, fantastic finds and these inviting vintage vibes.
Glorious Glassware for an MCM Games Night
Cocktails are arguably as essential to board-gaming as dice! The perfect drink in a delightful glass goes a long way in hosting a fun-filled evening at home.
Of all the vintage items I collect, glassware is most certainly my “kryptonite.” The 1960s offered some truly unique, gorgeous patterns and prints that were often embellished with gilded accents, bold graphics and vibrant colors. If you’re looking to build your vintage glassware collection, consider the following guidelines:
Shape. What type of glass is going to be the most useful to you? If you’re just beginning your collection, I recommend acquiring a few of the glassware staples—old-fashioned, collins, rocks and coupe—to start.
Identification. Glassware designers of the mid-20th century aren’t always easily identified, but some of the more popular brands will have a maker’s mark. Look on the bottom of the glassware for an imprint (such as a cursive “L” for Libbey or an anchor icon for Anchor Hocking). Both companies produced charming vintage designs that are still plentiful today.
Care. Are you comfortable with hand-washing your glassware? Vintage glassware requires a delicate touch, and most pieces shouldn’t be washed in the dishwasher. Glasses with gilding and silver designs are particularly sensitive. Before starting your collection, consider this aspect, because special care will be required to ensure your glassware’s luster for years to come.
Recipes for an MCM Games Night
Smokin’-Sweet Snack Mix
Serves 6–8
Ingredients
4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups round pretzel bites
2 cups salted mixed nuts
½ tsp. fine-grain smoked sea salt
Directions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees (F). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and evenly distribute the pretzel bites and nuts. Melt the butter, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne and cinnamon over low heat in a small saucepan. Pour the melted mixture over the pretzels and nuts. Toss to combine. Bake for 20 minutes. Gently toss the pretzels and nuts with a spatula and sprinkle with the sea salt. Serve the snack mix warm. Store it in an airtight container for up to one week.
Perfect Pear Highball
Makes 1 highball
Ingredients
1.5 oz. bourbon
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. pear liqueur
Sparkling pear water
Red pear slice and lemon peel for garnish
Directions
Combine the bourbon, lemon juice and pear liqueur into an ice-filled collins glass. Stir to chill. Top the drink with sparkling pear water. Garnish the highball with a pear slice and a lemon peel.
For more of Robert’s MCM lifestyle and entertainment ideas, don’t miss Savoring the Season: Fall Hosting, MCM Style and Mid Mod Spring Cleaning. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!
