Reader Frank gets snaps for spotting this great video — a true “time capsule” car. I’m thinkin’ this is the platform just before the first-ever Mustang (a 64-1/2 model) came out. Thanks, Frank, keep ‘em coming!
Hi Pam,
The link below is not necessarily on topic of retro homes, but it is a cute story about an 89-year-old woman who still drives her immaculate 1964 Mercury Comet with 540,000 miles on the odometer. I’d guess you could call it a time capsule car. Just like the mid century ranch homes, the cars of the 1960’s had beautiful clean lines. Thanks for keeping up your great site.
A READER BLITZ continues - I only have about 50 more to go. Today, one of the wildest vintage kitchens that I have ever seen. Yes: All of those 8″x8″ plastic tiles are original. Kurt explains: .
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I have a 1952 kitchen that I’ve restored. The walls and ceiling are covered with 8″x8″ silver pearlescent Tilemaster tiles. It’s a mind blower. I inspect houses for a living (10,000 and counting…), and I’ve never seen anything like it. When I bought the place, I had originally planned to gut the kitchen, but once in, I became entranced with the stuff. It’s magical………I bought the house from the home’s (built in 1922), second owner, who remodeled the kitchen in 1952. The tile is held in place by the old crappy tile setting adhesive they used then; periodically, tiles will come loose, and I resecure them with modern adhesives. I put the cabinets in, and moved some of the tile around to fill in holes left from removing some stuff so I could fit in a real refrigerator. I worked pretty hard to keep the flavor of the original remodel in ‘52. I want to put in boomerang formica when I change out the countertops next year. There’s a little eating nook/banquette built into the corner (out of the photo) that’s equipped with some Thonet chairs from the early 50’s. It’s a pretty tight little composition. If I had a better camera (wide angle lens), you could get the feel of it better. Note the original Nutone fan over the door @ the left. The sink is an original Elkay Lustertone with draining sideboard. I think you get the idea. It’s pretty wild in real life with the correct lighting.
Kurt, while I have not seen a kitchen quite like this one, I have seen a few with larger, Marlite- (laminate-style) walls and ceilings. I think this was an uncommon midcentury renovation for older homes and farmhouses. Case in point: See this vintage kitchen with Marlite covering the walls and ceiling, just like yours. If, for example, you had troublesome plaster walls — you could just cover them over with these miraculous manmade plastics. Thanks so much for saving this little architectural gem - and for sharing it with us. And yes, Kurt, we also need to see your 1959 American Standard bathroom, in seafoam green when you get a chance!
WELCOME TO GinaUSA’s 1960s bathroom. I am really quite in love with this style of mosaic tile — 3/4″ or 1″ squares — and in this case, with little porcelain splatters. I generically call this “Romany Spartan” tile because that’s the company that seems to be in all my vintage magazines. I know of at least one source for tile pretty close to this, still (continue after the jump.) Ooooh, peek at GinaUSA’s door handle, too — crystal. Yes, you can add this bit of sweetness to your house, if you prefer it rather than mod metal. [click to continue…]
DOGGIE BLOGGERS JAKE AND BARCLAY — that’s Jake at left, he’s an Eames/Saarinen fan — have a fun blog called The (dog) House. Their reader-owners recently added acrylic inserts to their “great wall of yellow” vintage kitchen cabinets, even more so if you have jigsaw and know how to use it. This is a low-cost, high-impact update for any kitchen. They also added a dose of pistachio color, and check out the checkerboard Armstrong VCT floor…. Nicely done “grandma’s redux,” as they call it. But read on, this house is very interesting for at least two more reasons. [click to continue…]
HERE IS A REALLY GREAT SURVEY OF VINTAGE OUTDOOR LIGHTING, from my 1961 Progress Lighting catalog. I started with this photo because: Just look at the little umbrella landscape light. It is phenomenal! The careful addition of outdoor lighting can be one of the easiest and relatively cheapest ways to improve the curb appeal of your midcentury ranch house, Cape, colonial or contemporary. At minimum, think: High quality, well maintained wall lanterns adjacent to or above the entry door and garage, and a lamp post either at the front of the driveway or closer to the house next to a walkway heading toward the door. Landscape around the lamp post - this is also a great piece of ‘hardscape’ to launch a decorative fence. Light are “sentinels”. Use them to ultimately draw attention toward your front door…they are tools to make your house say a big, warm “Welcome.” [click to continue…]
Jennifer gets snaps for sending us this very nice midcentury style post lantern, with matching wall lantern. to consider for out front. Finding appropriate outdoor lighting is always a hot topic, with not *that many* resources on our list yet. So this is a very welcome addition. Here’s what Jennifer writes: [click to continue…]
STEVEN KURUTZ OF THE NEW YORK TIMES has written a terrific story about time capsule houses — not empty ones, but ones people still live in today, original furniture and all. The basic question of his story was: Why do people choose to live in homes that they never change for 20…30…40…50 years? He interviewed couples living in four such homes, and it is fascinating, interesting and funny, even, to read their stories. In his research, Steven came across this site and all our interest in time capsules, so he contacted me and ultimately interviewed me for the story.
What do you think? If they fit the bill, why did your grandparents, aunt and uncle, parents, or neighbors stay in their house and never change it?[click to continue…]
The New York Times story also spotlighted the efforts of so many blog readers — who are awesome “reporters” on the scene bringing time capsules (and all the retro-love) to the surface. Here’s that part of the story:
Identifying exactly when a home became stuck is easier. “Pink-tile bathrooms, Dishmaster faucets, colors like aquamarine and sunbeam yellow — all very 1950s,” said Pam Kueber, who runs retrorenovation.com, a Web site devoted to midcentury design. Shag carpet and avocado appliances indicate the ’70s. Lava rock and ultrasuede? As ’80s as a Rubik’s Cube.
Ms. Kueber posts midcentury time capsules on her site, with photos provided by readers, often taken from real estate listings.
Take a bow, Retro Renovation Time Capsule Hunters, Retro Recon Detectives and STPB Ambassadors. You are the best. Thank you so much. And keep ‘em coming: retrorenovation @ gmail dot com.
Yes — we are all dedicated to Save The Pink Bathrooms — but that quest is just emblematic, of course. We love midcentury bathrooms of all colors - blue, yellow, pinky-beige, grey, green, salt n pepper… I recently spotted some great images from Tiki Lisa’s blue bathroom (after the jump), and it got me to thinking… Let’s pull together all our blue bathrooms for a comprehensive look at this classic midcentury color. 22 bathroom inspirations in all. [click to continue…]
On days when warmth is the most important need of the human heart,
the kitchen is the place you can find it;
it dries the wet socks, it cools the hot little brain.”
—E.B. White, 1956
Need a place to point the station wagon this summer vacation? You’ll be sure to torture the pre-teens at “America’s Kitchens,” a new traveling exhibition organized by Historic New England. It has just begun its national tour in Concord, New Hampshire, where it will run through January 17, 2010. Next stops will be Long Island and Cape Cod. [click to continue…]
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Kurt, while I have not seen a kitchen quite like this one, I have seen a few with larger, Marlite- (laminate-style) walls and ceilings. I think this was an uncommon midcentury renovation for older homes and farmhouses. Case in point: 
Jennifer gets snaps for sending us this very nice midcentury style post lantern, with matching wall lantern. to consider for out front. Finding appropriate outdoor lighting is always a hot topic, with not *that many* resources on our list yet. So this is a very welcome addition. Here’s what Jennifer writes: 
